Although lawyer Andy Carpenter tries very hard to be and stay retired, Rosenfelt's fans are certainly relieved that Andy continues to be persuaded, one way or another, to take interesting cases. In The More the Terrier, a young college student, BJ, who previously adopted a dog from Carpenter's Tara Foundation is arrested for killing one of his professors. Although he's really just looking forward to a quiet Christmas full of holiday music, Andy looks into the case, and when he realizes BJ's lawyer doesn't actually seem interested in defending his client, Andy takes over. The team gathers to investigate, their main goal being to find who actually killed the professor. The case was satisfyingly complicated: even though I figured part of the mystery out, I didn't quite make all the connections Andy did to solve the case in the end. I always enjoy Rosenfelt's dry, sarcastic, self-deprecating humor and interesting characters. Although this is book 30 in the series, I think enough background is given for a new reader to jump in and enjoy the story (almost) as much as someone who has read every single one!

If you like the Stephanie Plum series, you are going to absolutely love the Andy Carpenter series! Sarcastic, caring, and a heck of a lawyer with one heck of a team, you’re in for a cozy treat. Every book is filled with not red, herrings, and suspects that just don’t keep you guessing, they keep you entertained while revealing clues that you’re not quite sure or relevant to figure out who done it until you get further along. But boy boy is this series well written!

Do not sit there and wonder as you look for your next read. If you have not read a book in this series, yet, you are going to be in for, because not only is it awesome series, there are plenty of books in the series for you to binge on as well!

Andy Carpenter aka David Rosenfelt makes a boring trial tale an absolute delight to read. It was so entertaining that I forgot to try to figure out who the real culprit was. I certainly do hope that there will be more trials to come. Thank so much to Mr. Rosenfelt for writing such enjoyable books. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Attorney Andy Carpenter is back (reluctantly as always) to take on a canine friendly client, with the odds heavily stacked against them both in this 30th in the ever popular series.

This episode opens on the murder of Professor Steven Rayburn. Andy, Laurie and Ricky return from a vacation to find not three dogs, but four. They fostered Murphy he went to live with young BJ Bremer and his mother Doris.

Turns out that Murphy ran off after BJ was arrested for the murder that opened the episode. Rayburn was one of BJ's professors. Since Andy's golden retriever Tara likes Murphy, Andy really has no choice but to take the case.

The More the Terrier (An Andy Carpenter Mystery #30) by David Rosenfelt
Publisher: St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: October 15, 2024

The More the Terrier is the 30th book in the Andy Carpenter Mystery series by David Rosenfelt. Don’t let the 30 scare you away, you can easily jump into this series at any point and each book is a standalone mystery.

This quick read was so good! I love the characters and found myself laughing out loud throughout the book! I am a huge fan of sarcasm, mysteries and dogs! I loved seeing how everything comes together.

Andy Carpenter is a want-to-be-retired attorney, who can't help himself when faced with the right case! He is a great sleuth, loves dogs, and is so funny! I actually laughed out loud as some of the things he said! The crime solving was great and I loved how it all comes together!

This book was so much fun! I absolutely loved it! I definitely recommend reading this book!!! Sarcasm, quick wit, and dogs! I can't wait to read the other books in the series!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S THE MORE THE TERRIER ABOUT?
The Carpenter family returns from a vacation to find that their house/dog-sitter has brought in a stray from the weather. Before they can take it to their rescue shelter to scan for a chip, his son, Ricky, recognizes the dog—he's a little terrier that they'd fostered a few years ago, who'd gotten lost and found his way back to a place he knew.

Andy returns the dog, to find out that this was a bit of coincidental timing. The dog was adopted by a mother and son—the son attends a local college, and is in jail awaiting trial for killing a professor. His current lawyer is pressing him hard to take a deal, but BJ is resisting. Andy has a conversation with BJ and takes over the case—there's something fishy about this lawyer and how he got involved in the case.

As one expects by now, the more that Andy looks at things, the more complex things appear. Soon, Andy and his team are up in their necks with experimental computer software, drug dealers, sexual assault (don't worry, it's not anywhere near graphic), and other sorts of criminal activity. This includes one of the biggest challenges (possibly the biggest) Marcus has faced in this series.

MARCUS
At one point in this book, Andy and Marcus are having a conversation and in the middle of it, I stopped just to marvel at a totally normal conversation happening between the two without any wisecracks in the narration about finally understanding him or anything.

It was just strange. It's good, I think I like it this way. But it's taking some getting used to.

Marcus as a whole is losing some of his mystique, though. He's becoming more human—which is a good (and a bad thing, I miss the superhero).

THE HOLIDAY-NESS OF IT ALL
Since this is a "Christmas"/"Holiday"-themed release, I like to take a moment to talk about that aspect of the book. There's barely any. If someone had told me that Rosenfelt had spent a day changing the Summer 2025 book into the Holiday 2024 release, it'd come out like this.

That said--it worked. We don't need chapters upon chapters every year about Christmas, Laurie's obsession with Christmas decorations and music, all the stuff about gifts, etc. If you're a fan who reads every book, the allusion is enough. If you're new to the series--or just not obsessive--there's enough Holiday content to add flavor, to set the mood.

This is not a comment about quality or quantity. I'm good with either—it's just an observation. Also, it's hard to find something to talk about here at book #30.

METAVERSE OVERLOAD?
So the Metaverse is a major component in this novel—it's a place where the victim spends a lot of time, as well as several other characters in the book. There's a lot of conversation about it, and so on.

Few things speak to the lead time between the submission of a manuscript and its publication as clearly as something like this. I verified my assumptions with the Gen Z and Millennial people in my family, and they all tell me that the Metaverse is just not as big as these characters made it seem (and people thought it would be a few years ago).

Does this hurt anything? Nope. It just made me roll my eyes.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE MORE THE TERRIER?
Few things in my life are as certain as that I will have a good time with an Andy Carpenter book. The More the Terrier is no exception. We get to spend some time with some good friends, maybe make another friend or two (maybe just good acquaintances)—we get to see that Corey's relationship is growing (we need another Team K-9 book!!).

The mystery is satisfying. The way that Andy and Co. solve it is, too. Andy's narration is reliably entertaining and chuckle-inducing. The material about the dogs is great (the Sebastian jokes are something I've started to really look forward to). Andy's courtroom antics are restrained here, but the trial is still the best part.

I really don't know what else to say—this is a fun read. If you've never read an Andy Carpenter book, you'll enjoy it--if you've read 1-29 of them, you know this is the case.

Rosenfelt's books are like potato chips—once you start, you just can't stop. Go ahead and open this bag.

This is the 30th book in the popular Andy Carpenter series. The author, David Rosenfelt, has also written other dog-related books. The author and his wife started a dog rescue foundation and have rescued approximately 4,000 dogs. They also have 27 dogs at home that are too old or sick to be adopted.
The books follow a similar setup, but the crimes are complex and different.
These popular, best-selling books are always entertaining. Lawyer Andy Carpenter is an independently wealthy defence lawyer who is reluctant to return to the courtroom unless a dog is remotely involved. His narration involves a sardonic, snide sense of humour, often directed towards himself. His sarcastic remarks add to the entertainment value. Andy Carpenter is a partner in a dog rescue project called the Tara Foundation. Author David Rosenfelt has developed a repetitive but winning formula.

The eye-catching covers of dogs pictured in the stories make the books hard to resist, and they could be mistaken for cozy mysteries. The stories involve complicated investigations into the lives of his clients where a guilty verdict seems overwhelming and leads to a suspenseful, complex court case. The intense past crime cases have involved money laundering, complicated conspiracies, drug trafficking, mob violence, cybercrime, gang-related killings, terrorism, and Interpol's most wanted. Andy's clients have been made to seem guilty with solid evidence against them. He must cast suspicion on others who might have a motive to commit the crime.

Recurring characters assist Andy Carpenter in the investigation before going to court. Among them are Laurie, Andy's former police officer wife; Cory, a retired police officer with his police dog Simon Garfunkle; Sam, an expert hacker; and Marcus Clark, a large, strong, intimidating protector.

The More the Terrier, set around Christmas, is a story that can be enjoyed at any time of the year. The characters, including Andy's indifferent attitude towards the season and his wife's insistence on a prolonged Christmas, are well-defined and always entertaining. Andy, his wife, and his fifteen-year-old son returned home from a holiday at a ski resort. Andy is glad to be able to watch sports on TV again and missed their three dogs. Much to his surprise, four dogs are now with the dog sitter. The additional dog is a terrier identified by the ID chip as one adopted from his shelter a year before and named Murphy. Murphy's new family seemed a perfect fit, and the mother and teenage son BJ (Brian Bremer) were delighted to have Murphy. So why is Murphy back?

Andy visits the home, and the mother is pleased that Murphy has been found but is still very upset. She tells Andy that BJ has been arrested and charged with murdering his university professor. Murphy ran away when BJ was absent from their home.

The evidence is strong against him. An expensive watch belonging to the professor and a sum of money was found hidden in BJ's closet after he argued about a mark the professor assigned him in class. When Andy visits his defence lawyer, he finds that BJ has been advised to plead guilty, which would still give him a lengthy prison sentence. Andy replaces BJ's lawyer, whom he regards as sleazy, deciding to defend BJ in court. He assembles his trusty team. They must identify some other possible suspects to cast doubt on his client's guilt.

The trail of suspects leads to a popular man with legitimate businesses and secret ties to enterprises run by the local mob. He is affiliated with a Russian in a business devoted to researching advances in Internet technology. The team also discovers several men who have committed crimes through their avatars on a metaverse program. They were shut down, and their computers were destroyed remotely by the professor who was murdered. The professor had a drug problem, and the drug dealers could also be brought up in the trial as possible alternative perpetrators. There is not enough evidence to prove any of them are guilty of murder, but Andy hopes they will cast doubt on BJ being the only possible killer. Interviews with his classmates determine that they do not believe BJ could commit murder. Speculation on motives by the team became rather boring and repetitive.

Leading up to the trial, Andy worries that producing other potential killers for the jury may not be sufficient to free BJ. Some potential witnesses and guilty parties vanish or are killed before the case is to be heard in court. This is a complex story involving murder, kidnapping, computer viruses, the metaverse, Mafia, Russians, and drug traffickers. I have always loved Andy's snide, biting, sarcastic humour, but it was not as frequent as in earlier books. The court case ends with BJ's acquittal due to reasonable doubt. After the trial, there was a major twist and reveal that I did not anticipate. This increased my rating to a strong 4-Stars.

More the Terrier will be released on October 15th. It is recommended for David Rosenfelt's fans and those who enjoy a complicated, suspenseful mystery with an additional court trial. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (Minotaur Books) for the much-appreciated advance copy of the book.

The More the Terrier is book 30 in the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt.
I really love the mystery/suspense in this book. The build up was so great in this book, and the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat.
I enjoyed the plotting, characters and humor in this series; add dogs to the mix and it doesn't get any better.

Andy Carpenter is enjoying not having to do any lawyering during the holiday season.
However, when a dog that had been adopted from his Tara Foundation shows up at his door, he discovers, upon taking him home, that his owner has been arrested for murder. Andy quickly assembles the team to prove his innocence if possible but, at the very least, cast reasonable doubt on the prosecutor’s case. But the case isn’t as simple as it first appeared and there are some very bad guys involved who won’t take kindly to Carpenter interfering.

The More the Terrier is the 30th cozy mystery in the Andy Carpenter Mystery series by David Rosenfelt and, even after so many books, it still remains one of the most entertaining series available and a lot of that is due to Andy with his dry, often self-mocking, sense of humour but, really, everyone on his team is fun, each displaying their own unique skills and personality quirks. The mystery, itself, is compelling, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers’ attention, whether long-time fans or first- time readers. A perfect read if, like me, one of your favourite Christmas treats is a cozy mystery set during the holidays.

I read an eARC published by St Martin’s Press while listening to the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. The audiobook was narrated by Grover Gardner who does an amazing job.

Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio. All opinions are my own.

Andy Carpenter finds himself once again (with his normal reluctance) stepping back into his career of defense attorney as he and his team work to uncover enough truths and evidence to show that his client is innocent (or at least sufficient reasonable doubt of his guilt). While this is the 30th book in the series, it will make an enjoyable read whether it's your first, 30th or somewhere in between. Much of the book is from Andy's point of view with his dry sarcastic wit as he works to unravel the various twists and clues in a well written mystery that will keep you guessing and reading to the end.

I binge read the Andy Carpenter series this year and was thankful that NetGalley had the newest book so I could finish them all! This wasn't my favorite in the series but all of the books in this series are an enjoyable romp.

Granted, this is not a lengthy book. But the fact that I whipped through 35% of it in one before-bed sitting indicates two things: first, that it's an easy read; and second, that reading it was a real treat. In fact, I'll say it's one of the best so far (this is the 30th).

Long-time super-charged attorney Andy Carpenter is happy as a clam now that he's retired - enjoying the heck out of his ex-cop wife, Laurie Collilns, 15-year-old son Ricky, their three dogs and running his Tara Foundation dog rescue operation. On their way back home to Paterson, New Jersey, the family is surprised when their pet sitter tells them a stray dog has appeared at their doorstep and doesn't want to leave. Almost immediately, though, they're shocked to realize this isn't a stray; it's Murphy, a pup they once fostered that was adopted some time ago by BJ Bremer, who lives with his mother. They're even more shocked, though, when BJ's mother reveals that her son has been arrested for murdering one of his college professors at nearby Rutgers University.

Andy is, of course, reluctant to take on the case - besides loving retirement, he won't be making any money (not that he needs any). But under the circumstances, he just can't say no; so he quickly gathers his competent team, which includes Laurie, to begin an investigation that begins with a close look at the victim in hopes that will lead to a motive. On the downside, the evidence against BJ is strong, so it's clear that even coming up with enough to create reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors will be a challenge.

But try they will, of course, and it's an intriguing exploration that leads to some very dangerous characters. I'm sorry to say other readers will have to find out how it went for themselves, though - I can't say more without revealing too much. But for courtroom and pooch lovers, I highly recommend this book (and the entire series). Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

I loved this book. I love this entire series. Andy Carpenter is so snarky. He also wise and cunning as an attorney. He is definitely the type of lawyer you want in your corner.

This book is part mystery and part courtroom drama with plenty of sass and humor, as well as adorable dogs.

The mystery is interesting with plot twists and plenty of suspects to choose from. The characters in this book and this series are all interesting with even more interesting backgrounds. Never fear if you have not read any of the books in this series because the author provides plenty of background so you are never lost. This is another one in the winner column for the Andy Carpenter series.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Another terrific installment in this nicely twisty series- and it will be just fine as a standalone. As fans know, Andy doesn't share his wife Laurie's love for Christmas music and decorations nor does he like to work as the ace attorney he is. He's more interested in dogs. So when Murphy, the pup adopted by BJ and his mom shows up at his house he knows something is wrong. BJ's been charged with murdering his professor but Andy is certain he didn't do it and so puts his team to work to not only exonerate BJ but also to find the real villain. I'm a fan of this series for the characters (Marcus! Laurie! Corey! Sam!) and the dry humor let alone the carefully crafty mysteries and neat courtroom scenes. I also like that somehow Andy always finds the answers, even if the real bad guy isn't unmasked until the very last pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great read.

I look forward to David Rosenfelt’s new books and can’t wait to read them all. This one did not disappoint! Murphy the terrier is a smart little guy and finds Andy when he and his boy need help. This was a very interesting visit with Andy, Laurie, Marcus,Tara, and all the old friends.

Andy is a criminal defense lawyer who doesn't want any clients. Because of the money his father left him and some lucrative cases, he is able to not work and spend his time with his friend, Willie, running the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue that he and Willie formed. He is married to Laurie, they have a teenage son, Ricky, three dogs and he is enjoying his life.

When Andy and his family get back from a vacation, there are four dogs waiting for him instead of three. His dog sitter said the fourth dog arrived a couple days ago and she didn't know what else to do so took him in. They recognize the dog as Murphy, a former foster dog, and return the dog to the family who had adopted him. That's when Andy discovers that BJ, the son, had been arrested for murdering one of his professors. When Andy meets the lawyer who has stepped up to defend BJ, he senses something isn't right and takes over the case to ensure BJ gets a fair trial. As Andy and his team start investigating, it doesn't take long until potential witnesses start to disappear.

This is the 30th in the Andy Carpenter series ... I've read them all and I'm still enjoying this series. Even though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone (so you don't need to have read the ones before it to know what is going on). I like the writing style as it was funny, sarcastic and amusing. The author even includes himself in this book as Laurie is reading a book by David Rosenfelt and Andy doesn't see why he is her favourite author! It was written mostly in first person perspective in Andy's voice.

I like Andy ... I think he would be a hoot to be around and he's quite generous with his time and money (he never charges for his services and he always picks up the tab for his friends at his favourite restaurant whether he is there or not). Andy admits he is a bit of a wimp so part of his team is the K-Team (Laurie, a former police officer and now an investigator, Marcus and Cory, a former police officer). Sam is his accountant who is also a computer hack who wants to be part of the action.

The 30th book in the Andy Carpenter series. The book is formulaic - lawyer who doesn’t want to work but takes on a case, dogs are involved and action too. Usually the book has a lot of dad jokes from Andy but this one was lacking and I hope to see more of them in future books. I also felt like there were a lot of subplots that didn’t have any conclusions. That said, the ending was unique as Andy was involved in different ways than in the past. The books are always an enjoyable & easy read and I will certainly continue to read the series

Dog-loving attorney Andy Carpenter would love nothing more than to spend zero percent of his time lawyering, but luckily for readers he occasionally gets his arm twisted into doing his day job. This book starts with a cute reunion with a furry friend previously helped by Andy’s dog rescue foundation, and then Andy finds himself back in lawyer mode trying to help a young man he believes to have been wrongfully accused of murder. As usual, there’s lots of humor, charming daily life with three dogs, a procedural-style investigative element thanks to Andy’s team of IT/police/tough guy experts, and high-quality courtroom drama. Andy’s manner is so jokey that sometimes it’s easy to forget how smart he is, making the serious crime investigation aspect of the books even more of a treat.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a digital advance copy.

I'm a diehard fan of the Andy Carpenter series and of David Rosenfelt's writing. Not many murder mysteries can also make this reader laugh out loud often while reading. I especially get a kick out of when Andy's wife is reading a book by 'her favorite author', David Rosenfelt. Andy is so relatable with his self-deprecating wit and not realizing he's tougher than he thinks. Of course added to the great characters, there is a complex and interesting mystery - with twists. My only 'complaint' - - need more about Tara, Hunter and Sebastian. I can picture those dogs - especially Sebastian. Gotta love a lawyer who loves his dogs!

I really have a hard time picking my favorite character in this series. I love Andy and he makes me giggle. I also love Marcus, I mean who wouldn’t want a Marcus in their life? And then there’s Laurie, who deals with Andy all the time. I so enjoy reading about these three and their cohorts as they find a way to bring the bad guys to justice. Loved this story and the people in it. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.