Best in Snow

Another great Andy Carpenter story. If I ever get arrested for anything I hope it is in New Jersey so that Andy can represent me. Without giving anything away I’ll just sat that Mr. Carpenter takes on an impossible case and comes out on top once again.

This is pretty much identical to all of the other books in the series. An innocent person is charges with murder and Andy and his team figure out what really happened. There are numerous references as to how much he loves his dogs, wife and son. There are tons of quips that greatly overshadow the plot.

In this installment Andy's dog, Tara., finds a dead body in the woods. It happens to be that of the mayor.

I can't explain why I like these books so much. The plots are really a small part of the stories. Andy's comments are really what keep me coming back. I read my first just a few months ago and have quickly gone through almost the whole series. The audio books are great. I learned that if I play at double speed or a little more they last about the same time as a shift weeding my garden.

Basically, if you like one of the series, you like them all. And I do.

I am so sorry with myself that I have not taken the time to read any of the other books by this author. I will be remedying that soon. This was the twenty fourth book in this series with Andy Carpenter but I did not need to read the other books to get who the characters were. I love the wry humor that is used throughout. These are great characters. This is a definite read for any one. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

First, as painful as it is, I have an admission. I'm batting zero on figuring out whodunnit in any of Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter books before the big reveal. What is surprising is that somehow that doesn't matter. I'm long since stopped trying to figure things out and just enjoy the ride.

Oddly enough, since I normally avoid books about messy murders and things like explosions and mob hits, I absolutely adore this series and have discovered that once I start reading I'm almost compelled to finish asap. Even more amazing, it's reluctant hero/lawyer Andy Carpenter's self-deprecating sense of humor and the well rounded characters who surround him that keep me coming back, not the desire to figure out the guilty party before the author discloses it.

I won't even attempt to detail the plot, which is complicated with many twists and turns and corruption in the highest places, but will simply say it starts with his beloved Tara finding a body in the snow during their regular walk. Although Andy is trying his best to retire, he finds himself the defense lawyer for the accused, a friend and associate of one of Andy's best friends. All the usual faces are there, including the inscrutable Marcus, and his team sets out to do what they do best, find the truth. Oh, did I mention Andy almost gets killed in the process. His wife, an ex-cop who is the one with the well placed shot that saves him simply says she's glad she saved him as she doesn't think she's up for tackling the dating game again. See what I mean about humor?

Finally, of course there are dogs. The Andy Carpenter series has been built around the love that Andy (and author David Rosenfelt) have for dogs. Not only does Tara set things in motion by digging through the snow and finding a body, but there's a new Golden Retriever in town, Duchess. She and her reluctant care-taker, Vince, provide several humorous moments.

So, if you like dogs, complicated mysteries that somehow manage to combine humor and mayham, people you'll wish you knew, and the dynamics of friendship and family, you'll enjoy "Best in Snow". Daisy, who I have cautioned against finding any bodies during our daily walks, gives this one four paws up and a tail wag.

Thanks to #NetGallery and #StMartinsPress for the advanced copy.