Holy Chow: An Andy Carpenter Mystery

By David Rosenfelt

In Holy Chow, the next mystery from bestselling author David Rosenfelt, the beloved characters—both human and canine—of this fan favorite series are back on the case with the author’s trademark wit and humor.

Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter’s calling has always been running the Tara Foundation. The dog rescue organization places hundreds of dogs in new homes every year. It’s added up to so many dogs and new owners that Andy can’t even do the math. But there’s one dog—and one owner—Andy will always remember.

About a year ago, Rachel Morehouse came to the foundation looking for a companion. In her sixties and recently widowed, Rachel wanted a senior dog that also needed someone. Andy took a liking to her, Rachel took a liking to Lion, an older Chow Chow, and the rest is history.

That is, until Rachel calls Andy begging for a favor: If Rachel dies, will Andy take care of Lion if her stepson cannot? Andy agrees, no questions asked, and promptly forgets about it... until he receives a call from Rachel’s estate to attend her will reading. Which is where he meets Rachel’s stepson, Tony, who is promptly arrested for his stepmother’s murder. And he wants Andy to prove his innocence.

Andy has continued to learn more about the woman he so greatly admired and the businesses she ran, and holy chow, was this woman impressive. The person who killed her deserves to be held accountable, and if Tony is to be believed, they’re still out there. And that possibility is too much for Andy to remain on the sidelines.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jul 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781250828880

David Rosenfelt

DAVID ROSENFELT is the Edgar-nominated and Shamus Award-winning author of more than twenty Andy Carpenter novels, including One Dog Night, Collared, and Deck the Hounds; its spinoff series, The K-Team; the Doug Brock thriller series, which starts with Fade to Black; and stand-alone thrillers including Heart of a Killer and On Borrowed Time. Rosenfelt and his wife live in Maine with an ever-changing pack of rescue dogs. Their epic cross-country move with 25 of these dogs, culminating in the creation of the Tara Foundation, is chronicled in Dogtripping.

Book preview

Matt Reisinger knew what he needed and when he needed it.

It was the key to his business success. Most executives on his level would credit some business mentor, or perhaps a parent, or maybe a business school professor, as the person who most helped them along the way.

Not Matt. Without question, in his mind the individual most responsible for his professional achievements was Mother Nature.

Twice a year Matt would drive from his Cincinnati home to the mountains of North Carolina. He always chose to drive, though as the CEO of a company that supplied private planes to wealthy clients, he obviously could easily and comfortably have traveled by air.

Driving was part of the mental cleansing; it was the time in which he made the transfer from his high-pressure job to his period of freedom. By the time he arrived at the mountains, his head was clear and he had put the real world behind him.

These trips had an irony that always became clear to him afterward, yet always surprised him. Even though he almost never thought about business or his job while he was there, he always returned with a bunch of ideas and new strategies.

Obviously, clearing his mind left space to think in fresh ways. He even thought about mandating these kinds of outings for the executives under him, but decided that it was impractical, and also that not everyone was likely to react in the same way.

He always stayed up on the mountains for four days, hiking and camping. He brought all the supplies he would need with him in the car, since it was not the kind of place where you can run in to a Walmart. He never varied this routine, which had served him well over the years.

Matt’s life was privileged; it had always been. He was born into a reasonably wealthy family, had been taught the value of money and ambition, and had done what he needed to maintain his lifestyle. But up on the mountain, none of that mattered; he was like everyone else, dealing with the elements and the difficulties that the wilderness presented, and that appealed to him on a basic level.

He was in the third day on this current trip, which was typically the day when he started dreading his return to the real world. That dread usually peaked on the fourth day and then started to wane, and by the time he’d driven back home he would always be refreshed and enthusiastic.

But this trip and this time were different. He was dealing with business and personal challenges he had never before faced, yet he had resolved to confront them. It might change his life, but he could not turn away from these challenges.

Matt always slept on the inside of the trail, away from the ledge. He didn’t have a fear of heights, but he did have a healthy respect for them. He was not prone to walking in his sleep, but there was no sense taking any chances.

Matt woke up and, as he had on the previous two days, made a fire, cooked himself breakfast and made coffee. Every day in North Carolina breakfast was the same … bacon, eggs, and oatmeal … and plenty of coffee. That was true of Matt both on the mountain and in the office: he required copious amounts of coffee.

Is that real coffee? Or am I dreaming?

Matt looked up to see another hiker. This big guy was obviously in good shape, and he carried a large backpack with ease. He had a smile on his face and made eye contact with Matt, though the stranger occasionally glanced eagerly at the coffeepot.

It’s real, Matt said. I’m guessing you’d like some?

I’ll trade you two protein bars and an apple. If necessary I’ll throw in my firstborn. I forgot to bring coffee with me, the first and last time that will ever happen.

Well, I can’t make you a nonfat, no-foam venti latte, but I can definitely give you some black coffee. No trade necessary.

Matt didn’t tell him his name or shake his hand. Those were unnecessary courtesies up here; they knew they would never see each other again. But Matt was happy to supply coffee and make this guy’s time on the mountain easier and more pleasant; that was the way that things were done in this world.

The way they should be done in every world.

He poured the guy a cup of coffee and handed it to him. The stranger reached for it with his left hand and punched Matt in the face with his right. The punch traveled less than a foot, but was tremendously powerful.

Matt quite literally never saw it coming and was never able to reflect on it because he instantly lost consciousness. His face was badly bruised and starting to bleed, but the stranger was not concerned about that because plenty of bruising and bleeding was to follow.

No one would ever be able to determine that this blow was the first damage to Matt’s body. No coroner in the world was that good.

The stranger looked around to make sure that no other hikers were within sight, though he had already scouted out the area. He quickly put on gloves, so as not to leave fingerprints, then gathered all of Matt’s stuff and repacked it, leaving it not far from the ledge.

He almost effortlessly picked up Matt’s unconscious body and tossed it over the ledge. There was no way to tell when Matt actually died from the impacts he made along the way, but that wouldn’t matter to anyone, least of all the stranger.

There would be no reason to suspect foul play, and certainly no way to prove it. Matt was a hiker who for a horrible moment was not careful, and who had paid for it with his life.

In everyone’s eyes, it would just look as if Matt had lost a battle with Mother Nature.

Mr. Carpenter, this is Rachel Morehouse. I don’t know if you remember me.

My memory seems to fail me every day; for example, I should start walking my cell phone on a leash to remember where I’ve put it. But I definitely remember Rachel Morehouse.

Of course I do. How are you, Rachel?

I’m fine, thank you.

Is there a problem with Lion? I clutch the phone a bit tighter. I do not want there to be a problem with Lion. He is a magnificent dog, a chow chow, and we named him Lion because his looks reminded me of the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.

Lion is the reason I am able to find Rachel in my depleted memory bank. One day about a year ago she walked into the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue group that I run with my partner, Willie Miller. She saw Lion and fell in love, adopting him immediately.

Until that day Lion had been a bit of a problem for us. Not only was he large and approaching senior age, two qualities that made placing him in a home more difficult, but he had an alleged biting incident in his past. That made it much more difficult, and we had him for almost six weeks. I was afraid his wait to find a loving home would drag on forever.

But enter Rachel Morehouse, a tiny woman in her sixties who looked comical next to Lion. He was almost as big as she was, and when they left, it was hard to tell who was walking whom.

She said that she had lost her husband a while back and was all alone. She wanted a dog who needed her and who she could love and care for the rest of his life. Lion fit the bill perfectly; and right now I’m afraid that something might have happened to change that.

Oh, no, Lion is fine, she says. Wonderful, actually. More than wonderful.

I’m glad to hear that; you had me worried for a minute.

Sorry, but Lion is the reason I am calling.

You want a brother for him? Or maybe a sister? That would not be a problem.

She laughs. No, but I do want to make sure he’s taken care of.

You’re losing me. People seem to lose me a lot these days; my wife, Laurie, thinks I should wear a collar with a name tag or maybe tie a bell around my neck.

People don’t live forever, Andy. If something happened to me, I want to make sure Lion is cared for.

Oh. So you’d want me to take him? And find him a great home? That I can guarantee. I’m not sure what I was expecting her to say, but this is an easy promise.

Thank you; I knew you would. But you’re in second position; my stepson is coming to visit; I’m going to ask him as well.

Whatever you need, Rachel. Does your stepson like dogs? Because Lion is a lot of dog.

She laughs again; Rachel Morehouse has a great laugh. You know something? I don’t know. I’m trying to reestablish our relationship. Family, Andy. You know how that can be.

Actually, I don’t, at least not firsthand. My family relationships have always been comparatively good, but obviously there have been issues in Rachel’s. I don’t know what they are, and I’m not about to ask.

Well, I’m here if you need me. But I sure as hell hope it’s a long time before you do.

So do I, Andy. Her tone is suddenly serious. So do I.

Opening day has always excited me.

Going with my father to the season opener at Yankee Stadium, as we did every year, was a tradition that in my mind stood out above all others. Even when I became a Yankee hater, in the George Steinbrenner / Billy Martin era, I just switched over to the Mets and went to their first game every year instead.

Today’s opening day is a bit different, but every bit as exciting, maybe even more so. My son, Ricky, is a pitcher and shortstop on his Little League team, and today they are starting the season by playing Clifton at Eastside Park.

My wife, Laurie, and I are here to watch Ricky in action, and she is almost as proud and excited as I am. He’ll be going to overnight camp soon, so won’t get to play in many of these games, which only heightens the anticipation today. Only one thing is putting a damper on the day, and that is the coach, Frank Vandeweghe.

His philosophy is that all the kids should play, that they are here to have fun and that winning is not the main objective. He believes that eleven- and twelve-year-olds need to learn sportsmanship; he doesn’t want to step on Clifton’s tiny necks and crush their souls.

The man is clearly an idiot.

That idiocy has never been more evident than today. Ricky is starting the game on the bench. A Carpenter on the bench! The coach has told him that this other kid is going to pitch the first three innings, and that Ricky will pitch the next three.

What’s the difference? Laurie asks me when I express my outrage to her.

What’s the difference? What if there are major-league scouts here? How will it look if he can’t even start in Little League?

You think there are major-league scouts here to watch this game?

You never know. They start really young.

I think the coach has the right attitude, Laurie says. There’s too much emphasis placed on winning.

What are you talking about? Winning is why they keep score. Without winners nobody would know who the losers are. Fans would never boo; coaches would never get fired. It would be chaos. Winning makes the world go round.

Keeping score today turns out not to be such a good idea, as those Clifton animals beat Paterson by a score of 14–6. Ricky gives up eight of the runs.

When the game ends, Laurie says, It’s just as well that there were no major-league scouts here.

Ricky’s not a relief pitcher, I say. He’s a starter. Not starting threw him off. And those Clifton kids were ringers; half of them were over age.

Andy…

I’m telling you, that catcher had to be at least thirty. He probably shaved twenty minutes before the game. His wife and kids were in the stands.

Ricky and his friend Will Rubenstein, who is the team’s starting third baseman, come over after the coach gives them their postgame pep talk. Will’s father, Brian, is a pediatrician and couldn’t leave his office to see the game.

Good game, guys, Laurie says, completely misrepresenting what happened.

We lost, Mom, Ricky says.

But you played hard. You want to go for pizza?

The prospect of pizza appeals to them, so we head to Patsy’s, easily the best pizza place around. If the kids are upset by the result of the game, they’re hiding it well, so I feign a good mood as well. By the time we’re finished laughing through dinner, I don’t even have to feign it.

We drop Will off at his house and head home. We live on Forty-second Street in Paterson, not far from the park. Once Will is out of the car, I say to Ricky, You looked good out there on the mound.

Good? I gave up seven runs. But he doesn’t seem that concerned; maybe he knows the major-league scouts didn’t show up.

Eight, I say, as Laurie shoots me a dirty look. So I try to fix it. But one of them was unearned.

When we get home, Ricky goes off to do his homework, and I take the dogs for a walk. We have three, starting with Tara, a golden retriever who is the greatest dog of all time. She is the Willie Mays of dogs. We also have Sebastian, a basset hound whose main hobbies are sleeping and eating. There are anvils more active than Sebastian. Finally there’s Hunter, a pug who worships Tara and does everything she does.

The four of us go back to Eastside Park, the scene of Ricky’s baseball humiliation, though we don’t go to the lower level where the field is. Instead we stay up top, near the tennis courts. We have to walk slowly, much to Tara’s dismay, because Sebastian regards walking as something to be done with extreme reluctance.

When we get back, Laurie is on the phone, and I hear her say, He just walked in. She hands me the phone. It’s Bernie Hudson.

Bernie Hudson is an attorney with a firm in Manhattan. He does mostly estate stuff for high-end clients. He lives in Teaneck, and Laurie and I have been out to dinner with Bernie and his wife a few times. I would categorize him as a friend, but not a close one.

We make small talk for a couple of minutes. For me, a small-talk minute is equivalent to an hour; I hate it and am bad at it. Finally I cut it off by saying, So what’s going on, Bernie?

Our firm represented Rachel Morehouse.

I’m surprised to hear this; Bernie’s firm would be unlikely to handle anyone without significant money, and I have no reason to believe Rachel is wealthy, though I never thought about it either way.

What I notice first, though, is his use of the past tense, represented. You don’t represent her anymore?

Well, we handle the estate, and … You didn’t know that she passed away last week?

Damn … no, I didn’t. I just spoke with her a few weeks ago.

Oh, sorry … I thought you would have read about it.

I guess Bernie thinks I read the obituaries. No, I didn’t. Is this about her dog?

Her dog? This leads me to believe that he has no idea what I’m talking about. I don’t know anything about her dog.

Then why are you calling?

The reading of the will is tomorrow at our office at ten A.M. I’ve been notifying the beneficiaries, and you are apparently one of them. Obviously you are not required to be there.

She asked me to take her dog if she passed away and her stepson didn’t want it. Can I just get the dog? She rescued him from our foundation.

Andy, I’ve told you all I can; I’m also the executor, so as you know, I’m bound to secrecy until the will is read. If it’s about a dog, that will be part of the will. I don’t know whether the dog will be there tomorrow, but if he is, and if she left him to you, I suppose you can take him.

Okay.

So will you be there?

I guess so. Who else would bring the biscuits?

Rachel Morehouse, adopter of Lion, was worth at least $12 billion.

Based on what Google tells me, that is a conservative estimate. Her late husband was Stanley Wasserman, who ran one of the nation’s largest private equity companies.

A switch to Wikipedia tells me that Rachel did something unusual with her name. While many women might take their husband’s name but also keep their own as a middle name, in this case Rachel did the opposite. She adopted the name Rachel Wasserman Morehouse, relegating Wasserman to the middle position.

That’s one of the reasons I didn’t realize who she was. The other is that she didn’t act like a billionaire at all. She drove up in what I think was a Chevy SUV, and if she dressed expensively or wore fancy jewelry, I didn’t notice it. Of course, she could probably have worn the Hope Diamond and I would have missed it. Still, I admit I’m pretty shocked to learn about her wealth now.

Rachel inherited her deceased husband’s estate, which included a controlling interest in Wasserman Equities. Stanley Wasserman was said to be a business genius, but he was clearly not particularly creative at naming companies.

Based on the articles I find in a few financial magazines, Rachel surprised the business world by taking an active role in running the companies. It had been thought that she’d be an absentee, silent owner or would sell the business, perhaps to the two top executives already there. That’s not what happened.

News reports say she was found in her home by her stepson, Anthony Wasserman. No cause of death is listed, but there is no intimation that it was from anything other than natural

Reviews for Holy Chow

[tottman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are few more reliable pleasures than an Andy Carpenter mystery from David Rosenfelt. In Holy Chow, Andy gets a call from Rachel Moorehouse asking him to take care of Lion if anything happens to her and her stepson is unable to take him. Lion is the Chow Chow Andy helped her to adopt and he agrees without question. When Andy is called to the reading of Rachel's will, he learns she was far richer than he knew and has left the shelter he works with 2 million dollars. He meets her stepson Tony who is promptly arrested for murder and asks Andy to defend him. Andy being a semi-retired criminal defense attorney reluctantly and predictably agrees.When it is discovered that Rachel died from potassium chloride poisoning and that Tony is a high school chemistry teacher, Andy knows he has his work cut out for him. He pulls together his team and gets to work. This is where the story is the most fun. Andy is both clever and witty. His cleverness leads him down avenues that both shed light on the central mystery and inevitably put him in danger. His wit adds humor and levity, but it is also central to the reason some people, mostly those on the other side of a courtroom for him, both loathe and respect him. Seeing Andy and his crew unravel the mystery is half the fun, laughing along the way is the other half. Carpenter always makes sure you learn enough about the characters so that new readers aren't lost while long-time readers aren't bored. Shout-out this time around to the Bubula brigade, Andy's team of elderly hackers that play a big role in solving the mystery. Another great outing in an outstanding series.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Andy is back at work as a lawyer, in spite of his self-confessed laziness and partial retirement. And of course, he is a sucker for a dog lover underdog who has been accused of murder because of apparently overwhelming circumstantial evidence. Rosenfelt's good humor contributes to the irreverent voice of Andy Carpenter, and makes this page-turner a most enjoyable vacation read.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The only problem I had with this book was having to put it down before I finished it. Alas, sometimes you have to go to work! Andy isn’t succeeding at being retired, and he finds he can’t say no to this new client, especially since he likes dogs. Accused of killing Rachel, his crazy rich step-mother whom he hardly knows, it will be up to Andy and his team of experts to prove Tony is innocent. Rachel is quite ill, but still is delving into the workings of her late husband’s corporations. Before she can break the story to a reporter, she is dead. He is fairly certain it involves money laundering, but has no proof or story to that effect. As Andy digs deeper in the holdings of the husband’s companies, he stirs up a hornet’s nest, and is likely to get stung. And he still hasn’t figured out how it might relate to getting his client off. It’s a page-turner, with complex findings that Andy will have to stitch together in a sensible order, if he can manage to stay alive and healthy. Needless to say, this entire series is gold, with great characters, intricate and masterfully written plots, and lovable and intelligent canines. Highly recommended.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this new episode of the long-running Andy Carpenter series. This one begins when a woman who adopted a big chow calls Andy to ask if he will take the dog back if something happens to her. A couple of weeks later, he's contacted by a lawyer and asked to attend a reading of a will. The lady died. At first, it seemed like natural causes since she had heart trouble and cancer, but it was soon discovered to be murder. Her stepson has been accused of the crime.Andy, rather less reluctantly than usual, agrees to defend the stepson but there isn't much evidence that supports his belief that the man is innocent except that Andy likes him and he wants to adopt his stepmother's dog. The investigation uncovers all sorts of wrong-doing at the $12 billion business the woman had recently inherited from her husband. Most of the book deals with uncovering that wrong-doing and trying to figure out how Andy can bring it all up at the trial. I enjoyed the entertaining dialog. The story was also filled with tension because of a few attacks on Andy to try to get him to back off. Fans of the series won't want to miss this episode.

[hcnewton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.---WHAT'S HOLY CHOW ABOUT?About a year ago, Rachel—a new widow in need of a companion—came into the Tara Foundation's dog rescue facility and fell in love with a Chow Chow named Lion (who reciprocated)—Andy remembered her fondly. Then she calls out of the blue with a favor—will Andy take the dog if she dies and her stepson, Tony, can't/won't take the Lion?Andy says of course he will. Within a week, Rachel's been murdered and Andy learns more about this woman. She was rich, in an eye-popping kind of way, and Andy is told to come to the will reading. He's confused by this, but assumes it has to do with taking possession of Lion (just in an unusual way). The reading is interrupted by the police coming to arrest that stepson for her murder.Andy visits Tony and decides to take his case—for solid, evidence-based reasons, and not at all because he seems like a nice guy, his Great Dane mix had recently died and he's excited to take Lion. Okay, that's not true—Andy smells something off about the case, but it's (naturally) because Tony's a nice, dog-loving guy.The police and prosecution are presenting this as a case of an heir being angry at the size of their inheritance. But Tony doesn't have a history of being that interested in money. Andy wonders if the murder might have something to do with the fact that Rachel had been taking an interest in her late husband's company's day-to-day activities lately. Or is there maybe something else afoot?It'll take the combined efforts of Andy's firm, The K-9 Team, and the Bubeleh Brigade (the retirees-turned-hackers that Andy uses from time to time) to get to the bottom of this.WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN?I'm not wondering why prosecutors don't immediately drop the case when they hear that Andy has taken on a client. He does have a few guilty verdicts on his record. Although, you would think they'd require the police to tighten up their cases and make sure there aren't any threads hanging once Andy requests discovery.But what I wonder is that given his track record, why they don't take him seriously when he calls the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, or any other three-lettered agency. (note: I wonder similar things when Joe Pickett starts meddling in non-wildlife issues). I'm not saying they need to roll out the red carpet or anything for him—don't let Andy Carpenter, of all people, call any shots. But he shouldn't have to rely on favors from a friend of a friend or threats to get someone to take him seriously anymore.How does no one have this conversation: Agent 1: Hey remember that guy who tipped us off to that terrorist organization and saved all those lives a couple of years ago? Agent 2: That lawyer with the hot wife and the scary bodyguard, sure. Didn't he also tip us off to the smuggling ring last Winter? Agent 1: Come to think of it he did. Agent 2: Why are you bringing him up? Agent 1: Well, he's got this theory about _________ now. Agent 2: Might be worth sitting down with him, looking at his theory.Although, some of that threatening and calling in favors can make for entertaining scenes. So, y'know...SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT HOLY CHOW?Andy Carpenter #25? That's a mind-boggling number. I know it wasn't that long ago that I read #24, but I don't think it registered. So, does the Andy Carpenter series have anything new up its sleeve? (I'm tempted to make an old dog/new tricks joke here) I won't rule it out, but we don't see much new here.But that doesn't make this stale, either. There's a comfort and a reassurance in knowing Andy's behavior while the jury deliberates, the fact that Pete and Vince are going to bust his chops and put their food on his tab, that taking a walk with his dogs will help Andy come up with an idea, and so on.I'm not trying to take a shot at anyone here, but where this feels comfortable and not tired and repetitive is that Andy has settled into these patterns—this is his life. He's not, say, constantly second-guessing his choice of career (as much as he complains about it), he's not trying to decide between a sexy Homicide Detective love interest and a lethal and hot Security Specialist love interest after 30+ books. Just to come up with some completely random example that no way could be describing any particular series.I guess what I'm trying to say is that the twenty-fifth novel in this series might not have a lot that's new, there's still a lot of fun to have. And, we might get a glimpse of a different side of a long-running character (a continuation of something from Citizen K-9)The humor is still present and sharp, the courtroom antics are fun (maybe a little subdued this time compared to others because of the case), and you can't beat the time hanging with these characters. Both the solution to this case, the reveals involved, and the resolution are as well-delivered as always.Readers new to the series or those who've been around since 2003* will find plenty to enjoy in the pages of Holy Cow. A good time should be had by all.* Or at least since Open and Shut, no matter when they read it.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

laugh-out-loud, law-enforcement, lawyers, murder, murder-investigation, teamwork, money-laundering, family, falsely accused, family-dynamics, friendship, senior-citizens, computer-nerd, dogs, chow-dog, courtroom-drama, situational-humor, verbal-humor, snark-fest, fast-pace, thriller*****This is NOT an unbiased review! I love the Andy Carpenter and K-Team books! The stories are imaginative, somewhat plausible, totally engaging, and off-set reality.This one centers on the case of a man who goes to the lawyer's office for the reading of a will and winds up in custody for first degree murder of the deceased. It gets really crazy from then on with the exposure of murders that were initially deemed accidental or suicide, money laundering, and even some really bad actors that the Feds are extremely happy to remove from society.This series can easily be read out of order or just drop in anywhere and have a good read while laughing your sox off!Andy Carpenter is a wise-mouthed lawyer who can afford to take semi-retirement by only representing innocent clients while supporting an animal shelter. Add in that his wife is no longer law enforcement but works as his private investigator and more and you have the baseline for these convoluted mysteries. There are many other people who help Andy find out what the truth really is and make it courtroom admissible, including a crew of senior citizen hackers who don't work Friday evenings and bake wonderful goodies! Cackled my way through the whole thing!I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!I will definitely get the audio when it comes out.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is #25 in the Andy Carpenter crime/legal procedural series that always manages to get me laughing out loud.Andy thinks of himself as a retired lawyer, but when a case comes along that somehow involves a dog, he can’t resist getting involved, as much as he pretends he doesn’t want to. In this instance, a woman who rescued a dog from his Tara Foundation the year before called him up. Rachel Morehouse wanted to ask Andy that in the event she died, Andy would ensure her dog Lion, an older Chow Chow, would go to a good home if her stepson Tony didn’t want to take him. Shortly thereafter, Andy learned Rachel died. He is summoned for a reading of her will, where he discovered, inter alia, that Rachel had been worth at least $12 billion. Her late husband was Stanley Wasserman, who ran one of the nation’s largest private equity companies. Before the will could even be read, however, Tony was arrested for her murder. Tony had been visiting Rachel, and he is the one who discovered her body.Tony asked Andy to defend him, but this was after Tony declared to Andy how much he liked Lion, and of course he would take him! Right away it is clear Andy won’t turn down this case, even though that means, much to his chagrin, letting his wife Laurie be right when she predicted he would.As the investigation proceeds, Andy uncovers a convoluted plot of corruption so deep he feels it threatens homeland security as well as the individuals who happened upon the truth and then happened to get dead. He quickly becomes convinced that Tony was framed. And as he gets closer to the truth, Andy also has his life threatened. As usual, he is saved by his much braver wife Laurie and Laurie’s muscle, the always amusing, albeit usually taciturn and unintelligible Marcus. But can Andy save Tony? It’s up to the jury, and the outcome is unclear until the very end.Evaluation: I look forward to new entries in this series, which, by the way, you don’t really need to read in the order they were written. Andy’s sarcasm and wit are unfailingly entertaining, as are his relationships with the rest of his team, which in this book also includes the “Bubeleh Team” - a group of elderly Jews who like to help hacking computer records and who bake lots of treats for Andy. For a quick, diverting read that challenges you at the same time, you can’t go wrong with David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series.