Andy Carpenter

Book Review: Open and Shut

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Open and Shut
Andy Carpenter #1
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When defense attorney Andy Carpenter dad dies and leaves him with a request to appeal the murder conviction of a man whose case his dad prosecuted and an unexpected inheritance of $22 million, Andy suspects that there’s more going on than a wrong conviction. He has to dig into the past to find the truth, and he might not like what he finds.

I have read 2 books from much later in this series, and liked them enough to start back at the beginning. It was interesting to read about where Carpenter’s money came from—money that in those later books allow him to be more discriminate in the cases he chooses to take on. Though this reference will likely be lost on most, this first book reminded me a lot of the pilot of Due South, an underrated Canadian show in the 90s. Though Andy Carpenter is certainly no Benton Fraser. I enjoyed the mystery in this book, the various paths Carpenter treads to build his defense case for the convicted murderer while also following thin threads related to his dad and the money he left. What makes this book stand out a bit from other mystery novels, to me, is the wit and snark of the main character. I often found myself smiling or even chuckling along the way.

I listened to the audiobook, and it didn’t take me as long to warm up to the narrator as it often does. Gardner did a great job bringing Carpenter’s often-sarcastic voice to life. I look forward to making my way through the rest of the series in the same format. Fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas should consider reading this book.

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Book Review: ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas

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‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas
Andy Carpenter #28
by David Rosenfelt

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When the Christmas party at the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue organization co-founded by defense attorney Andy Carpenter, is interrupted when one of the foundation’s dog foster volunteers is arrested for murder, Andy reluctantly takes his case. A witness in protective custody and a local crime family make this a Christmas to remember.

This is the 2nd book in this series that I’ve read now, the first being another Christmas-related book, and this has clinched my decision to start back at the beginning of this series soon. Though this book isn’t a traditional type of mystery story, giving the reader clues as they try to solve it along with the main character, it did still have some intrigue that I had a prediction about (and turned out to be right about). Like an episode of an old detective show like Matlock, we are shown not only the investigation, but also the courtroom scenes as he defends his (presumably) innocent client. Though some of the dog love is lost on me, since I’m a cat person, I enjoy the characters. What really stands out to me, though, is the wit and snark of the main character. Rosenfelt manages to make his detective funny without overdoing it.

There was a bit of repetitiveness here and there, and the ending felt pretty rushed, especially a final reveal. Otherwise, though, it’s easy to recommend it to fans of the mystery genre. The book isn’t exactly a Christmas story—it just happens to take place at Christmas time, and you really don’t need to have read the rest of the series to enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: October 10, 2023

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Book Review: The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

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The Twelve Dogs of Christmas
Andy Carpenter #15
by David Rosenfelt

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When Martha “Pups” Boyer, long-time dog rescuer, is accused of murdering a man she threatened after he complained about her dogs, Andy Carpenter takes her case. Even as he pulls on threads and begins to find the truth behind who really killed Pups’ neighbor, he can’t put his finger on what motive the murderer would have. But that won’t stop him from digging.

This book sort of fell into my lap when I was looking for more Christmas reads. I haven’t read any of this series before, but saw someone say that wouldn’t be a problem, and it really wasn’t. It also wasn’t exactly a Christmas story—it just happened to take place at Christmas time. All of that being said, I really liked the book. It felt a lot like an old detective show, like the kind I watched when I was younger—Matlock springs to mind. I enjoyed the main character’s wit and snark and the colorful cast he gathers around himself to help him do his work, both long-term and short-term. The way the case unfolded made for a good story, and even the courtroom scenes, where we get to see into the mind of the defense attorney using his tricks to get the jury to see things a certain way, were interesting.

Though I’m sure that some of what was shown in this book is a spoiler for past books in the series, and while author pushes dog love way too much for my taste (I’m a cat person through and through), I do believe I’ve found myself a new series to read after plunging in at book 15.

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