Dead Center
Andy Carpenter #5
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner
My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Mystery
When defense attorney Andy Carpenter’s ex-girlfriend asks him to come to Wisconsin and defend a young man that she, as chief of police, had no choice but to arrest, he does so even more reluctantly than usual. And finds himself at odds with an entire town of cultist fanatics.
Another solid addition to the series, this book takes a unique turn when the mystery isn’t about proving the innocence of Andy’s client anymore. It’s maybe a minor spoiler, but still early enough in the book—when Andy’s client is released, he has to decide whether to pursue the truth or return home. The weird cult that lets a carnival wheel decide the members’ every actions isn’t just ridiculed and passed off as mindless zealots by the MC/author, but instead there are real discussions about why people choose to follow something that to the rest of us is clearly ridiculous. The body count is high in this book (though I haven’t been keeping track, so it may be normal for the series), but the deaths aren’t just glossed over as a means to an end. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book.
I highly recommend this book for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas, and though there are some over-arcing storylines throughout the series, you don’t really need to start at the beginning (though I’d still recommend it). Grover Gardner is the definitive voice of Andy Carpenter, bringing Andy’s wit and sarcasm to life, so if you’re an audiobook listener, I’d suggest trying that out for this series.
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