It's easy to tell Christmas begins with #DeckTheHounds by David Rosenfelt. Fans of the 'Andy Carpenter' series will love this latest gift of a novel. Rosenfelt never fails to entertain and this is truly one of the best adventures he has crafted. People would volunteer for jury duty if trials were like the one in this book. I always appreciate the laugh out loud moments and this book is full of them. This is the best present you can buy the readers in your life. #NetGalley

I just finished the 18th book in the “Andy Carpenter” mystery series and I want to sit down and read it all over again! Mr. Rosenfelt is one of my all-time favorite authors as I have read and enjoyed the entire “Andy Carpenter” and “Doug Brock” series (I would probably read the phone book if he wrote that). Andy Carpenter is an independently wealthy lawyer who doesn’t want to practice law. He would rather watch sports and spend time with his family, wife Laurie and young son Ricky, and his beloved dog Tara. When he does take a case, Laurie who is a former police officer, works as his investigator. Andy offers money to a homeless man, a former veteran, Dan Carrigan. After he learns that Dan was attacked, he offers him the use of the apartment above their garage. When he happens to mention Dan’s name to one of his police friends, Dan is arrested for murder…a murder he did not commit. Now, Andy doesn’t want to take the case, any case, but he calls “his team” together and the investigation begins. I would love to relate the entire story to you, but you really need to read it for yourself. Mr. Rosenfelt’s writing is clever, engagingly sarcastic (down-right funny at times) and the words seem to flow so effortlessly. His characters are amazing, instilled with the same engaging qualities as his writing. If you enjoy a complex yet easy to follow (and humorous) mystery then you should be reading this series. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

It’s almost Thanksgiving and lawyer Andy Carpenter is on his way back from his office when he encounters a homeless man and his dog huddled together on the sidewalk. Andy has always been in the habit of giving to the needy so he hands the man cash and a gift card to a local pet store for his dog. The man’s response is so respectful and intelligent that Andy wonders what could possibly have happened to such an obviously bright person to put him on the street.

While watching television with his wife and son on Thanksgiving day, he sees a news report about a homeless man attacked on the street and how his dog bit the assailant and realizes that it’s the same man he encountered the previous day. His wife and son both agree that they should offer the man and his pet a place to stay over the holiday season. Because the dog bit the assailant, she was placed at the local animal shelter until it’s proven she doesn’t carry rabies. Andy goes to the shelter and finds that the man hasn’t left the dog’s side since she was caged. Using his plentiful resources, Andy gets the dog freed from the shelter and brings her and her master home with him. But what begins as a holiday of cheer and goodwill toward man soon becomes a case of murder with the homeless man as the perpetrator. Andy and his wife don’t believe they’re new friend can possibly be guilty and now they’re on the case to keep him from jail and, quite likely, a death sentence.

Fast paced and riveting, Deck the Hounds keeps you turning pages until it’s exciting conclusion. Don’t start this one after dinner or you’ll be reading until after breakfast!

Another novel of mystery, dogs and smart humor from this author whose characters are so well developed I felt as if I was part of their world. The asides, self-deprecating main character and twisting plots never leave the reader bored. Terriffic series as are his darker novels.
Thank you netgalley, publisher and author for this copy for an honest review

I am a big fan of David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series. I read all of the early ones and would read every one he publishes except, well, I’ll be honest: The ebooks got expensive and my local library didn't carry them. I cheered when NetGalley offered his latest, Deck the Hounds (Minotaur Books 2018) and was lucky enough to grab a free copy. By now, in the series, Andy is married with an adopted child and two (three?) dogs to round out his family. When he sees on TV that a homeless Iraqi vet who he knows mostly through the soldier's dog has been arrested for murder and his dog placed in a shelter, likely scheduled to be euthanized, Andy can't sit by and allow that to happen. Though he rarely practices law anymore, and then only for innocent defendants in a case that appeals to him (a family inheritance left him wealthy), this case qualifies. It doesn't take long to realize this vet is being framed and Andy is his only hope of vindication.

As with all of Rosenfelt's books, this is filled with humor, clever quips, and feel-good events that make you wish there really was an Andy Carpenter and that all dogs lived in his house. Here are a few examples:

"... reaching his hand through [the cage] to gently pet the dog. It’s not that difficult because the dog seems equally anxious to make the connection and is lying right up against it..."
xx
"Two seconds in Marcus-time is an hour and a half to anyone else" [refers to Andy's investigator].
My only complaint, and one that didn't hurt the rating, is that Rosenfelt spent a smidgeon too much time reviewing past activities. Even at my age, I do remember events longer than five pages but maybe others don't. So, really, it's OK. Just calling this out. Overall, this--as with all of his books--is a delightful read that I hated to put down even to eat dinner.

This review will be published don my blog, WordDreams, Oct. 4th

Rosenfelt's typical novel keeps you entertained while never losing your attention. He has warm, smart characters with loving personalities and his wit is incomparable. His story of helping a homeless man is heartwarming and a pleasure to read. His books are so funny and surprisingly tender to read.

Very sweet read

Seeing the cover of David Rosenfelt’s Christmas book is my annual warning the big day is within squinting distance (yikes!). Okay, okay…I can hear your howls of “too soon!”. Simmer down, you’ve got lots of time. Unless your last name is Carpenter & you live in Patterson, NJ.

Lapsed attorney Andy has wisely given up asking his family why it’s necessary to celebrate from November to February. Besides, they wouldn’t hear him over the continuous loop of Xmas carols. The best he can hope for is to avoid the perilous trimming of the tree while watching a kajillion football games uninterrupted. But this year he will face an even greater threat……he might actually have to go to work.

You know what they say about good deeds. It all begins when Andy gives money to a homeless man & his dog. In short order, the man (Don Carrigan) & the dog (Zoey) are living above his garage. Until Don is arrested for the murder of a wealthy businessman 9 months ago.

No problem. Andy assures Laurie he’ll get Don the best public defender in the biz & Zoey can shack up at the dog shelter with Willie. But it seems Laurie has taken a shine to Don. In fact, if Andy doesn’t take the case she might be so upset that the ONLY activity in their bedroom for the foreseeable future will be sleeping. Game. Set. Match.

Andy signs on. And it turns out Don has led an interesting life. In alternate chapters we’re kept up on seemingly unconnected current events. A former mob enforcer has an unhealthy obsession with Don & for good reason. A popular local attorney is taken out by a sniper & he won’t be the last. And Zoey has some news of her own.

Roesenfelt excels at story telling & each of these plot lines keeps you turning the pages to find out how they will inevitably weave together. As Andy reassembles his legal team, we get to spend time with characters fans have grown to love. Some show up with bells on (Sam), some drag their high heels (Edna) and some are unintelligible (Marcus). It’s the smart & humorous interplay between them added to a twisty & complex mystery that sets this series apart. The result is a story that puts your brain through its paces between the laughs. It doesn’t seem possible this is book #18 but as long as Mr. Rosenfelt keeps writing, I’ll keep reading.

Rosenfelt is always great and I love the canine connection. This is a complicated story with many characters. I had trouble remembering who belonged to which name, but got it all tied together by the ending. It's a great read from all aspects.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book. I had previously read a couple books in the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt and was delighted to receive this one. Who could resist the delightful cover art showing a pile of puppies wearing Santa hats?

This looks like a cosy, relaxing mystery. Instead we get a complicated legal thriller, with many twists and turns and sardonic humor. The Andy Carpenter series always features at least one dog. Carpenter is a wealthy retired attorney who cannot resist a case involving dogs. His mission is to rescue dogs and their owners from possible death sentences or lengthy time locked up. He is a happy family man with a sarcastic sense of humor. Andy and his wife own the Tara dog rescue centre.

The series parallels the author’s life and interests. Rosenfelt and his wife started the real Tara Foundation and have rescued over 4,000 dogs. One of his books chronicles their adventure moving from California to Maine with 25 dogs.. it is no wonder his books reflect his love of these animals.

The story begins when Andy encounters a homeless man and his dog. Soon the homeless man is attacked by an unknown subject, and uses force to defend himself against the assault. His dog bites the assailant. The dog is removed from his care and put in quarantine and may be destroyed. The homeless man is devastated by the loss of his dog. In the spirit of Christmas season, Andy’s family has the dog released and both he and his master are moved into an apartment above the family garage.

Publicity resulting from the attack identifies the man as Don Carrigan, a former Green Beret with PTSD. He is wanted for the murder of a very wealthy man two years earlier. There is DNA evidence that he is guilty. Andy visits Carrigan in prison and believes him innocent. Carrigan denies knowing the murdered man and had no idea he was wanted by the police. He learns his dog is well cared for and is expecting puppies.

The legal investigation is most complex but believable. It involves mercenaries trained killing by deadly force in hand to hand combat and sharp shooters, the mob and its enforcers, the staff at a homeless shelter, police, members of the legal prosecution, the defence, and their witnesses and the widow of the wealthy murdered man, among others. With so many characters I had difficulty keeping all their names straight. A list of characters both living and dead along with a sentence summarizing their role in the story would be helpful.
Recommended for readers who enjoy legal dramas and dog rescue stories.

David Rosenfelt’s writing in the Andy Carpenter series makes me laugh out loud. A lot. Andy is an irreverent millionaire who loves his wife, son and dog shelter, and sometimes his friends. What he doesn’t like is being a lawyer who inevitably takes on new cases, as he would prefer to stay retired. Andy meets a homeless man and his dog on the street, then the next day he sees on the news the man was attacked and his dog bit the assailant. As it’s approaching Christmas Laurie decides the best thing to do is to help the man get his quarantined dog back and give him shelter and food. When Andy and the homeless man, Dan Carrigan, are written up in a human interest story, Dan is quickly arrested for committing a murder. Now Andy, Laurie and the gang must defend his innocence. This is another solid addition to the Andy Carpenter series, especially the NY parking quips. I highly recommend.

Deck the Hounds by David Rosenfelt - 5 Stars

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher St. Martins Press

In the tradition of "The Twelve Dogs of Christmas" David Rosenfelt has penned another wonderful Christmas mystery starring Andy Carpenter. I loved this book, the dialogue was witty and vintage Andy Carpenter. It opens up with Andy helping a homeless man with a dog. The dog is featured in a news story because she helps fend off an attack on the homeless man. Andy, Laurie and Ricky bring the homeless guy to their home for a temporary stay while the dog is in quarantine for biting the attacker. The police come out to arrest the guy because he is accused of murder. Suddenly, Andy has a new client and a mystery to solve. There are wonderful side characters like Pete, Vince, Marcus and Willie to enjoy. I also liked that Mr. Rosenfelt made the plight of veterans part of the plot. I can't wait for this to be published because the audiobook narrated by Grover Gardner will be the icing on the cake. Thank you Mr. Rosenfelt for a wonderful book.

I loved, loved, loved this book and the entire Andy Carpenter series. Getting a new Any Carpenter mystery is like opening a Christmas present and finding that it is exactly what you wanted, which is especially appropriate for this book because it takes place at Christmas time. And although it deals with an important subject, the plight of homeless veterans, it is, as usual, laugh out loud funny. The story begins when Andy runs into a homeless man with a dog and being the dog lover that he is stops to give him a donation. When he reads about the dog biting someone and being placed in the local shelter he gets involved by rescuing both the dog and the veteran. When Don, the veteran, is arrested for murder Andy takes the case and what started out as a simple murder investigation takes many convoluted twists and turns. This is Andy Carpenter and David Rosenfelt at their very best and I will now start counting the days until the next Andy Carpenter book becomes available.

Outfoxed:

Those are Russo's last words on the subject. In fact there are the last words of his life. The window shatters, and a nanosecond later, Russo's head follows suit. I see the bloody mask that was once Russo's face and before I can react, a huge mass lands on me and pushes me to the ground. It's Marcus reacting with unbelievable quickness to the danger. . .The net result is that I am alone in a room, hiding behind a couch next to a dead, bloody, fat mobster.


Deck The Hounds:
Russo stands up, a big smile on his face. "My man," he says. Even though there are two of us here, I notice his use of the singular "Man." It's fair to say that I don't have Willie's status with him.

"How's it going Joey?" WIllie says, as they embrace. Willie almost disappears into the enormous mass that is Russo.

My expectations of an author are fairly simple. Tell a good story AND if you have reoccurring characters then keep up with this storyline. It bothered a bit that in one of the earlier books Pete had a wife. I believe Andy mentions that Pete and his wife and he and Lori went out to dinner a couple of times. . .but don't quote me on that. And I'm too lazy to look that up. It is water under the bridge. But THIS! Really! The author doesn't remember that he killed off a character?

I admire David Rosenfelt for his dedication to the care of animals. I love that his stories always feature dogs. . . .but honestly I'm not sure that I will be able to keep reading his books because this is a cardinal sin. There is no excuse. Logically you would think that Mr. Rosenfelt would keep records on the status of his characters since he is writing a continuing series. At the minimum his editors should have caught this.

Hopefully, there is time to edit the story, and this is not the finish product. Otherwise, there will be a lot of disappointed readers.