Another winner in the Andy Carpenter series! I have always been impressed by David Rosenfelt's ability to keep Andy's character consistently sarcastic and funny throughout the long series. I'm always excited to see a new Andy Carpenter out!

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Andy Carpenter is a retired lawyer who is happy to run a dog rescue organization and enjoy time with his wife and son in Paterson, New Jersey. However, when a friend, who he actually dated in high school and is now a famous movie star, needs his help, Andy comes out of retirement to take her case.

Jenny Nichols has been arrested for the murder of her co-star, who she briefly went out with, and is also a wealthy movie producer as well. Now it’s up to Andy and his team, which includes his wife Laurie who is a private investigator, to prove that another one of Ryan Griffin’s enemies is actually the killer.

Flop Dead Gorgeous is the twenty-seventh Andy Carpenter mystery. Even though this is my first introduction to this series, it was easy getting to know the main characters.

I enjoy the close and supportive relationship between Andy and Laurie, both at home and on the job. The plot kept my interest and was more complex than I had expected. There are a few different suspects in Ryan’s murder that will keep you guessing. The highlight of the book is how funny it is – I love Andy’s sense of humor! The fact that he and Jenny dated before she was famous and Andy’s pride in that fact becomes a running joke throughout the book.

Despite the fact that Andy is always joking around, he takes his cases seriously and proves himself to be an intelligent and skilled attorney. The courtroom scenes are entertaining and suspenseful, with an unexpected outcome. I am definitely interested in reading other books by this author.

~ Christine

This is the first Andy Carpenter book I’ve read. If it’s the 27th book in the series, then I have obviously been missing something and David Rosenfelt is doing something right.

This is a neat plot. It has a retired lawyer, neat animals, a mystery, and of course, a dead body. More than anything, it has humor. Lots of humor.

I know I sound as if I enjoyed this book. I did, but I had difficulty getting through it. My attention seemed to lag, and I’d put it down. But then…time would pass, and I’d pick it back up.

Here’s my basic feeling. I don’t think an author can write a series of 27 books with the following Rosenfelt has without having writing talent. I think the time and place might have been an attention span problem of my own. Maybe this was a little slower, but I intend to start from Book 1. In fact, I just bought it. Time to give a series like this a chance.

Another wonderful mystery by David Rosenfelt. What will happen when a girl Andy dated a couple of times in high school comes to town? What happens when Marcus if faced with someone bigger than Marcus? What crime will get Andy out of semi-retirement again?

Read Flop Dead Gorgeous and find out!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

The series has had me hooked since the first one and most of the books are a hit with a few being a dud. This one wasn’t a hit nor a dud…just meh. The usual characters are in it and Andy’s humor is present, though not as often as it’s been in the past. The supporting characters don’t play a huge role as they have in previous books, but they are there. I think part of the reason why I wasn’t a huge fan of this book in particular is because it’s centered around a Hollywood actress and some relationship drama. While I’d give this book 3 out of 5 stars, it won’t stop me from reading them! I can’t wait until the next one arrives!

This is a Suspense/Mystery, and this is the 27th book in the Andy Carpenter series. I have read all the other books in this series before picking up this book, but I do think you can read this book as a standalone without any problems. This book is all about a movie star that Andy dated in school being arrested for the murder which causes her to need Andy as her lawyer. I enjoyed this case unfolding, but I wish some of the secondary characters and the dogs were in this book more. This book had me guessing and trying to figure out what was going on, and I did not guess the reveal before it was revealed. This was another fun read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Minotaur Books) or author (David Rosenfelt) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

5 HUGE STARS
How does this author do it? How does he continue to write this series and make each story so fresh, invigorating and exciting? Andy carpenter is a legend among lawyers. He is hated by police and judges throughout New Jersey, but man is he a fantastic at what he does.
Did you know Andy dated a woman named Jenny in high school who is now a major movie star.? Andy might have have mentioned this once or one hundred times. Jenny is accused of murder and Andy is there,perhaps reluctantly as he just can'tseem to stay retired.
He knows his client is innocent but the evidence is staggering. I love his focus and drive. Behind the snark is a brilliant mind that knows the clock is running out for Jenny's freedom.
This book made me laugh and even cry. I highly recommend this page turning mystery. Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my reading pleasure.

Thanks to @NetGalley, @macmillan.audio and @minotaur_books for gifting me an audio ARC as well as an eARC. I love these books they keep me engaged and make me laugh!
It is absolutely fascinating to me how David Rosenfelt can keep a consistent high quality in this series of now 27 legal procedurals - they are still witty, fun and compelling ! When I have read a new installment in this series I hand it right over to my husband, we both love them and we both work in legal professions
In this book we have defense attorney Andy
Carpenter still unsuccessfully trying to retire for good when yet another case drops in his lap. A former Highschool girlfriend turned actress is in town and after an evening out with Andy, his wife and friends wakes up to a dead colleague in her kitchen how did he get there? Who killed him ?
Suddenly the actress is in jail and Andy is on the case and taking her of her poodle Mamie, of course.
I love this series for it's keen insight into legal proceedings and legal thinking and it's quick witty banter - it is much smarter than the at times cutesy covers or titles would have you believe ! This is so fun!

Twenty-seven books into the best-selling Andy Carpenter series and our defense lawyer protagonist may have finally reached his breaking point. It begins simply enough, when an old friend from high school comes back to the Paterson, New Jersey area to sort through her recently deceased mother’s estate. Staying in Englewood Cliffs also affords Jenny Nichols relative anonymity while shooting a movie in nearby New York City.

Decades earlier, Jenny followed her dreams to Hollywood and became a huge star, with all the media attention that comes with it. As Andy wryly notes:

QUOTE
Like all beautiful actresses, there is huge media speculation and reporting on Jenny’s love life. I sometimes notice it when I see a story on a magazine cover at the supermarket, but I’m not that interested.

I’ll occasionally skim through them, but to my knowledge they have yet to mention the fact that she dated Andy Carpenter in high school. It’s a sad commentary on the state of American journalism that no reporter has dug out that fact, especially since I would be willing to give interviews.
END QUOTE

All kidding aside, Andy and Jenny have remained friends, with Andy even introducing Jenny to her beloved miniature French poodle Mamie as part of his work with a dog rescue foundation. Jenny and Laurie, Andy’s wife, have also become friendly, so it’s only natural that the Carpenters hold a small dinner party in her honor when she comes back to town.

Unfortunately, their pleasant gathering of friends is crashed by her co-star Ryan Griffin, who is also a producer on her latest film. He’s not there in a professional context, however. Jenny recently decided to end their romantic relationship, and he hasn’t taken that well at all. Unhappy that she’s been dodging his calls, he tracks her down to the restaurant where the dinner is being held and insists that she leave with him. To assist in this endeavor, he’s brought along some hired muscle. They’re no match for Andy’s friends though, who swiftly escort Ryan and his goons off the premises.

The rest of the evening passes much more peacefully, so Andy is alarmed to be awakened in the wee hours of the morning by a distraught phone call from Jenny. She had gotten up in the middle of the night to soothe a restless Mamie, and found Ryan stabbed to death in her kitchen. She called the police but is worried that they think she might have killed Ryan herself.

Jenny is right to worry, as she’s swiftly arrested and charged with first degree murder. Andy knows that his kind-hearted friend could never have killed anybody, and not just because they dated in high school. Trouble is, he’ll have to convince a jury of the same:

QUOTE
Because of the circumstances, the jury will view Jenny’s guilt as likely, and the only way we will be able to refute that definitively is to demonstrate someone else’s guilt.

To feel good about themselves, to feel like they have accomplished something, the jury will have to leave the trial believing that the guilty party will be punished for plunging a knife into Ryan Griffin’s back. If that is not Jenny, then it will have to be someone else.

Our job is to find the someone else.
END QUOTE

In order to do this, Andy and co will have to dig into Ryan’s background so that they can come up with a viable alternative killer. Unfortunately, their efforts soon unearth some very dangerous people who would have no qualms about getting rid of Ryan or anyone else who gets in their way, Andy included. Will he be able to clear Jenny’s name without running afoul of a criminal conspiracy that, it soon becomes clear, will do whatever it takes to achieve its nefarious aims?

Andy may have wanted to quit the legal profession even more than usual following the events of this novel but he simply mustn’t. His brilliant mind is needed by the wrongfully accused of his fictional world and by the discerning readers of this one! As clever and hilarious as the twenty-six other books in the series, Flop Dead Gorgeous brings a touch of Hollywood glamor to the proceedings, as Andy delves into Ryan’s life as both an actor and financier. The running joke about Andy’s prior relationship with Jenny goes through several entertaining permutations over the course of the novel, which seamlessly blends legal and investigative savvy with Andy’s self-deprecating humor. I devoured this book in a matter of hours and am already looking forward to the next.

Another book in the series about Andy Carpenter, a lawyer who is trying to stay retired but keeps catching cases. This one is about a movie star that he dated in high school who is accused of murder.

This book brings all the characters back from previous books but doesn't include Tara, Andy's dog or Marcus or Willie as much as in previous ones. I love all the characters but the earlier ones include them much more. Also Laurie is not included as much.

Hollywood glitter, money laundering, cybercrime and love gone wrong are what this book is all about. It takes right up until a few days before his client is sentenced (yep, he lost the case) before the pieces fall into place for Andy.

Intense court scenes, Hollywood backstage drama, sardonic humor, and a multitude of cute dogs fill Flop Dead Gorgeous.

This legal mystery is the latest novel in the Andy Carpenter (wannabe retired, but keeps being dragged back into the courtroom) lawyer series. This time he is forced to defend a former girlfriend and now a famous actress named Jenny. She is accused of killing her co-star and ex-boyfriend, Ryan. The evidence is stacked against Jenny but Andy is determined to prove her innocence.

Another breezy and humorous entry in this fun series. It is recommended as a perfect beach or shady patio read. 4 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

I have enjoyed the books I’ve read in the Andy Carpenter series. There is always drama … courtroom and real life as well as humor. I particularly enjoyed Andy’s constant reminding the reader that he had dated Jenny Nichols, the person accused of murder. The mystery has you hanging in through to the end. Andy’s brain works a little different than most people and so it is fun to see how he interacts with people and how he works out the clues to come up with the final “whodunit.” This is a good mystery series and I look forward to additional books by the author, David Rosenfelt.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Andy is a retired lawyer and an animal rescuer. When his old high school girlfriend, Jenny, comes to town to film a movie, he invites her to have dinner with him and his wife. Things do not go as planned. Jenny’s costar is found dead and Jenny is arrested for his murder. So, Andy comes out of retirement to save his friend.

I have never read this series. And I just might have to go back and pick a few up. I enjoyed how quickly this tale moved and the characters were fabulous. It is a bit predictable and simple but that just added to the charm! And there are definitely places that had me giggling in my chair!

And the dogs are such a treat! I wonder if the author has visited my house and decided to use Peanut and Lulu as characters!

Need a quick, laugh out loud mystery…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

In the book Flop Dead Gorgeous, author David Rosenfelt continues his bestselling Andy Carpenter Mystery series. Once again Andy is coming out of retirement. And this time he is helping Jenny Nichols, a girlfriend from high school, who is now a famous actress. But when Jenny’s costar and ex-boyfriend is found stabbed in the back, in her house, with her kitchen knife, will Andy be able to save her from prison?
This was a great fun story that continues the series. I would recommend this book and the series. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Andy Carpenter had a few dates with Jenny Nichols in high school. It is something to brag about since she is the best known alumna of Paterson NJ high school. She also adopted her dog from Andy's dog rescue operation, The Tara Foundation. Now, she is accused of stabbing her co-star to death in the kitchen of the house she is renting while filming a movie in NYC. Andy knows she could not have done that, so he is once again hauled out of his retirement. He organizes the whole team: Laurie, his wife; Corey, and his retired police dog, Simon Garfunkel; Marcus Clark; his accountant, Sam, who knows a thing or two about hacking, and Edna, the world's laziest secretary. As the investigation continues, it becomes apparent the victim was dabbling in money laundering and a hint of blackmail. All good motives for murder. But who actually wielded the knife? That is the question. Another entertaining read in the Andy Carpenter series.

The newest Andy Carpenter mystery Flop Dead Gorgeous might be his highest profile case yet. He’s defending none other than famous actress Jenny Nichols. For those who don’t know they dated in high school.

So when she is arrested for murder of her ex-boyfriend when she finds him stabbed in the back in her home. Of course Andy will help her fight it.

What Andy finds is not just the glitz and glamour of Hollywood but a Russian oligarch, money laundering, a hitman, and a slew of unanswered questions.

With the trial looming the pressure is on to find the real culprit, to set Jenny free.

The last few chapters didn’t go how I expected but also was satisfying to the whole story.

I love this series. I can't believe this is book #27. Andy Carpenter is his funny snarky self, and the mystery is excellent. I did not guess the murderer at all.
I have met Rosenfelt at the Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale where he auctions a name in his book for money to give to dog rescues. He himself is a dog rescuer and he has 2 non fiction books about it.
Dogs are important characters in his book, there are now 3, the famous Golden Tara and 2 more plus a visiting dog.
The mystery surrounds the murder of an actor. His girlfriend, Jenny, a famous actress currently living in her mother's home in Patterson, is a friend of Andy's. The running joke is that they used to date in high school.
All of our favorite characters are her and the dialogue is witty , the trial interesting and the mystery complicated.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. I highly recommend the entire series.

3.5 stars

Andy Carpenter is a semi-retired New Jersey lawyer, who runs a dog adoption foundation and prefers dealing with the dogs or watching sports to practicing law. Lucky for him, he inherited enough money so that he only works when he feels like it. This time, a movie star who grew up in his hometown of Paterson, NJ is in the area to shoot a movie. She and Andy dated for a short time in high school and when her costar and former lover is found murdered in her NJ house (actually her mom’s former house), she calls Andy for help.

Carpenter is a wonderful character, extremely snarky as only a “Jersey guy” can be. Despite these being mysteries, Rosenfelt always manages to make me laugh several times over the course of the story with Carpenter’s observations or comments. In this book, his observations about both Newark Airport and LAX struck me as both funny and quite true.

Flop Dead Gorgeous is the 27th (!!) book in the Andy Carpenter series and that’s not even counting his related K Team series, which is now up to 4 books. Rosenfelt has been writing this series for over 20 years, so yes, there’s a formula, but they are delightful, funny books with intricate mysteries in each one.

It’s always fun to revisit favorite characters in a long-running series. However, Rosenfelt always does a good job with providing just enough backstory that someone can probably jump in anywhere in the series. I did (with Holy Chow, book 25). And I liked it so much, I went back to read book one to see how Andy wound up becoming rich enough only to take the cases he feels like taking.

I’ve listened to some of these books on audio and I could “hear” Grover Gardner’s narration in my head as I read this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Each new Andy Carpenter book captivates me again with the words, the humor, the sarcasm, the characters and the complicated mystery. Andy, an attorney who would really rather not be one, has a new case. Jenny Nichols, a famous actress, has been accused of murder. The man she broke up with has been found on her kitchen floor, stabbed in the back. She is immediately arrested and Andy has no choice but to defend her. He knows that she is not guilty, she has been set up and they went to high school together and sort of dated. As with all of Andy’s cases, it soon develops into a massive whodunnit that will encompass other suspects, murders, and police departments. Andy handles everything with his normal carefree manner as long as he has his wife, Laurie a former police officer and their friend Marcus. Marcus never says much, but you definitely want him watching your back. Another fast-paced mystery with Andy and his delightful and unconventional investigative team! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This another enjoyable installment in the Andy Carpenter series. Andy Carpenter loves dogs and loves justice. He is a retired lawyer who cannot seem to quit practicing law. Now Andy will tango with the rich and famous in this story. Jenny Nichols is a high school friend who is now a famous actress. Andy will remind you quite a few times in this story that he used to date Jenny. He connected again previously with her when she adopted a dog from his rescue foundation. So, when she is town filming her newest movie, she invites Andy and Laurie to her party. There is a party crasher which provides a little excitement for the night, but everything heats up later that night when Jenny finds a dead body in her kitchen with a knife sticking out of his back. She has no idea how this happened, but the evidence is stacked against her. She hires Andy to represent her.

Andy is quite astute and observant about crime scenes and life in general. If I needed a lawyer to help prove my innocence, Andy would be my first choice. I just love the characters in this book and this series. The characters are engaging, realistic and likeable. The dogs and their antics are always a welcome addition to the story as well.

This is a mystery/legal thriller, but there is always a comedic undercurrent as well. Rosenfelt knows how to entertain you as the reader with a look inside the legal world without it being a bore fest. He always fools me down to the final pages as I try to solve the mystery. I am never disappointed in anything written by David Rosenfelt. This is another gold medal winner for him!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.