Andy Carpenter #31 is a prequel! Back to the very beginning we go, when Andy was still a prosecutor. Back when he had just been married to Nicole, and both are already unhappy. And back to Andy finding Tara the golden retriever in an animal shelter.

Things are about to change for Andy Carpenter, largely thanks to Tara and her sad little cage-mate, Sonny. Ryan Tierney, Sonny’s owner, is in jail, suspected of killing his boss and two co-workers. So, in addition to Andy agreeing to be Ryan’s lawyer, he will also care for Sonny the dog until Ryan is (hopefully) found innocent.

“Dogged Pursuit” is serious, funny, and full of twists, just like the other 30 Andy Carpenter books. I recommend it.

Since this is a prequel, a reader new to the series could start with it. I would strongly advise reading the rest of the books in order.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review.

I’ve read the first few in the series but haven’t been able to catch up quite yet. This was a nice look back at how everyone came together, including Tara, and I loved the time I spent with Andy and the gang, before they became the gang. The story is well-written and draws you in with the wit and humor. I laughed out loud several times and enjoyed the investigation and the court case at the end. Highly recommended! I usually recommend starting at the beginning but this one is a good starting point also.

In the previous thirty entries in this mystery series, Andy Carpenter is a rich defense attorney, who really, really, really, wants to retire but just keeps getting sucked into one more case. To be honest, it was getting a bit repetitive, though Andy’s snarky humor always makes me come back for more. However, Dogged Pursuit is a prequel to Andy’s story and brings back some of the joy and ambition lost in the latest books.

Andy has just crossed over from prosecution to the defense. He is dirt poor and his marriage is sliding downwards into despair. To combat that, Andy gets a rescue Golden Retriever, Tara (arguably my favorite character in the whole series).

Andy feels sorry for Tara’s cage mate at the pound, Sonny, and so wants to adopt him too. But there’s a problem, Sonny’s owner, Frank, is awaiting trial for multiple murders and must give permission for the dog to be adopted. Frank, being smart, trades his permission for Andy acting as his defense attorney.

It was great to see Andy and Tara’s backstory. But it was even better to see Andy not be as grumpy as he is in the latter parts of his life. However, don’t worry Andy is still as funny and sarcastic as usual. His trial work is, as always, one of the best parts of the plot. And I loved meeting Tara as a puppy. Overall, Dogged Pursuit is a series entry that doesn’t disappoint! 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

Another fast paced and humorous mystery from one of the best! I have read (and loved) every book in this series and now we find out how Andy met Laurie Collins. Andy Carpenter has decided to switch “teams” from being a prosecutor (like his father) to a defense attorney. He takes the case of a man accused of a triple murder, but he met the man’s dog first. He not only takes the case, but he adopts his own beloved Tara and rescues his client’s dog from the same kennel. His wife, Nicole, is not thrilled with his change of career, especially when he is threatened. Unknown to him, Laurie, a retired police officer and his new investigator, has hired a bodyguard for Andy (Marcus) who plans to keep him alive. The many twists and turns of the case as they investigate who may have wanted the victims (the owner of the trucking company and his two employees) dead, his team he begins to put together (Sam), unaccounted for wired funds, another murder, a widow, and a shady businessman. Add in Andy’s own diabolical thinking process as he builds a case to hopefully get a not guilty verdict for his client. Just when you think it is over, Andy has a few more tricks up his sleeve. A must-read series for those who want their murder with humor, sarcasm and lovable characters! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I love this courtroom mystery series! It reminds me of Perry Mason or Matlock. I also love to listen to the audiobook because Grover Gardner makes Andy’s dry sense of humor come to life and I find myself laughing out loud while listening. This book is a prequel to the series. It shares about his first marriage to Nicole, why he became a defense attorney, how Tara came into his life, how he met Laurie, started working with Sam, and the first time Marcus saved his life from thugs. This book has a very clever plot that will have you wondering if Andy will be able to prove his client is innocent and tie together all the loose ends. It is an entertaining, quick read; perfect for summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

In the book Dogged Pursuit, author David Rosenfelt continues his bestselling Andy Carpenter Mystery series by…. going back to the beginning. Before Andy was wealthy. Before he had his team built. Before he even had his famous golden retriever, Tara. While adopting Tara, Andy sees Sunny who is at the shelter because his owner is in jail for killing his ex-boss. Andy takes the case defending Ryan Tierney and during the case the team that we know begins to come together. This was a great story that continues the series by telling us how it all started. 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.

If you are a longtime fan, like me, or a reader new to this series, you will enjoy the opportunity to get to know 29-year-old Andy Carpenter, who is only 3 months into his practice as a defense attorney and has so far bluffed his only client out of a prostitution charge. He and his wife Nicole have separated, and he decides he needs a dog.

Andy wants a small dog, because Nicole is afraid of dogs. Of course, when he gets to the shelter, he sees golden retriever Tara and the connection is immediate. As a big fan of Tara, my heart was filled with joy for them both. Unfortunately, the shelter won’t let Andy take her friend and kennel mate Sonny, a beagle in the shelter’s custody while his owner Ryan is in jail awaiting trial. Andy decides to get Ryan to sign over Sonny’s ownership, at least temporarily. As you can guess if you’ve ever read a book in this series, we are off and running as Andy takes on Ryan’s case on Sonny’s behalf.

I won’t go into the details of the plot, because I don’t want to give anything away. Dogged Pursuit is filled with humor and snarky observations, plenty of dog time, and tense courtroom scenes. It is fun to watch an Andy, who is less experienced and less sure of himself than in later books, tackle his first murder trial. He gets some help along the way from his father, plus people who will become his team and good friends and are also relatively early in their careers: Pete, a police lieutenant who worked with Andy when Andy was a prosecutor, meets Andy at a new sports bar, Charlie’s, and recommends that Andy hire as his investigator Laurie, who just left the police force. We also see accountant Sam begin his hacking work, and we hear about Edna and Marcus.

I have read the previous 30 books in this series as they were released over the past 20+ years, and reading this prequel set me off on a reread of the whole series. Be prepared to do the same! Many thanks to David Rosenfelt, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the advance copy.

This is a really fun addition to the series! It goes back to Andy Carpenter's first case as a defense attorney, moving to the dark side after working as a prosecutor for a few years and into his office above a fruit stand. His father is still alive, and Andy is still married to his first wife, although the cracks in their marriage are starting to show. The story includes the day Andy meets and adopts Tara from a local shelter, finding himself also taking home another dog that brings him his first case. Along with Andy, the reader meets many other recurring characters in the series for the first time, including his future (second) wife, Laurie Collins, whom Andy hires as an investigator. and his accountant (and hacker), Sam. Andy's client is a disgruntled former employee of a trucking company, accused of killing his boss and two coworkers. While all the evidence is circumstantial, it is damning. Andy and his team need to find someone else with a motive, especially once they realize their client probably is innocent. Every fan of the series will love the backstories this book provides, as well as Rosenfelt's usual dry, sarcastic humor. For anyone new to the series, this book would provide a good introduction. This is one of my favorite series and Dogged Pursuit did not disappoint!

So exciting to read this book! David Rosenfelt is always a treat but to get an Andy Carpenter prequel was a joy. How it all started, how he found Tara possibly and happily the longest living dog there is. A lot of this was standard Rosenfelt fare but that in itself is so much fun. Hope these books continue forever
Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books

Andy Carpenter is at it again!
This is another complex and entertaining mystery featuring Andy Carpenter, defense lawyer.
Dogged Pursuit is book 31 in the amazing Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt.
A delightful adventure with crime and dogs…. What’s not to enjoy?!
I love Andy and the storyline was interesting and the characters were well written as always.
This book was fast paced, well written and thoroughly enjoyable.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a suspenseful, thrilling, well-written murder mystery with just the right amount of humor.

Dogged Pursuit is book #31 in the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt.

Even though this is book number 31 in the Andy Carpenter series, it’s actually the prequel to the series. I haven’t read any of the books so this was a great opportunity for me to start. We get to meet a young Andy starting out and adopting his dog Tara. This has likable characters, a sweet dog, and an interesting story. I look forward to catching up on the first 30 books in the series.

Thank you to the author, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

this was a nice step back to the beginning of Andy's defense attorney career with his 1st big case and the beginning of the team he relies on going forward -- Sam going from accountant to cyber sleuth, meeting Laurie as she is hired as his investigative arm, we get to see Andy interacts & discusses the case with his retired career DA father and of course there's Andy meeting his true love - Tara the best golden ever. The case itself falls into Andy's lap as most of his cases do and contains enough intrigue, mystery and twist to keep it interesting as you follow Andy's efforts to provide reasonable doubt to the jury if not prove his client's innocence outright. Recommend for not just fans of the series but anyone interested in checking it out or a fan of legal mystery story.

Dogged Pursuit is the 31st Andy Carpenter legal procedural mystery by David Rosenfelt. Due out 7th July 2025 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

For current fans of the series, this is a good one. It's full of the same sarcastic, warm humor and the same ensemble cast as previous entries in the series. Although it's the 31st book, it's actually a prequel and the story involved Andy's first forays into being a criminal defense attorney, putting him at odds with his wife and in-laws, as well as his meetups with the folks who will be returning throughout the series. This is such a long running and consistently well written series that saying it's "more of the same, worked around a different mystery" should be enough of a recommendation by itself. Although it's the 31st book, the mystery is self contained and the necessary back-story is written in without major spoilers for previous books. I heartily recommend the whole series, but this particular entry is very strong and for folks who are new to the books, it's a great entry point.

This is pure comfort reading. It's got a likable protagonist, an engaging mystery, humorous dialogue, and a solid climax, denouement, and resolution. Andy's support team, especially Marcus and Laurie (not yet his wife as in the later books) are introduced with their own back stories.

The audiobook has a run time of 6 hours and 30 minutes and is expertly read by series narratorGrover Gardner who manages to juggle the various accents and characters of all ages and both sexes without problems. There are actual laugh out loud moments in the read, and it's always delightful to hear his sarcastic banter. The read was definitely enhanced by the narrator. The sound and production quality are high throughout the recording.

Five stars for both the text and audiobook versions. All around fun read. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home reading, or a long (long!) binge/buddy read project.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

When Andy met Laurie. More importantly, perhaps, when Andy met Tara! This latest in the very long running series is actually the Andy/Tara/ Laurie origin story, making it a great way for new readers to jump in and become fans. Andy, newly departed from the prosecutor's office to become a defense attorney, finds his first client thanks to a dog, Ryan's dog in fact. Ryan has been accused of killing his former employer and two other people with a car bomb and, regrettably, the evidence seems to point to him. Not so fast because Andy, a dogged investigator as well as attorney, is on the hunt for the truth. He works his way through unscrupulous business people, thugs and others to get answers. Fans will be pleased to see Pete, Sam, and others (but not Marcus who is only mentioned). It's a clever one made better by Andy's voice, which is a bit sarcastic at times but never mean. No spoilers from me. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I've been a fan and was pleased to read how it all started. Fun.

Dogged Pursuit is the novel that gives us the backstory on Andy's transformation from DA to defense attorney. This time we go back in time to Andy's first big case as a defense attorney. We are introduced to Tara, Laurie, Sam, Tara, Edna and Marcus. It was fun to learn about Andy's past and his soon to be ex-wife. If you are a fan of David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series this is a great book that fills in much of the before that has been hinted to in some of the earlier books.
Thanks to Netgalley and StMartinsPress for the advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter) 5 stars

Mr. Rosenfelt is taking a new approach and gives us Andy Carpenter, new defense attorney. An attorney that recently left the prosecutor’s office and is now representing the “other” side. Some of the regular supporting cast are introduced as new characters, including the fabulous Tara – dog extraordinaire. This mystery takes place before “Open and Shut” (Andy Carpenter #1).

Andy is at the shelter intending to get a little dog, but one look at Tara and its love at first sight. Tara is sharing her room with Sunny, a smaller dog and Andy can’t bear to break them apart. So in order to foster Sunny, Andy has to get permission from her owner, Ryan Tierney who unfortunately is in jail. Ryan Tierney is accused of killing three people in a car bomb incident. Andy meets Ryan and subsequently is hired as Ryan’s defense attorney. What follows is a classic mystery that relies on motive, means and opportunity.

This is a wonderful book; not only do we meet Tara, but we also meet Sam, Laurie, Pete and Marcus for the first time. All the wonderful idiosyncratic characters and their actions are well known to long time readers, but right now everyone is brand new. We also learn a lot more about Andy’s background and his relationship with his father. I don’t know if Mr. Rosenfelt will continue in this vein, but as a detour it is a joyous occasion. I look forward to the annual Christmas mystery, “And To All A Good Bite”.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.

Installment 31 of the Andy Carpenter series by Bestselling author, David Rosenfelt Dogged Pursuit: An Andy Carpenter Mysteryhas been released, and as usual, it is a delightful novel. It is different from the preceding novels because it starts out at the beginning of Andy Carpenter’s career as a defense lawyer, as well as history of Tara, his dog, and his early relationships. Most of us wish that this one had been released first, but it wasn’t and it’s nice to get the history.

Rosenfelt is an excellent storyteller, and does it with well-written prose and plenty of humor and fun. His novels aren’t actually cozies, but they are clean and light and have building suspense and unexpected scenarios. This novel has an unexpected dénouement which keeps readers on the edge to the very end. Anyone who chooses to listen to this novel via audio will enjoy the narrator, who is excellent.

Andy Carpenter is a likeable well-developed protagonist, and this novel gives readers enough information to make him believable and a character that will be remembered.

Anyone who hasn’t read the previous Andy Carpenter novels will want to go back and read them; the series is excellent and since there are so many, will keep readers busy for months. All told, this is another good one by David Rosenfelt and will be enjoyed by everyone, especially animal lovers.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

If you have been reading this series for as long as I have, you’ve been waiting for this one! Now I we’re gonna find out exactly how Andy can afford to take cases on pro bono and run a doggy rescue while raising a family in New Jersey.

The story in and of itself and this entry is a great who done it, but honestly for us long-term readers? It really gives us a great taste and sense of how awesome and he really is. I mean, we’ve loved his snarkiness and kindness all along, but I think you might just fall in love with him a little bit more after reading this one.

David Rosenfelt’s Dogged Pursuit is an absolute masterpiece that deserves every one of its five stars. From the very first page, the main character, Andy, had me laughing out loud with his sharp wit and hilarious observations. His sense of humor is not only refreshing but also brilliantly woven into the fabric of the story.

The plot is nothing short of magnificent. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, Rosenfelt throws in a twist that leaves you both surprised and delighted. The pacing is spot-on, keeping you eagerly turning pages late into the night.

What truly sets this novel apart are the wonderful and memorable characters. Each one is crafted with such depth and charm that they feel like old friends by the time you turn the final page. Their interactions are genuine, heartfelt, and often laugh-out-loud funny.

Dogged Pursuit is more than just a mystery; it’s an engaging, heartwarming, and thoroughly entertaining read. Prepare to be surprised, to laugh, and to fall in love with Andy and his unforgettable world. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a book that’s as smart as it is entertaining!

I just finished reading Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt and I loved it. This book goes back to the beginning of Andy Carpenter’s career as this is his first case to defend an innocent client who has been framed for murder after being fired by his former employer. Andy takes his dog, Sonny into his care and home for the duration of the trial. In this book we meet former police officer and now turned investigator Laurie Collins, Marcus Clark. Pete Stanton,his current wife, Nicole Gant and Andy’s father. We are also meet Tara and we hear about a potential employee Edna. The book introduces other recurring characters that we know about in future other books he has already written.I love every book that David Rosenfelt has written and this latest book does not disappoint. Can’t wait for his next book. Bravo David and especially your humour in every single book.👏🙋‍♀️🇨🇦❤️🥰💐📚