Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt

 

Few things in life are more reliably entertaining than an Andy Carpenter mystery from David Rosenfelt. Dog Day Afternoon is the latest mystery and it hits all the right notes.

When Marcus Clark asks Andy for a favor, Andy doesn't hesitate. Marcus wants Andy to defend a young man he's been mentoring. Nick Williams hasn't even been arrested yet, but he is the chief and only suspect in a crime at the law office where he works. Six people are dead, and the two who survived, a lawyer and a paralegal, both point the finger at Nick. 

Andy would much rather be retired and he certainly doesn't want to represent clients he believes to be guilty. There is an awful lot of evidence pointing at Nick. But Marcus vouches for him and that's enough for Andy. Nick's story is hard to believe and even harder to prove. As Andy and the team begin to investigate, it looks like Nick might actually be telling the truth. They uncover a complex case of insurance fraud tied to the firm. Can Andy find a way to use this to prove Nick's innocence?

Rosenfelt's imagination has no problem in coming up with new and complex mysteries. Even more impressive is his ability to come up with new wrinkles in the courtroom aspects of these cases. This story featured a little more Marcus than usual, which I'm all in favor of, even if I missed spending more time with some of the other characters. Plenty of surprises along the way, a few more murders, and a mystery that keeps you guessing and second-guessing all the way to the end. 

Grover Gardner does another outstanding job with the narration and is a perfect match for Andy's dry humor. His pacing and vocal characterizations are top-notch. I hear his voice even as I'm switching between paper book and audio. 

Fans of the series will not be disappointed and new fans are sure to be won.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.