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(3.03) - 922 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
After Laurie Collins left him and headed west, New Jersey defense attorney Andy Carpenter didn’t expect to ever see her again. So he’s shocked when his ex-girlfriend appears on TV—and then calls him pleading for his help.
Two coeds in Wisconsin have been found brutally stabbed to death. As the town’s acting police chief, Laurie had to arrest a young college student with a car full of bloodstains who argued with one of the victims just before her death. Yet Laurie strongly believes that the suspect, Jeremy Davidson, is innocent.
Trading the refineries and factories of Paterson for the frozen pastures of Findlay, Wisconsin, Andy soon finds himself in a small town handling a big-time double homicide case. He looks into Jeremy’s romance with one of the victims—and the possible involvement of a bizarre religious cult—one that may sanction the most unholy, and vicious, of acts.
While Andy tries to save Jeremy, make sense of his love life, and find a decent pizza for his beloved dog, Tara, the secrets of an ultra-religious community begin to rain down on him like bricks from a cracked fortress.
But as Edgar®-nominated Rosenfelt proves to us once again, the path to the truth is littered with lies and misdirection. And before it’s all over, the unexpected is the only thing Andy can count on.
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"This review is for the Audible version of the book. This is my first book by David Rosenfelt (even though it's the fifth book in the Andy Carpenter series). I didn't expect to laugh out loud on the Stairmonster listening to it. This is a wry, main-character-driven mystery told by the mc. While the other characters added interest, as did the romantic element, only Andy and the mystery plot felt truly developed. It also seemed to me that the author spent just a bit too much time being cute/funny, but I was engaged and entertained up to the last minute. The ending was satisfying in all respects. I found the (brief) discussion of perspectives on faith interesting (it's a made-up religion, so not to worry)."
— Rhea (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Gardner smartly unfolds Rosenfelt’s yarn, in which Carpenter is at his hilarious best.”
— Publishers Weekly (audio review) -
“Gardner’s pleasant tones change pitch and inflection to accomodate the wonderful characters of various ages and idiosyncrasies…His reading perfectly evokes the suspense and drama of a criminal investigation and the boredom of a stakeout.”
— AudioFile magazine -
“Written with flair and humor, this is perfect light reading.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“A fast-paced story that’s hard to put down, a mystery spiced with interesting characters and brightened by the flames of a rekindled love affair. Recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“Adroitly mixes drama with humor…Where most legal-thriller authors explore the crime, Rosenfelt spends more time on the context and on the man investigating the crime. Those who like the added complexity of character-driven mysteries will find much to enjoy in this award-winning series.”
— Booklist
Awards
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Finalist for the Audie Award for Best Narration
Dead Center Listener Reviews
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" This was a jocular, wiseass sort of mystery - big city lawyer comes to rural Wisconsin to defend a young man being accused of the deaths of two young women from a religious cult community. The lawyer is funny and the plot moved along quickly, but it was a bit formulaic for me. "
— Holly, 2/20/2014 -
" Love the voice of the reader, sounds just like I imagine the main character sounds. Love the clever banter between the characters and of course the very dry wit of the lawyer with his asides. A man, even a New Yorker, who loves his golden retriever Tara as much as he does can't be all bad. This book was interesting, too, in the exploration of the religion The Centurians. "
— Debbie, 2/13/2014 -
" First book I have read from this author and will definitely be reading more. I loved ths suspense and intrigue but also including humor and life. A definite must read. "
— Rachel, 2/12/2014 -
" I could easily write a book containing just the punnies that David Rosenfelt sprinkles throughout his books. I think his 'song-talking' is a hoot, and his sarcasm comes through sharply, even when directed at himself. Still, I think of Andy as a wanna-be PI who happens to be a lawyer. He's an everyday hero - even when people die on his watch. I gave this one a 4 out of 5 stars. "
— Melanie, 2/11/2014 -
" Another page-turner by David Rosenfelt. I always enjoy the mystery and how he pieces it all together in the end. "
— Pamela, 2/9/2014 -
" Really good main character, and he has a dog! "
— Tammi, 1/25/2014 -
" Make no mistake - this is not fine literature. But it's a fast-paced and entertaining mystery, and the main character has two characteristics which I really like - he's a wise-ass and he loves dogs. :) "
— Ann, 1/19/2014 -
" Fun easy read with very likable hilarious main character, would love to read more from series "
— Keepitreal, 1/18/2014 -
" As always this series has me laughing out loud. Great fun. "
— Juanita, 12/26/2013 -
" Another good mystery solved by the lawyer, Andy Carpenter. This one is a little different and a nice change even though some things remain constant. I like the twists and turns and the humor the author gives the character, Andy who is the narrator as well. I will keep reading this series. "
— Linda, 12/21/2013 -
" Good. 3.5 Love the sense of humor. "
— Ruth, 12/3/2013 -
" Good story line written in a light hearted way. I would read a book by him again. "
— Derla, 10/6/2013 -
" really liked all 8. Mysteries, people get killed but not dark and gruesome. "
— Mike, 7/30/2013 -
" Pure enjoyable reading material. legal thriller, good plot, memorable character, not to mention numerous humor dose about a wisecrack lawyer and his way of thinking create this great book. definitely would read more books by this author "
— Rendy, 7/7/2013 -
" I really don't know how to review an Andy Carpenter book without just parroting what I've said before: engaging read, tense when it needs to be, funny almost all the time (sometimes laugh out loud so), clever mystery...yada yada yada. Might make for a boring review, but a dandy read. "
— Hobart, 5/15/2013 -
" I so enjoy this series! "
— Terri, 2/19/2013 -
" Mr. Rosenfelt makes me laugh out loud. His Andy Carpenter books are funny and interesting with always a touch of intrigue. His capacity for musing dialogue is unsurpassed and his insight into his characters is endearing. Another good addition to the series. "
— Christine, 11/17/2012 -
" I thought this was a quick, entertaining read. Sure, the ending came out of left field and felt pretty contrived, but I liked the Andy Carpenter character and immensely enjoyed the author's sense of humor. This was the first book I read in this series, but I'll definitely read another one! "
— Nicole, 10/10/2012 -
" Waiting for it to come from the library. Next in a every entertaining series. This one's in Wisconsin where Laurie has moved. Involves an extreme church community. "
— Paulette, 9/9/2012 -
" Laurie is in Wisconsin, needs Andys help, but stays behind when Andy leaves. "
— Pattianne, 8/27/2012 -
" I REALLY like this series and I think this one is my favorite, so far. Laurie's gone to Wisconsin and calls Andy about a double murder case. Bodies pile up as Andy works to prove the accused is innocent. "
— Melodie, 8/8/2012 -
" Just what I've come to expect from this series - interesting plot spiced with a healthy dose of sarcastic humor. "
— Andrea, 4/21/2012 -
" Read my thoughts at: Thoughts of Joy... "
— Joy, 2/12/2012 -
" I read 5 of these books back to back and I love the characters but the formula is getting a little stale. "
— Kerry, 1/2/2012 -
" Pretty good book...definitely written by a guy...no mushy mushy, but pretty interesting. "
— Tally, 1/1/2012 -
" Another Andy Carpenter/Tara mystery. I like the humor of this author - and his love of dogs.. "
— Erjanoco, 10/2/2011 -
" Listened to this book on CD in the car; entertaining to listen to but would not recommend it. "
— Eileen, 6/10/2011 -
" Pure enjoyable reading material. legal thriller, good plot, memorable character, not to mention numerous humor dose about a wisecrack lawyer and his way of thinking create this great book. definitely would read more books by this author "
— Rendy, 5/30/2011 -
" Just what I've come to expect from this series - interesting plot spiced with a healthy dose of sarcastic humor. "
— Andrea, 5/1/2011 -
" This book in the series was especially good because the main character Andy goes to Wisconsin to help someone. A lot of humor involving cheese, the Packers and of course our cold weather in winter. I really enjoyed this book a lot and am looking forward to the next. "
— Linda, 4/6/2011 -
" Fun and amusing lawyer/detective mystery with self-deprecating lawyer and on-off girlfriend police detective pairing up to solve the mystery. Entire plot totally far-fetched but the writing was decent and the story engaging. Perfect to listen to while painting. "
— Jana, 3/29/2011 -
" Another great Andy Carpenter book. Love his character. A fairly transparent story (even I figured out who done it fairly early) but a great read all the same. Rosenfelt gives Andy a dry sense of humor that's a touch sarcastic. Love it. "
— Sherry, 12/31/2010 -
" Oddly, both of these books concern church cults but this one was the better, both as to the mystery and to the writing. I find Rosenfelt funny. "
— Sara, 6/29/2010 -
" I REALLY like this series and I think this one is my favorite, so far. Laurie's gone to Wisconsin and calls Andy about a double murder case. Bodies pile up as Andy works to prove the accused is innocent. "
— Melodie, 6/15/2010 -
" Really good main character, and he has a dog! "
— Tammi, 6/2/2010 -
" This is still a good book, but I didn't think it was as good as his earlier ones. "
— Jennifer, 3/1/2010 -
" Very Good; Continuing character: Andy Carpenter; Lawyer heads to Wisconsin to help his former love, now a police chief, to defend young man charged with killing two girls and deal with a near-by community practicing unique religious practices <br/> "
— Joe, 8/23/2009 -
" Another Andy Carpenter/Tara mystery. I like the humor of this author - and his love of dogs.. "
— Erjanoco, 7/15/2009 -
" Waiting for it to come from the library. Next in a every entertaining series. This one's in Wisconsin where Laurie has moved. Involves an extreme church community. "
— Paulette, 3/19/2009
About David Rosenfelt
David Rosenfelt is the Edgar-nominated and Shamus Award-winning author of more than thirty novels in the popular Andy Carpenter series, as well as stand-alone thrillers. Hounded won the Shamus Award for Best Hardcover Novel. He and his wife live in Maine with an ever-changing pack of rescue dogs. Their epic cross-country move with twenty-five of these dogs, culminating in the creation of the Tara Foundation, is chronicled in Dogtripping.
About Grover Gardner
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.