Deck the Hounds (Andy Carpenter, #18) (Andy Carpenter Mystery)

by David Rosenfelt

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter doesn’t usually stop to help others, but seeing a dog next to a homeless man inspires him to give the pair some money to help. It’s just Andy’s luck that things don’t end there. Soon after Andy’s encounter with them, man and dog are attacked in the middle of the night on the street. The dog defends its new owner, and the erstwhile attacker is bitten but escapes. But the dog is quarantined and the man, Don Carrigan, is heartbroken.

Andy’s wife Laurie can’t resist helping the duo after learning Andy has met them before... it’s the Christmas season after all. In a matter of days Don and his dog Zoey are living above Andy’s garage and become two new additions to the family. It’s not until Andy accidentally gives away his guest’s name during an interview that things go awry; turns out Don is wanted for a murder that happened two years ago. Don not only claims he’s innocent, but that he had no idea that he was wanted for a crime he has no knowledge of in the first place. It’s up to Andy to exonerate his new friend, if he doesn’t get pulled into the quagmire first.

David Rosenfelt’s signature wit, charm, and cleverness are back again in this most exciting installment yet.

• ISBN10: 1250198488
• ISBN13: 9781250198488
• Publish Date: 1 November 2018 (first published 16 October 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 4 April 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Mystereity Reviews]

Absolutely loved this one. I've never read this series before, so this was my entry point and I can say emphatically that it wasn't a challenge to orient myself in the series. Any mentions to prior events was explained and the characters are so well developed,it's easy to dive in and make yourself comfortable.

Andy Carpenter is a successful lawyer who has been trying to retire for years, but keeps getting involved with representing people thanks largely to his wife, Laurie, a former cop and current private investigator. Andy is an all around good guy and having earned enough money to be comfortable, has no objection to making donations to others. On one wintery day, he gives some money to a homeless man and his dog. The next day, he learns that the man was attacked and his dog bit the perpetrator. Laurie, full of Christmas spirit, sends Andy to offer the man the apartment above their garage. When the media gets hold of the story and Andy lets the homeless man's name slip, police show up. The homeless man, Don Carrigan,a retired Green Beret with PTSD, was wanted for a homicide. Laurie, full of Christmas cheer, urges Andy to take on the case, and as the facts become known, Andy realizes there's a whole lot going on and Carrigan is being framed.

I love the characters; Andy is a smartass lawyer but deeply committed to his family and to clearing wrongfully accused people. Laurie is a tough ex-cop with a sweet spot for the underdog. The rest of Andy's team are a motley crew of equally dedicated and quirky people.

The plot was well paced and full of surprises; everything was investigated and uncovered methodically (if a bit unconventially at times) but it gave the feeling of being led through the entire process by a wiseacre tour guide and there were a lot of chuckles as I read. Don Carrigan, the man that was being framed, was easy to empathize with and kept me rooting for Andy to win the case. I also appreciated how it highlighted the issues of PTSD, its effects and how it contributes to homelessness without being preachy or overbearing, very sensitively handled.

This is definitely a series I'll be going back and reading from the beginning, and if the other books are this good, it'll definitely be on my must read list.