Play Dead: A Novel - Hardcover

Rosenfelt, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0446582417 ISBN 13: 9780446582414

Publisher: Warner Books, 2007

Synopsis

Few can rival attorney Andy Carpenter's affection for golden retrievers, especially his own beloved Tara. After he astonishes a New Jersey courtroom by successfully appealing another golden's death sentence, Andy discovers that this gentle dog is a key witness to a murder that took place five years before. Andy pushes the boundaries of the law even further as he struggles to free an innocent man by convincing an incredulous jury to take canine testimony seriously. It will take all the tricks Andy's fertile mind can conceive to get to the bottom of a remarkable chain of impersonations and murder, and save a dog's life--and his own--in the process.

About this title

About the Author

DAVID ROSENFELT is the former marketing president for Tri-Star Pictures and lives in Southern California.

Reviews

Starred Review. Edgar-finalist Rosenfelt's riveting sixth legal thriller (after 2006's Dead Center) brings independently wealthy Paterson, N.J., lawyer Andy Carpenter to the defense of a very special domestic violence victim, Yogi, a golden retriever alleged to have bitten its owner. Andy uses the court system to spring Yogi from an animal shelter's death row and adopt him, adding the dog to a small family that includes longtime pet golden Tara. But when the gang goes for a walk that leads to a joyful reunion between Yogi and a woman named Karen Evans, Andy learns Yogi is actually Reggie, presumed dead five years earlier after the conviction of Karen's brother, U.S. Customs Inspector Richard Evans, for the murder of his fiancée, Stacy Harriman. Suspecting Richard's innocence, Andy tackles the case like a dog on a chew toy, undeterred by an intricate web of deception involving a possible government coverup. No shaggy dog story, this puppy's alive with reliable Rosenfelt wit and heart. (May)
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*Starred Review* In the sixth Andy Carpenter mystery, Rosenfelt turns his love of golden retrievers into a cracking good yarn. Andy, the New Jersey attorney whose inheritance of $22 million has diluted his work ethic ("I am work-ethically challenged," he tells us), tends to take a case only when it interests him. When he learns that a beautiful retriever is scheduled to be put down after biting its owner, he decides to represent the dog in court. He is successful, but soon his delight at saving the animal's life turns to amazement--or at least bemusement--when he discovers that the dog may be a key witness in a five-year-old murder. There are many ways this novel should have failed (the whole premise is iffy, for starters), but Rosenfelt skillfully avoids every trap into which he might have fallen. There is no way you can read this novel without becoming completely caught up in the story. As always, Andy's offbeat, outspoken personality shines on every page, and the balance of humor and mystery is dead-on. There is nothing else to say about this fine novel, except this: read it as soon as you can. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Warner Books
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0446582417
• ISBN 13: 9780446582414
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 308