Andy Carpenter – Carol's Notebook

And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt

November 19, 2025November 19, 2025 by Carol2 Comments

I have to admit that the reason I read these books is Grove Gardner's narration. He is just perfect for Andy Carpenter's sarcasm and self-deprecating humor. This time around the dog-lover accused of murder is Jeff Wheeler. Two years ago, Jeff's girlfriend was killed when her office building exploded. Jeff has never made it a secret that he blamed her boss, Stanley Franklin, but now that Franklin is dead, murdered in his own home, Jeff is the main suspect. The reader of course knows Jeff is innocent, but Andy and his team need to convince the jury. The best way is to figure out who did do it, but as always that's easier said than done. The plot is put together well with a couple of nice twists. The courtroom scenes move at a good pace, but the dialogue in this series is always the highpoint. It's funny and sharp. And of course, we have adorable dogs. While the cover is adorable...

The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt

August 23, 2024August 23, 2024 by Carol2 Comments

This series has the cutest covers. This is the typical Andy Carpenter book. We've got a rescue dog, an innocent client, and a possible mob connection. That being said, the formula works every time, mostly because Andy is a great character. He's funny, smart, self-effacing, sarcastic, and loves dogs. And the narrator, Grover Gardner, pulls it off wonderfully. Andy's friends and family are also likeable and well-developed, if a bit quirky at times. The mystery itself is well-done, with plenty of red herrings and potential suspects. I like how all of Andy's team gets in on the action. While the story takes place around Christmas, the holiday does not impact the story much. It's not a book I would feel the need to save till December....

Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt

June 5, 2024June 10, 2024 by Carol2 Comments

Two reasons I keep coming back to this series - adorable covers and Grover Gardner as the narrator. It doesn't even really matter what the mystery is. Wannabe-retired lawyer Andy Carpenter is called in to defend a dog lover who is accused of a crime they didn't commit. Andy and his team find out who the real bad guy is. Andy's client doesn't end up in jail. This time around it's a young man accused of killing 6 people at his workplace. The plot is a bit complicated, but all of the regulars are back, human and canine, to help sort it out. Andy is his sarcastic, funny, in real life would be obnoxious but works well in fiction, self. As is often the case, the solution is bigger than I really like in my mysteries. I like more personal motives and less organized crime, but it's not out of the ordinary for a Carpenter book and I do enjoy the...

‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt

September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Honestly, I'm pretty sure I could listen to Grover Gardner read the phone book. And even then he'd still sound sarcastic and self-deprecating, just like he does as Andy Carpenter. As always, Andy reluctantly takes on a case, this time around he's defending Derek, who has adopted two dogs from the Tara Foundation. Derek's been arrested for murder, and although the evidence is stacking up against him, Andy believes he's innocent. There are a lot of characters in this story. Much of the plot revolves around gangs and gang activity, so we've got bot bosses and former associates, both dead and alive. We've also got Andy, of course, his family and the investigative team. That being said, if you've read any of the series before, you know all the regulars and their dogs. The mystery portion is put together well. There's a lot going on and the murder Derek is accused of is just the tip of the iceberg. The story...

Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt

July 11, 2023July 17, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

I have to admit that the reason I listen to the Andy Carpenter series is that Grover Gardner narrates them. He has such a distinctive voice and it works so well with Andy's sarcasm and humor. I've never read on of the series in print, and I have no desire to stray from the audio versions. This time around Andy is defending hometown girl turned Hollywood star, Jenny Nichols. And of course, Jenny has a dog, Mamie, who she adopted through Andy's rescue program. She is accused of killing her former boyfriend, current co-star, Ryan Griffin. Andy, of course, wants to get a "not guilty" verdict but the evidence is not in their favor. So he and his team get to work on trying to figure out who really killed Ryan and why. They uncover a lot in their digging including money laundering, organized crime, Interpol's most wanted, cybercrime, drug trafficking, and murders. Even with all the complications, I did manage to...

Santa’s Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt

October 4, 2022October 4, 2022 by Carol6 Comments

Andy Carpenter is a reluctant lawyer who keeps getting drawn back into the courtroom. Andy and his wife also run the Tara Foundation, an organization dedicated to rescuing dogs, so dogs are always at least tangential to the story (and the covers are adorable). The Tara Foundation has just received a mother Golden Retriever, and her eight puppies. Chris Myers, their newest worker, offers to foster them. Chris is a former lawyer who lost his practice when he was jailed for manslaughter. He claims to be innocent, but a witness lied. Now the witness wants to recant his false testimony, and Andy volunteers to help clear Chris's name. Of course, nothing is ever that easy and when the witness ends up dead, Chris is once again on trial. Grover Gardner is the narrator of this audiobook and he is perfect. Andy has a dry sense of humor, is self-deprecating and sarcastic, and Gardner captures his personality perfectly. The characters surrounding Andy...