It must be difficult after 33 books with sort-of retired lawyer Andy Carpenter to come up with a new premise, yet Rosenfelt has done just that with Bark Humbug, #34, a fresh kind of case that will keeps readers flipping pages.
After agreeing to help the sister of a murder suspect, accused of gunning down a candidate for governor along with another member of his team walking beside him, Andy reluctantly is pulled into defending Jon Lowery after finding a temporary home for his dog.
The ex-Marine sharpshooter has plenty of circumstantial evidence against him, and Andy and his team hit overdrive to find the real culprit. It doesn’t help that the shots that killed the two men could only have been accomplished by a very skilled marksmen, and his client is just that.
Andy can find plenty of ways to explain away most of this evidence as planted to make Lowery the scapegoat after his comments against the candidate are captured during a live town hall.
In the course of their investigation, and despite threats against him and his family, Andy uncovers a widespread network of corruption that might explain several ensuing murders, but he can’t nail down a motive for the would-be governor to be shot.
Two hallmarks of the series are Andy’s witty thoughts, and the dialogue he has with his team, which includes his ex-police wife, another lawyer, and several specialists and ex-law enforcement helpers who, well, enforce.
Combine that with a complex plot that has a very surprising and suspenseful ending, and you have all the ingredients needed for a great read.
