I don’t know about you but lately I find myself using slightly different criteria to select my next book. I don’t want to read about politics or viruses. I want something that will make me smile, maybe even laugh out loud. So when the latest Andy Carpenter came along, it was perfect timing.
By now fans are familiar with Andy’s doomed attempts to retire. Luckily for us, he fails once again. It all begins with a call from his friend Beth. She puts a lot of time & effort into reuniting stray dogs with their rightful owners & is currently looking after a gorgeous lab she calls Lucy. The good news is she got a call from the owner who is desperate to get Lucy back. Which would be great….except the owner’s face has been all over the news after being killed with 2 others in a suspicious boat explosion. Understandably, Beth is a tad nervous about meeting this guy. Andy has the perfect solution. Have the owner come pick up Lucy at his dog shelter where he & Willie can keep an eye on things.
Ah, the best laid plans. Before the meet is over, police have shown up & Andy has somehow gained a new client. The only silver lining is he managed to piss off cop/buddy Pete Stanton in the process. So not a total loss then.
Pharmaceutical secrets, a mystery girlfriend, mistaken identity, dodgy characters & possible mob involvement…these are some of the stumbling blocks just waiting for Andy. Good thing he not only has Laurie at his side but her colleagues from the K Team as well. He’ll need them. Most of the story takes place outside the courtroom & includes short chapters that introduce odd characters. The trick is to figure out if & where they fit in. And as always, a herd of great dogs are along for the ride.
As much as I enjoyed this, overall I found it missing a tiny somethin’-somethin’ . There was just a little less spark to the dialogue & I wondered if it had to do with the cast. Unlike other instalments, the only member of Andy’s legal crew we hear from regularly is Sam. Instead there is more focus on the K Team as they assist with the case. I guess I just missed all that inspirational positivity we usually get from Edna & Hike.
However….and this is big, people….one scene alone is worth the price of admission. Are you sitting down? Ok. Marcus says a word. And I understood it. That’s right, an actual intelligible word from the English language in his outside voice. Not going to tell you what it was, just that it was used correctly & spoke volumes. If you need to take a moment here, I understand.
Whether you pick up this or one of the others in the series, you know you’ll get a story full of humour, dogs & good guys that is the perfect antidote to the isolation blues. And hopefully by the time book #22 arrives, the world will be a happier place. Now go wash your hands.
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