A typical Andy Carpenter murder mystery, written in David Rosenfelt's unique style, which I happen to enjoy. It's light entertainment and the good guys come out ahead in the end. In this case, there's plenty of bad guys: Russian mobsters and oligarchs, crooked Hollywood types and cybercriminals. The cops are mostly good guys doing their jobs. The dogs are there for support and they stay in the background. This is the 27th book in a series and can be read as a standalone. ( )

Jenny Nichols, famous actress, once dated Andy Carpenter, and is in town filming a movie. Andy, his wife Laurie, and Jenny are having dinner with friends when Jenny’s costar interrupts their dinner and causes a scene. Laurie and Marcus handle the ruckus he causes, and he leaves. But things go terribly wrong for Jenny when much later that night, her costar is found dead in the kitchen where Jenny is staying. Arrested and charged with his murder, things look awfully bleak for Jenny. Andy, of course, takes her case, but it’s an uphill struggle. David Rosenfelt continues this wonderful series with another excellent installment. It goes without saying that the writing is superb, the characters are well developed, the plot is complex and intriguing, the humor is delightful, and the whole package is utterly entertaining. This novel, along with the entire series, is highly recommended. ( )

Andy is a retired lawyer and an animal rescuer. When his old high school girlfriend, Jenny, comes to town to film a movie, he invites her to have dinner with him and his wife. Things do not go as planned. Jenny’s costar is found dead and Jenny is arrested for his murder. So, Andy comes out of retirement to save his friend.

I have never read this series. And I just might have to go back and pick a few up. I enjoyed how quickly this tale moved and the characters were fabulous. It is a bit predictable and simple but that just added to the charm! And there are definitely places that had me giggling in my chair!

And the dogs are such a treat! I wonder if the author has visited my house and decided to use Peanut and Lulu as characters!

Need a quick, laugh out loud mystery…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. ( )

The latest (27th) installment in the Andy Carpenter mystery series stands well on its own. Read my full review here.

Publication is expected July 4.

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #Minotaur Books #FlopDeadGorgeous ( )

In this 27th book in the Andy Carpenter series, Andy is determined to prove that his high school girlfriend turned movie star Jenny Nichols did not stab her co-star in the back and leave his body lying on her kitchen floor.

The murder victim is Ryan Griffin who made his fortune as a hedge fund manager before deciding he wanted to act and produce movies. Personally, he was a charismatic and charming cheater. His relationship with Jenny was short-lived on her part but he was reluctant to let her go. After making a scene at a welcome party hosted by Andy, his next appearance is as a corpse lying dead in her kitchen.

Andy, who would love to be a retired lawyer, takes on her case but the evidence and the odds are against him, his client, and his team. The evidence clearly points to Jenny as the murderer. But Andy is undaunted and calls his team to action. Sam will look into the cyberworld while Marcus Clark looks into the criminal world.

Andy comes up with an alternate suspect in a Russian gangster who is somehow connected to the case but has difficulty connecting him to Griffin's murder. However, his investigation does give the FBI enough to take down a Russian cybercriminal. That's good but isn't going to free Jenny or prove her innocent.

Up until nearly the end of the book, it looks like this is one case that Andy won't be able to win using his legal intelligence and snarky manner.

I really enjoy Andy's snarky voice and his love of dogs. The dog in this story is a pampered toy poodle named Mamie that Jennie adopted from Andy's foundation. I also enjoy the way Andy and his colleagues investigate crimes. ( )