DEAD MEN DON’T PLAY FETCH

5 stars out of 5

This has been a go-to series for me for some time now – the stories are always well-written, entertaining and a bit lighthearted even though the legal situations can get pretty complex and the investigations downright dangerous. And this, the 33^rd installment, doesn’t disappoint.

Trying-to-retire defense attorney Andy Carpenter fights to say no when old friend Lou Campanelli, who runs a rehab center in Paterson, New Jersey, calls to ask a favor. That’s because Andy knows it’s likely to drag him back to a courtroom – and he’d much rather keep his eyes on the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue operation, and/or play with the three beloved pooches that share his home in addition to his wife Laurie Collins.

Alas, that’s not to be. Lou is insistent that Jason Maddox, who was at the shelter when he heard a noise outside, went out and found a man who had been murdered, didn’t do the dirty deed. Fairly strong evidence says otherwise, though, and Jason desperately needs a defense attorney. Reluctantly, Andy and his team, which includes Laurie as chief investigator, set out to at the very least convince the jury there’s reasonable doubt and get a not guilty verdict.

While his team does a whiz-bang job of investigating, Andy shines in the courtroom. This time, he’s up against old and extremely competent prosecutor Dylan Campbell, who, as usual, doesn’t make things easy for Andy. The details of both the investigation and the trial, of course, won’t be forthcoming in this review – no way I’ll take away the fun for other readers. I certainly will, however, recommend this book (and the entire series) highly and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to once again enjoy a pre-release copy. Loved it!

Dead Men Don’t Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt (Minotaur Books, July 2026); 288 pp.