BARK HUMBUG

5 stars out of 5

I admit to being a cat person. Those other four-legged critters who bark don’t interest me in the least; I consider them like grandkids – best handed back to their owners after half an hour or so. That said, there’s something about books with dogs in them that’s simply irresistible. And this series, while really focusing on a semi-retired attorney who inevitably gets drawn back into the courtroom, is a great example of the power of the pooch.

This time out, it starts with a devious newspaper photographer, who gets dog lover, advocate and shelter owner Andy Carpenter’s attention by a way of a trick request to join a Christmas celebrity doggie feature. Andy of course takes the bait, only to learn that what she wants is him to represent her brother Jon Lowery, who’s nowhere to be found but wanted for murdering the town mayor and his associate. Andy still swears up and down he’s retired (but after this many books, methinks that he protests too much). After he learns Jon is willing to talk to him with no strings attached, Andy at least agrees to hear him out (made even easier when he finds out Jon has a dog adopted from Andy’s Tara Foundation, named for his own golden retriever).

A meet-up is quietly arranged, but when Andy and his wife Laurie Collins get to the agreed-upon place to meet, they’re accosted by state cops with really big guns. Suddenly, the situation changes – sans any kind of meet-and-greet, Andy really has no choice but to say he’s Jon’s attorney. For Andy, that’s a first; never in his career has he taken on a client with whom he’s never even spoken. All Andy knows is that Jon is a computer science expert (with a degree from Rutgers, near Paterson, New Jersey, where Andy lives and works), and, most notably, he’s an ex-Marine and accomplished sniper.

From that point on, it’s a matter of gathering the investigative team together – and that includes Laurie, an ex-cop – who will collect information Andy needs to defend Jon in the courtroom. The team also includes the usual cast of characters loyal readers have come to know and love. Perhaps the best part for me, though, is that books in this series are serious, but guaranteed to elicit a chuckle (make that quite a few, plus an outright guffaw or two). Sharing any details would spoil things for others, but I will say there’s a surprise ending that’s a doozy.

All told, it’s another totally enjoyable adventure from start to finish, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it. Since it’s got a holiday slant, it would make a great gift for someone who loves to read while sitting before a cozy fire with a pooch at their feet. Go! Fetch!

Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (Minotaur Books, October 2026); 320 pp.