Review - The More the Terrier

Title: The More the Terrier
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter #30
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle and Audiobook ARC
No. of Pages:
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Length: 304 pages
Date of Publication: October 15, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The next installment in David Rosenfelt’s bestselling Andy Carpenter series brings a lone pup to his doorstep, but when it comes to dogs, The More the Terrier.

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is relieved to be headed back to Paterson, New Jersey, after a week-long family vacation in the Adirondacks. He's ready to put the holly jolly season way behind him and settle in at home with his three dogs. But when they finally arrive, there is an extra dog eagerly awaiting them, as well as one anxious dog sitter.

When the dog showed up on the doorstep a few days ago, the sitter knew Andy would know what to do. Indeed, Andy recognizes Murphy, who the Carpenters fostered before the dog went home with BJ Bremer and his mother. BJ wanted to learn all he could about caring for Murphy, which made Andy like him immediately.

When Andy goes to take Murphy back to the Bremers, though, instead of the happy reunion he expects, he finds BJ's mother in tears. It turns out Murphy ran off…after BJ was arrested for murder. Andy had hoped for a quiet Christmas vacation, but he likes Murphy’s family and his golden retriever, Tara, likes Murphy, so he can't resist getting involved. The case isn’t as simple as Andy thought it would be, though, with BJ suspected of murdering one of his professors. With nothing to go on but Andy's own conviction in BJ's dog-loving character, proving his innocence would be a Christmas miracle.

With equal doses of doggy humor and courtroom drama, as well as Andy Carpenter's traditional humbug Christmas spirit, David Rosenfelt delivers another winner.

Link to purchase the series

MY THOUGHTS:

 

From the very first book in this series, Open and Shut, I’ve been captivated by the world of Andy Carpenter and the reluctant cases he takes on. Our intrepid hero relentlessly takes on case after case, consistently demonstrating his compassion for those in need. Andy’s dog ownership is a significant factor in my admiration for him. 

In this installment, Andy and his family are returning home from a relaxing vacation. Finding a dog on his doorstep really surprises Andy, even though he already owns three dogs. Despite helping countless dogs through his dog rescue organization, the Tara Foundation, this dog is no stranger to Andy. He tries to return the dog Murphy to his owner. 

Shockingly, Andy learns that Murphy’s owner BJ has been arrested for murder and BJ’s mother pleads for Andy’s help in proving BJ’s innocence. It is the Christmas season, and Andy wanted to continue relaxing. In fact, he’s retired, but keeps on taking cases. For BJ’s sake, this proves no different for Andy. 

There’s a tongue-in-cheek reference when Laurie, engrossed in the latest David Rosenfelt book, refuses to go to sleep. Andy, unable to comprehend her fascination, questions her interest in reading it. Beyond the snarky and humorous content, the show also delves into serious moments when Andy attempts to help those in need. 

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am a novelist with 27 dogs.

I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.

My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, “Ozzie and Harriet’s” clan seemed bizarre.

I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every “Rambo”, “The Natural” and “Rocky”, there are countless disasters.

I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.

A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It’s safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.

About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It’s total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.

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