AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Dead Men Don’t Play Fetch

Title: Dead Men Don’t Play FetchAuthor: David Rosenfelt

Series: Andy Carpenter #33
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle and Audiobook ARC
No. of Pages:  288
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Length:  6 hrs 33 mins
Date of Publication:  July 7, 2026
My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Bestselling author David Rosenfelt returns with Dead Men Don't Play Fetch as Andy Carpenter investigates a wealthy dog lover's unusual death.

It’s defense lawyer Andy Carpenter’s dream to retire. That goal is once again thwarted when he gets a call from Lou, an old friend who he simply cannot refuse, asking for a favor. Lou runs a rehab center, and when one of his patients, a homeless vet, is charged with first degree murder, he needs Andy's help. And of course, Andy will also be called on to care for the accused’s dog, but that’s okay, what's one more dog?

The man that Jason Maddox is accused of stabbing to death is none other than billionaire Paul Vincent, an eccentric businessman and inventor. Bickert dedicated a great portion of his life to philanthropy, with a soft spot for dog-related causes. This led him to befriend Jason, a physicist and war hero, whose life fell apart to the point where he ended up on the streets with his dog, just trying to survive.

But why would Jason possibly have wanted to kill him? Well, for one thing, he was to receive a fortune in Vincent's will. That, coupled with the fact that Jason was at the scene, his fingerprints were on the knife, and Vincent's wallet was in his jacket, made it a slam dunk arrest.

Once again, Andy is enmeshed in a puzzling, twisty case. But in order to reunite a man and his dog, Andy will have to untangle it all.

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MY THOUGHTS:

As the 33rd book in the Andy Carpenter series opens, Andy’s wife, Laurie, is fussing over the possibility that his brain might become atrophied in retirement. Andy couldn’t disagree more. He’s retired, after all. Watching sports and walking his dogs are more than enough to keep him happy. As a lawyer who certainly doesn’t need the income, his plan is simple: take it easy. Of course, anyone familiar with this series knows those plans are never destined to last. A phone call from an old friend quickly changes everything.

The call comes from Lou Campanelli, a longtime friend who runs a respected rehabilitation center. One of Lou’s patients, Jason Maddox, has been charged with first-degree murder. Jason, a homeless veteran, brilliant physicist, and war hero, has endured more than his share of hardships. Although the evidence against him is compelling, Jason insists he is innocent. Lou believes him without hesitation, and that is all the encouragement Andy needs to take the case.

In addition to investigating the murder charges, Andy agrees to care for Jason’s dog while he is in jail. This is one of the many reasons the Andy Carpenter series continues to be such a joy to read. Like David Rosenfelt himself, Andy has an enormous love for dogs and is deeply committed to helping them. While he is always determined to see justice served, his devotion to his family and to dogs is at the very heart of his character.

This remains one of my favorite long-running mystery series. David Rosenfelt expertly balances serious criminal cases with his trademark humor, wonderful recurring characters, and, of course, a delightful assortment of canine companions. The audiobooks are especially outstanding thanks to Grover Gardner, whose narration perfectly captures Andy’s wit, sarcasm, and charm. He truly brings the character to life and makes each installment an even greater pleasure to listen to.

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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