Monday, 14 November 2022

Book ~ "Holy Chow" (2022) David Rosenfelt

From Goodreads ~ Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter’s calling has always been running the Tara Foundation. The dog rescue organization places hundreds of dogs in new homes every year. It’s added up to so many dogs and new owners that Andy can’t even do the math. But there’s one dog - and one owner - Andy will always remember.

About a year ago, Rachel Morehouse came to the foundation looking for a companion. In her sixties and recently widowed, Rachel wanted a senior dog that also needed someone. Andy took a liking to her, Rachel took a liking to Lion, an older Chow Chow, and the rest is history.

That is until Rachel calls Andy begging for a favor: If Rachel dies, will Andy take care of Lion if her stepson cannot? Andy agrees, no questions asked and promptly forgets about it ... until he receives a call from Rachel’s estate to attend her will reading. Which is where he meets Rachel’s stepson, Tony, who is promptly arrested for his stepmother’s murder. And he wants Andy to prove his innocence.

Andy has continued to learn more about the woman he so greatly admired and the businesses she ran, and holy chow, was this woman impressive. The person who killed her deserves to be held accountable, and if Tony is to be believed, they’re still out there. And that possibility is too much for Andy to remain on the sidelines.

Andy is a criminal defense lawyer who doesn't want any clients.  Because of the money his father left him and some lucrative cases, he is able to not work and spend his time with his friend, Willie, running the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue that he and Willie formed.  He is married to Laurie, they have a young son, Ricky, three dogs and he is enjoying his life.

Rachel had adopted a dog named Lion from the Tara Foundation and contacts Andy to ask if anything happens to her, would the foundation take the dog back (if Tony, her stepson, doesn't want him) and rehome.  Of course, Andy agrees.  He's surprised when she passes away a couple weeks later of an apparent heart attack.  Tony is happy to take Lion so all is well for the dog.  But then Tony is arrested for the murder of Rachel and since he is a fellow dog lover, Andy agrees to take on his case. As Andy and his team start digging, they discover her murder may have something to do with the company Rachel's late husband and Tony's late father had started but others don't want to have known.

This is the 25th in the Andy Carpenter series (I've read them all) and I have been liking this series.  Even though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone (so you don't need to have read the ones before it to know what is going on).  I like the writing style as it was funny, sarcastic and amusing.  It was written mostly in first person perspective in Andy's voice.

I like Andy ... I think he would be a hoot to be around and he's quite generous with his time and money (he never charges for his services).  Part of Andy's team is the K-Team (Laurie, a former police officer and now an investigator; Marcus, an investigator with "persuasive" reasoning skills; Cory, a former police officer; and Simon Garfunkel, Cory's former canine partner).  Sam is his accountant who is also a computer hack who wants to be part of the action.

No comments: