Sunday, July 23, 2006
Dead Center
Books about lawyers are not typically my favorite but I have a short list of authors who write legal mysteries to whom I am faithful. David Rosenfelt and his series about defense lawyer Andy Carpenter are on that list.
Andy is a self-deprecating wiseass who typically angers judges with his courtroom antics but he is honorable and his goal is to find the truth. He only takes cases he believes in. He is rich, thanks to a hefty inheritance, so he can be choosy and turn down anyone he doesn't feel strongly about.
At the end of the last book, Andy's girlfriend and investigator Laurie Collins left New Jersey to take her dream job with the police department back in Wisconsin where she grew up. It is only a few months later and Andy is still trying to recover. When Laurie calls him to defend the boy she had to arrest for a double homicide, he isn't sure if he wants to reopen the wounds of their breakup. When circumstances make the case personal, Andy decides to take the case despite having to be around Laurie every day.
Most of the secondary characters we have come to love throughout this series manage to help out in Wisconsin, including hypochondriac lawyer Kevin, song-talking computer hacker Sam, and the ever scary Marcus.
The two murdered girls were members of a cult-like religious community in a nearby town. The group is closed and secretive making investigation difficult for both the police and the defense team.
Andy is very likable and the first person narrative lets us inside Andy's head to hear the snarky comments he would like to say even when he can't.
Even if you avoid legal mysteries like I typically do, give Andy Carpenter a chance. Rosenfelt has a winner here.
Andy is a self-deprecating wiseass who typically angers judges with his courtroom antics but he is honorable and his goal is to find the truth. He only takes cases he believes in. He is rich, thanks to a hefty inheritance, so he can be choosy and turn down anyone he doesn't feel strongly about.
At the end of the last book, Andy's girlfriend and investigator Laurie Collins left New Jersey to take her dream job with the police department back in Wisconsin where she grew up. It is only a few months later and Andy is still trying to recover. When Laurie calls him to defend the boy she had to arrest for a double homicide, he isn't sure if he wants to reopen the wounds of their breakup. When circumstances make the case personal, Andy decides to take the case despite having to be around Laurie every day.
Most of the secondary characters we have come to love throughout this series manage to help out in Wisconsin, including hypochondriac lawyer Kevin, song-talking computer hacker Sam, and the ever scary Marcus.
The two murdered girls were members of a cult-like religious community in a nearby town. The group is closed and secretive making investigation difficult for both the police and the defense team.
Andy is very likable and the first person narrative lets us inside Andy's head to hear the snarky comments he would like to say even when he can't.
Even if you avoid legal mysteries like I typically do, give Andy Carpenter a chance. Rosenfelt has a winner here.
# posted by Kim Reis @ 4:58 PM 
