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A KEVIN R. TIPPLE BOOK REVIEW:
Play Dead: A Novel by David Rosenfelt
It is hard to describe this enjoyable series. Part humorous cozy and part legal thriller they don't pigeonhole easily. But, each and every one is a good read and one that you can be pretty sure most folks will like. While it is always better to read books in order, this one can be safely read by readers knew to the series.
Play Dead: A Novel By David Rosenfelt Warner Books http://www.hatchettebookgroupusa.com May 2007 ISBN # 978-0-446-58241-4 Hardback 308 Pages
Attorney Andy Carpenter has it pretty good. Millions in the bank so he can work when he wants to, a great dog in Tara and a smoking hot girlfriend Laurie who, when in town, is fantastic in more ways than one. Life has steadied out pretty well as this sixth novel in the series opens and things are along ways from the first book "Open And Shut." Willie still runs the dog shelter that he and Andy helped create long ago. Willie calls him about a dog in the shelter named Yogi which is going to have to be put down. Yogi, a golden retriever, bit his abusive owner Warren Shaheen to the point that the man needed eleven stitches to close the wound. The owner wants the dog put down and since it has a history it can't be adopted out.
Upon first meeting it is clear Yogi is special. It is also clear that Yogi has been abused and Andy isn't about to let anything else bad happen to the dog. He mounts a defense along self defense lines. As the case works forward, he discovers that the dog is a small needle in a haystack of deceit, violence organized crime and ultimately murder.
From the absolutely hilarious acknowledgments page to the final page of the book, humor is a strong player. Long time readers of the series are well aware that humor rises almost to the level of being a character in its own right. Such is the case here with many laugh out loud lines. The book is very funny without trying to be so.
At the same time, that isn't to say it is a weak mystery. On the contrary, while there is little character development as these characters have been fully fleshed out long ago, there is plenty of mystery to go around. Nothing is what it appears to be on so many levels, author David Rosenfelt does a masterful job of keeping readers confused and in suspense while the pages quickly pass. The result is another excellent read that works on all levels.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2007 |