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Monday, August 2, 2021

Animal Instinct

 Animal Instinct (#997) is David Rosenfelt's second book in his  K Team spinoff series based on his popular Andy Carpenter mysteries.  Most of the characters are crossovers from that series, but the focus here is on former policeman Corey Douglas and his retired K9 partner Simon Garfunkle.  He's formed a PI partnership with Laurie Collins, an ex-cop who also happens to be Andy Carpenter's wife, and the scary but effective Marcus Clark.  Same snappy dialogue and intricate plotting we've come to expect, but Simon plays a more active role in the business than Andy's beloved golden retriever, Tara, does.  Not casting any aspersions here; it's more a practical matter of Simon's training.

One of Corey's old cases comes back to haunt him here.  When he responded to a domestic abuse call at the home of Lisa Yates, he could never prove that her boyfriend Gerald Kline was responsible.  Now she's been murdered in what the police are calling a "drive by shooting", but Corey can't help but wonder if Kline has finally crossed the line.  When Corey goes to confront him, he finds Kline dead, and himself charged with his murder.  With Andy defending him, and the rest of his team behind him, they are in a race to prove that there's a much larger and lucrative conspiracy going on to frame Corey Douglas and erase any other loose ends before the perpetrators disappear.

Cyber crime has been in the headlines, and it rears its ugly head here in Animal Instincts.  With Corey Douglas' freedom on the line, this is a nail biter and an absorbing read, leavened with typical Rosenfelt humor.  Recommended.


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