Hounded

David Rosenfelt's latest Andy Carpenter mystery, Hounded (#454), arrived just in time for me to enjoy the perfect Christmas treat.

When Andy's police detective friend Pete Stanton, calls asking him and his live-in girlfriend Laurie to meet him at a murder victim's home, Andy knows there's got to be a dog involved.  There is, a basset hound named Sebastian.  What Pete hasn't prepared them for is Sebastian's owner, Ricky.  His father, Danny Diaz, has gone straight after serving a prison term until the night he's murdered.  Pete's been helping them out and he doesn't want Ricky to disappear into the foster care system.  Andy's happy to take the dog.  Ricky, he's not so sure about, but Laurie clinches that matter.  He's flabbergasted the next day when he meets Pete at their favorite sports bar only to have Pete arrested  for Danny's murder.  It looks like Andy has a client, no matter how assiduously he tries to avoid  it.  Evidence rapidly piles up against Pete, but Andy, Laurie and the rest of Pete's friends know he didn't do it.  The problem will be just how to prove it.  With  his usual sense of humor, Andy manages to survive yet another puzzling and harrowing case with a most satisfying ending.

I just finished this installment, and already I'm ready for the next Andy Carpenter adventure!