Outfoxed

Here's Boomer!  Somehow, I 've always wanted to say that, but in the case of David Rosenfelt's latest Andy Carpenter mystery Outfoxed (#599), Boomer's the rescue dog who drags Andy however reluctantly, into his newest case. 


The Tara Foundation has been pairing rescue dogs with prisoners at the local minimum security jail for training and socialization.  Andy, as an attorney, is involved in this successful project.  That is, until the day that Brian Atkins, Boomer's human prison partner, uses Boomer to make his escape.  Not only has Boomer been dog napped, but Brian is a client Andy has inherited from a recently deceased legal mentor.  To make matters worse, an eye witness has placed Brian at the scene of a grisly double homicide just after his break from jail.  Can even Andy win such a seemingly open-and-shut case against his client?  When he connects organized crime boss Dominic Petrone with the case, Andy had better be one step ahead of the mob to prevent his entire family from becoming collateral damage.


As always with Andy, dogs and family first (and not necessarily in that order, depending...)  The story is liberally  laced with typical Andy Carpenter humor and a cast of familiar characters. The plot twists and turns, and the body count grows as the crime seems unsolvable.   I must admit, I did not see the final twist coming which reveals the motivation for the murders.  It's a doggone good story.  Add in an adorable cover photo and you've got the complete package for an entertaining afternoon or evening read.