Review: Bark of the Night by David Rosenfelt

Format: Hardcover
Pub Date: July 16, 2019
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Length: 291 pages
POV: First, present
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher

I've read Rosenfelt's Doug Brock series, but hadn't tried his Andy Carpenter series. It is even more sarcastic than the Brock books, which given that the other series is about a police detective seems unlikely, but it's the truth. Apparently, nothing is more sarcastic than an almost retired defense attorney.

The cover, featuring a very cute French Bulldog, might mislead readers into thinking that this book is a cozy mystery: it's not. It's a thriller about organized crime, with a lots of brutal murders.

The dog angle IS delightful, though. Truman, the bulldog in question, is taken to a vet to be put down, but the vet has suspicions. So he scans the dog, finds out that the person who brought the dog in wasn't the owner, and contacts the one person involved in the criminal justice system he knows who also loves dogs: Andy Carpenter. The dog is the key to the entire mystery, and not just a prop.

This is the most sarcastic protagonist I've read in years, and I really enjoyed it despite the present tense. It hits that sweet spot between cozy and hard boiled that so few seem to get right. Recommended.

My Grade: B

The Blurb: 

When defense lawyer Andy Carpenter’s veterinarian asks to speak to him privately at the checkup of his golden retriever, Tara, the last thing Andy expects is Truman. Tiny, healthy, French bulldog Truman was dropped off days ago with instructions to be euthanized by a man everyone thought was his owner. But now the owner is nowhere to be found. 

Andy is furious. Who would want to euthanize a perfectly healthy dog with no explanation? He is willing to whisk Truman away to the Tara Foundation, the dog-rescue organization which is Andy’s true passion. They will find a home for Truman. But that’s not all the vet tells Andy. Thanks to Truman’s chip, it’s discovered that the man wasn’t Truman’s owner at all . . . Truman's real owner has been murdered.

It’s now up to Andy – with help from his loyal sidekick Tara, Truman and the rest of the gang – to solve this case. In the latest in the popular Andy Carpenter mystery series, David Rosenfelt’s charmingly clever wit and love of dogs are back and better than ever.