cover image Bark of Night

Bark of Night

David Rosenfelt. Minotaur, $27.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-13309-0

In Edgar finalist Rosenfelt’s enjoyable 19th mystery featuring Paterson, N.J., defense attorney Andy Carpenter (after 2018’s Deck the Hounds), Andy is incensed when his vet informs him that someone left a French bulldog called Buster at the vet’s with instructions to put the dog down. But the dog’s microchip says his name is Truman, and he belongs to James Haley, a documentary filmmaker who was recently murdered. The police arrest 20-year-old Joey Gamble for the crime, whom Haley interviewed in his apartment earlier in the evening of the murder. Since the man who brought Truman in to be euthanized was a known gang enforcer, Andy thinks that Joey has been set up, and so he mobilizes his formidable investigative team to help him find Haley’s real killer. Rosenfelt does a great job of unfolding an intricate plot as Andy slowly builds a case to exonerate Joey. Andy is a smart, witty, relatable lead with a lot of heart, and he and his cohorts are a pleasure to spend time with. This is a treat for mystery readers and dog lovers. [em]Author tour. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (July) [/em]