Dogged Pursuit

Author David Rosenfelt sweeps fans of the Andy Carpenter series away with a nostalgic journey back in time to the beginning of it all in Dogged Pursuit. Readers are introduced to a young Andy along with a few of the main characters that play significant roles in the many books that follow. Perhaps more importantly, we get our first look at Andy’s beloved dog, Tara, and learn about the events that brought him to adopt her from the shelter.

This prequel is the perfect entry point for first-time readers and an absolute must-read for longtime fans of the series.

Andy Carpenter is feeling a bit untethered as he and his wife Nicole are finagling their way through some marital issues that have her living at her parents’ house while he roams around the empty rooms of their home. Andy has turned down yet another offer from Nicole’s dad to come work for his firm—a move that would secure their financial future but contribute nothing to Andy’s mental health and personal satisfaction. Since finishing law school, Andy has spent three years working as a prosecutor but has now chosen to switch sides by becoming a defense attorney to serve as a voice for the accused. All he needs now is a client. In Nicole’s absence, Andy decides a small dog will make the perfect companion, so he heads to the local animal shelter where it’s love at first sight when he spies Tara, a golden retriever, who is most definitely not a small dog. As it turns out, Tara has a little sidekick, Sonny, a beagle who belongs to a man arrested for a triple murder. Not having the heart to split the pair up, Andy seeks permission from the incarcerated man to take Sonny home and in doing so winds up taking the man on as his first client as a defense attorney. Frank Tierney stands accused of planting explosives under the car of his former boss, thereby blowing him and his two passengers to smithereens. Tierney swears he’s innocent, but the prosecutor’s unsurmountable evidence says otherwise. Andy needs to sift through an array of red herrings to unmask a murderer and prove his client’s innocence. Things are about to get complicated… and dangerous for Andy and those he cares about.

Dogged Pursuit is a delight to read! Fans of the series are transported back to the beginning of it all to witness Andy’s first connection with several series favorites like Laurie, the ex-cop investigator, Sam, the computer whiz, along with an “almost meet” with the enforcer, Marcus. And, of course, we meet a young, enthusiastic, gung-ho Andy as he hones his courtroom skills utilizing what later becomes his signature sharp wit and charming personality to irritate the judge, win over the jury, and successfully wrap up his first case as a budding defense attorney . . . all while navigating his turbulent personal life with all the bumps and bruises of a young, floundering marriage. If this is your first Andy Carpenter book, this book serves as the meet-cute foundation for the rest of the series, and I promise you’ll be hooked! If you’re a longtime fan, what a gift!

Like all the rest of the books that follow, Dogged Pursuit is a highly entertaining, humorous whodunit rendered via complex characters, adorable dog scenes, and an intriguing murder mystery. While it would be easy to label it as another lighthearted mystery, Rosenfelt’s expertise at weaving weighty themes throughout a convoluted, twisted plotline while challenging readers—and Andy—to figure it out is evident. The end result is a page-burner, often funny, always heart-touching story that’s impossible to put down. Highly recommended to fans of the series, first-time readers, and any reader who enjoys a good mystery with a healthy dose of laughter