Book Review: Sudden Death by David Rosefelt

Sudden Death
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter Book 4
Publication: Grand Central Publishing (June 26, 2009)

Description: Following the success of Bury the Lead, David Rosenfelt delivers a "wise cracking legal thriller" featuring Defense Attorney Andy Carpenter (Publishers Weekly).

Kenny Schilling is the new star running back for the New York Giants. Troy Preston was a wide receiver for the Jets, until his recent murder. Could rivalry have turned Kenny Schilling into a cold-blooded killer? The police say yes. And now the football hero needs a good lawyer--quick. Still basking in the glow of his last successful case, Andy Carpenter is called to defend Kenny's innocence. Then it's revealed that Troy wasn't the only murdered player Kenny was in contact with. Now, amid a collapsing personal life and death threats from a drug king--who may or may not have a hand in things--Andy must keep his eye on the ball during what could become the media trial of the century.

My Thoughts: In this fourth Andy Carpenter mystery, Andy is hired to defend Kenny Schilling who is the new star running back for the New York Giants. He is accused of murdering Troy Preston who is another player for the Giants. 

Things don't start off well for Andy or for Kenny. They meet when Kenny is holding off the police from entering his home where Preston's body is found stuffed in a closet. 

As Andy and his team investigate, they learn that Preston was not only using drugs but selling them. In order to prove reasonable doubt, Andy explores the possibility that Preston was killed by a local drug dealer which angers the dealer enough to put a hit out on Andy requiring him to seek protection from Marcus and his dog rescue partner Willie. 

But Preston's death is not the only one with a possible link to Kenny. He was in Wisconsin at a hunting party composed of fellow football players when one of the players died in an accidental shooting. As a young man named Adam who came to New Jersey to write a potential movie script about Andy's role in Willie Miller's successful trial begins helping Andy investigate this case, he soon learns that that wasn't the only death that happened near Kenny. And when Adam is murdered in Andy's office the first thought is that he was killed by the drug dealer in a case of mistaken identity. But the fact that his notes were stolen leads to a different conclusion.

Is Andy defending a possible serial killer?

And, while all of this is going on, Andy is dealing with personal life difficulties. His girlfriend Laurie has an opportunity to move back to her hometown in Wisconsin and get back into law enforcement. She spends the whole book making up her mind about what she wants for her future. 

This was another excellent episode in the Andy Carpenter series. 

Favorite Quote:

I go downstairs to pay Sofia Hernandez, the owner of the fruit stand, enough money to take care of the damage and aggravation. She's amazingly calm about it, as if thugs falling from the sky are an unfortunate but expected part of doing business.

I bought this one September 7, 2022. You can buy your copy here.