Book Review: Outfoxed by David Rosenfelt

Outfoxed
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter (Book 14)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 19, 2016)

Description: Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter spends as much time as he can working on his true passion, the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization he runs. Lately, Andy has been especially involved in a county prison program where inmates help train dogs the Tara Foundation has rescued to make them more adoptable, benefiting both the dogs and the prisoners. One of the prisoners Andy has been working with is Brian Atkins, who has 18 months left on a 5-year term for fraud. Brian has been helping to train Boomer, an adorable fox terrier the Tara Foundation rescued from a neglectful owner. Brian and Boomer are clearly a terrific match. In fact, Andy hopes that Brian will adopt Boomer himself, once his sentence is up. But one day, Andy arrives at the prison to discover that Brian has used Boomer to make an ingenious escape, and man and dog are both in the wind. The next day, the man on whose testimony Brian was convicted is found murdered. Brian is caught and arrested for the crime, though he forcefully protests his innocence. Suddenly, Andy finds himself with a new client in Brian and a new dog in Boomer. And as he starts to dig deeper into the murder and the events leading up to it, Andy realizes he might be putting them all in far more danger than anyone had realized.

My Thoughts: The fourteenth book in the Andy Carpenter series has reluctant lawyer Andy handling the murder case of one the convicts who takes part in his dog training program at a local prison. Brian Atkins has only 18 months left in his term for fraud. He escapes from prison bringing Boomer with him and then is seen fleeing the home of his former partner who lies murdered inside along with the body of Brian's ex-wife. 

Brian feels guilty for not being able to save his ex-wife and is going to plead guilty even though he didn't commit the murders. Andy convinces him to plead innocent even though it will mean coming out of his self-imposed retirement. 

Andy's investigation into Brian's partner and ex-wife and the tech company they founded leads to crimes by local mobster Dominic Petrone. Everyone in law enforcement would like to get something on Petrone and put him away. Andy finds the way. The only problem is that nothing he finds will help in his current trial or help to prove Brian didn't kill his partner and ex-wife.

I enjoyed this story. Andy has a wonderful, snarky way of telling his own story. I like the variety of side characters including Andy's accountant who'd love to be a PI, his pessimistic partner Huck, and ever inscrutable Marcus. I also enjoy Andy's relationships with his wife Laurie and newly adopted son Ricky. 

I bought this one September 29, 2023. You can buy your copy here.