Book ~ "Dead Men Don't Play Fetch" (2026) David Rosenfelt

From Goodreads ~ It’s defense lawyer Andy Carpenter’s dream to retire. That goal is once again thwarted when he gets a call from Lou, an old friend who he simply cannot refuse, asking for a favor. Lou runs a rehab center, and when one of his patients, a homeless vet, is charged with first degree murder, he needs Andy's help. And of course, Andy will also be called on to care for the accused’s dog, but that’s okay, what's one more dog?

The man that Jason Maddox is accused of stabbing to death is none other than billionaire Paul Vincent, an eccentric businessman and inventor. Bickert dedicated a great portion of his life to philanthropy, with a soft spot for dog-related causes. This led him to befriend Jason, a physicist and war hero, whose life fell apart to the point where he ended up on the streets with his dog, just trying to survive.

But why would Jason possibly have wanted to kill him? Well, for one thing, he was to receive a fortune in Vincent's will. That, coupled with the fact that Jason was at the scene, his fingerprints were on the knife, and Vincent's wallet was in his jacket, made it a slam dunk arrest.

Once again, Andy is enmeshed in a puzzling, twisty case. But in order to reunite a man and his dog, Andy will have to untangle it all.

Andy Carpenter is a criminal defense lawyer who doesn't really want any clients. Thanks to the money his father left him and a few lucrative cases over the years, he can afford to spend most of his time running the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue he founded with his friend Willie. He's happily married to Laurie, they have a teenage son, Ricky, and share their home with three dogs. 

Jason Maddox, a homeless veteran and recovering addict, is accused of killing wealthy businessman, Paul Vincent. The evidence against Jason is overwhelming ... he was found at the scene, his fingerprints are on the weapon and he appears to have a financial motive. Despite this, Jason insists he's innocent and Andy agrees to defend him because he has a dog and as a favour to a friend.

While investigating the case, Andy discovers that things are more complicated than they first appear. With help from his team, he digs into Vincent's background, uncovers secrets and hidden connections, and searches for the real story behind the murder. Andy works to clear his client's name and uncover the truth about who killed Paul Vincent and why so he can be reunited with his dog, Hope, who is being taken care of by Willie.

This is the 33rd book in the Andy Carpenter series. I've read them all and I'm still enjoying them. While there are references to previous books, this one works well as a standalone so new readers can jump right in without feeling lost. The story is told primarily from Andy's first-person perspective and his observations are funny, sarcastic and amusing. 

I like Andy. He seems like he'd be a lot of fun to spend time with, and he's generous with both his time and his money. He never charges clients for his services and always picks up the tab for his friends at his favourite restaurant, even when he's not there. Andy is the first to admit that he's a wimp, which is why he relies on the K-Team ... Laurie, a former police officer turned investigator, handles much of the legwork, Marcus has his own unique way of dealing with bad guys, Cory, another former police officer, rounds out the team along with his former police dog, Simon Garfunkel and Sam, Andy's accountant and computer hacker, who is always eager to get involved in the action whenever he can.