Book ~ "Bark Humbug" (2026) David Rosenfelt

From Goodreads ~ This time Andy is serious about retiring. Besides he can't hear the sound of his phone ringing over the football game. But when the local newspaper asks him to participate in their Christmas spread of local celebrities and their dogs, he pauses the game and brings Tara along for the ride.

When the photographer comes to take pictures of him and the dogs, he instead opens the door to Sharon Lowery, who devised the newspaper story just to get Andy's attention and beg him for help. Her brother, Jon, is wanted for murder and is on the run. However, if Andy agrees to hear Jon out, he'll turn himself in with the hope that Andy will represent him and reunite him with his dog.

It's a dangerous situation and between the media circus surrounding the murder and Jon's volatile position, Andy knows that when Jon is found, someone could get hurt. But Andy respects Sharon's dedication to her brother and in an effort to keep Jon - and the public - safe, Andy agrees to talk to Jon. Andy decides to help Jon and slowly uncovers a web of conspiracies. Determined to keep Jon out of jail, Andy gathers the crew to investigate.

Andy is a defense attorney who has been trying to retire so he can spend more time with his family, his dogs and the Tara Foundation. His plans change when Sharon Lowery approaches him for help. Her brother, Jon, is wanted for the murders of Paterson Mayor Craig Henley and Steven Tiller, a wealthy political donor. Jon is a former Marine and trained sniper, making him a convincing suspect. He had publicly confronted Henley and made angry statements about him. Evidence also appears to place Jon near the crime scene. Jon insists he is innocent and agrees to surrender if Andy will represent him.

Andy takes the case and begins investigating the evidence against Jon. With help from his team, he looks into the victims, their political connections and the people around them. As the investigation continues, Andy discovers that the murders are connected to corruption, hidden dealings and a larger criminal operation. The more Andy uncovers, the less straightforward the case becomes. Several people have reasons to hide the truth and Andy must determine how the murders were connected and who was actually responsible. 

This is the 34th 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, Andy's wife and 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.