Dead Center (Andy Carpenter Book 5)

After Laurie Collins left him and headed west, New Jersey defense attorney Andy Carpenter didn't expect to ever see her again. So he's shocked when his ex-girlfriend appears on TV--and then calls him pleading for his help. Two coeds in Wisconsin have been found brutally stabbed to death. As the town's acting police chief, Laurie had to arrest a young college student with a carful of bloodstains who argued with one of the victims just before her death. Yet Laurie strongly believes that the suspect, Jeremy Davidson, is innocent. Trading the refineries and factories of Paterson for the frozen pastures of Findlay, Wisconsin, Andy soon finds himself in a small town handling a big-time double homicide case. He looks into Jeremy's romance with one of the victims--and the possible involvement of a bizarre religious cult--one that may sanction the most unholy, and vicious, of acts. While Andy tries to save Jeremy, make sense of his love life, and find a decent pizza for his beloved dog, Tara, the secrets of an ultra-religious community begin to rain down on him like bricks from a cracked fortress. But as Edgar-nominated Rosenfelt proves to us once again, the path to the truth is littered with lies and misdirection. And before it's all over, the unexpected is the only thing Andy can count on. From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. If there aren't any real-life lawyers as entertaining, as witty and as willing to tilt at windmills as Andy Carpenter, Edgar-finalist Rosenfelt's engaging series hero, then there should be. In Andy's fifth outing (after 2005's Sudden Death ), the Paterson, N.J., lawyer, whose wealth allows him to work as seldom as he chooses, is recovering from the loss of the love of his life, Laurie Collins, who has moved home to Findlay, Wis., to become the acting chief of police. When Laurie calls Andy for help after arresting 21-year-old Jeremy Davidson for murders that she thinks he didn't commit, Andy can't resist heading off to Findlay with his faithful dog, Tara. There's damning evidence against Jeremy, accused of killing two young women, one of whom he was romantically involved with. Andy is forced to pry into the closed society of Center City, home of the victims and a peculiar religious sect called the Centurions. Written with flair and humor, this is perfect light reading. (May) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist New Jersey defense lawyer Andy Carpenter returns for a fifth outing. When his former lover, Laurie, a police detective who has moved home to Wisconsin, calls to tell him she may have arrested an innocent man for murder, Andy packs his bags and sets off for the Midwest to lend a hand. He quickly finds himself going up against a very shady religious group, but it's his feelings for Laurie that cause him the most distress. As usual, Rosenfelt adroitly mixes drama with humor (the latter, mostly the product of Andy's outspoken, I-don't-give-a-damn personality). With this series, it's the storytelling, more than the stories, that keeps things moving. Andy, who became independently wealthy at the beginning of the series, takes only cases that have some emotional or intellectual appeal. Rosenfelt uses this premise to good advantage. Where most legal-thriller authors explore the crime, Rosenfelt spends more time on the context and on the man investigating the crime. Those who like the added complexity of character-driven mysteries will find much to enjoy in this award-winning series. David Pitt Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved ϡ쯦랠 Edgar Award finalist and author of Bury the Lead , a Today Show Book Club pick, returns with a tale of murder and deadly secrets in an ultra-secretive religious community. DEAD CENTER finds Andy Carpenter reentering the dating scene with comic results. He is surprised at what a hot ticket he seems to be, and this proves to be a mixed blessing at best. His friends are all too eager to provide advice and guidance, but of course they know just as little about the dating world as Andy. Whether the woman he is dating at the moment is terrific or far from it, the spectra of Laurie always hangs over his head. He has strong feelings of bitterness towards her for leaving, but she is, after all, the love of his life. He has had no contact with her at all, and can only assume she is back in Findlay, serving in the number two job on the local police force. Then one day he returns to the office to find Laurie waiting for him. Laurie has arrested a young man for murder and, though the evidence clearly called for his arrest, she believes he is innocent. The accused is the son of Laurie's oldest friend and she believes Andy is the best person to represent him. Andy follows Laurie back to Wisconsin where he must explore a secretive religious community that seems to hold the truth about what really happened to the deceased. After Laurie Collins left him and headed west, New Jersey defense attorney Andy Carpenter didn't expect to ever see her again. So he's shocked when his ex-girlfriend appears on TV -- and then calls him pleading for his help. Two co-eds in Wisconsin have been found brutally stabbed to death. As the town's acting police chief, Laurie had to arrest a young college student with a carful of bloodstains who argued with one of the victims just before her death. Yet Laurie strongly believes that the suspect, Jeremy Davidson, is innocent