A new (to me) series featuring a dog named Simon Garfunkel as a member of a 4-person detective team?! Yes please! The main character is Simon's bestie, a recently retired police officer who has started freelancing with Simon and two others (humans, both). The details of the case kept me guessing, and the pacing is fast with twists that kept coming. The author rotates point of view to include multiple minor characters, which added to the suspense. I like the audio, which is available on hoopla, and I will definitely be continuing with this series! (This is a spin-off of the Andy Carpenter series. Andy is a minor character here but it is not necessary to read the Andy series first).

This spinoff series opener features ex-cops, including a retired canine officer, starting a private detective team. Read my full review here. ( )

This story is a spin-off of the Andy Carpenter mysteries. It stars Corey Douglas, a retired cop, and his also retired K-9 partner Simon Garfunkel along with Laurie Carpenter and Marcus Clark. Andy makes a few appearances in this story too.

They have formed an investigations agency. They work with Andy when he has a case but, since Andy doesn't want to take cases if he can avoid them, they need more work. They are hired by Judge Henry "Hatchet" Henderson because someone is trying to blackmail him.

All of them have been in court with Henderson and all of them find him to be a hard-ass but fair judge. Since his reputation would be on the line if any blackmail attempt becomes public, Henderson wants the K Team to find out who is trying to blackmail him.

Since one of the items that are being used for blackmail is a substantial bank account in the Cayman Islands in Henderson's name which he knows nothing about, the team uses the date the account started as a place to start investigating. They begin looking at cases the judge was involved with then and what might be coming up in the near future.

The audience is given a clue in the first chapter of the story which case is relevant but the Team doesn't have our foreknowledge and need to look at a number of cases. One has them investigating a double homicide by the local gang's leader's brother which causes some sidetracking.

While a good part of the story is told from Corey's viewpoint, the plot is moved along by other viewpoints including a couple of hired killers. The plot was nicely twisty with lots of threads and lots of surprises. I liked the way the clues were slowly revealed to the K Team.

I like the typical Rosenfelt humor with snarky and sarcastic viewpoint characters. Corey takes after Andy in this way. I also liked that a number of recurring characters from the Andy Carpenter mystery have roles in this one like Marcus Clark and accountant and badass wannabe Sam Willis. I liked that Simon Garfunkel has a small role in this one. It is clear that he is Corey's best friend and, as he says, "the best cop (he) ever worked with."

Fans of the Andy Carpenter mysteries will also enjoy this new series. ( )

A fun spin off with familiar characters. A must read if you are following Andy Carpenter series - major character development. I don't think it is as good/funny despite Andy constant appearance. ( )

This spinoff from the Andy Carpenter series is off to a great start. A judge is being blackmailed, and hires the K Team to investigate. Heading it up is Corey Douglas, retired cop, along with Simon Garfunkel, his K-9 partner. Laurie and Marcus round out the team, with occasional input by Andy. It’s a fast-paced tale, with blackmail, murder, conspiracy, attempted murder, and did I mention murder? It has it all, including the dry humor that’s become the hallmark of the Andy Carpenter series. Corey appears to have as quirky a nature as Andy, but in a skewed way. And Simon steals the show as the hero dog he is. Keep writing, Mr. Rosenfelt, just as quick as you can! Readers want more of both these fine series. ( )