Bury the Lead

When old friend and newspaper editor Vince Sanders calls Andy to help him protect one of his reporters who has been the only contact with a serial killer, Andy is reluctant but friendship wins out.

Daniel Cumming is being used as a mouthpiece for a man who is killing random women and cutting off their hands. But when Daniel is found on the scene of the death of the latest victim who happens to be in the run for governor of New Jersey, he ends up arrested for the murders.

Andy isn't necessarily convinced of his new client's innocence and his conviction is shaken even more when he learns that Daniel's wife was also murdered leaving him a very rich man. When he learns that Daniel is Vince's son - the result of a long-ago one-night stand, show more Andy feels that he has no choice but to help him even though the evidence against him seems overwhelming.

But as Andy, Laurie and Marcus look into the cases, they begin to believe that Daniel is the victim of a very nicely done frame. A former client of Andy's now in prison overhears something that sheds light on Andy's case but is killed before he can share what he knows.

Marcus tracks down another former prisoner who points the finger at a serial killer who is known to frame someone innocent for crimes he commits. But proving anything isn't easy even when Andy calls on a local crime boss for help.

This was a twisty mystery filled with Andy's usual snark. It is the episode where Andy's partner is the dog rescue Willy meets and marries his love. And where Andy and Laurie are living together with Andy hoping for marriage and Laurie not seeming interested in it. I really enjoy Andy's interactions with his dog Tara. show less

4.5 stars

This was a twisty one, although I guessed right about one piece of it (yay me!)
I really enjoy this series. I love Andy’s voice (especially as portrayed by the audiobook reader Grover Gardner), and the more I get to know the rest of the supporting characters, the more I like them. The courtroom scenes are always fun, the narration is often humorous, and I love how much of a dog lover Andy is. I don’t care that much about the sports and gambling references, but they only pop up long enough for a spot of characterization—not enough for me to start getting bored and cranky.
Entertaining and fairly short mysteries—I highly recommend them on audio.

This is kind of a lightweight mystery. Not a thriller, not a cozy. Somewhere in the middle and a good read. Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who got very rich lawyering. He uses his money to start things like animal shelters. But he got his money because he's good at what he does so when his buddy, Vince, the newspaper publisher asks him to represent his reporter who's accused of the very serial murders he's been covering, Andy can't say no. It's good. Read it.

Third in the Andy Carpenter, defense lawyer in New Jersey series. When a serial killer begins calling a local newspaper reporter with details of the killings, the city is in thrall watching the story unfold. When the reporter is found at the scene of the fourth victim with a head injury, the apparent victim of the killer, things get tense. When it’s learned that the murdered woman is a high-powered political watchdog, and some of the reporter’s statements don’t ring true, he’s suddenly arrested for her murder, and Andy’s on board as his defense attorney. I really like this series! The book is well-plotted with plenty of twists, turns and red herrings, although I have to admit I had one of those “that’s the bad guy!” show more moments when the person in question was introduced, I had no idea how or why the killings were done, and I doubted my gut feeling a few times along the way. You gotta read to the end of these books, that’s for sure! Well done. show less

This has become one of my favorite series. It has a good mix of mystery and humor, where the humor seems to fit in better than some other similar books, and it's not usually silly, show-off humor that distracts from the story, but just makes everything more fun and interesting. Some of his jokes are really good, and delivery is natural so they almost aren't noticed if you don't pay attention - the best kind, I think.

I thought the story was very interesting and complex. I'm overjoyed that there are close to 20 more books in the series.

A mad romp of a fast and fun read.

Andy Carpenter, high profile attourney with a long string of acquittals to his credit and inherited millions in his bank account takes on a case for an old friend. A case that he wishes he hadn't taken. The client is a newspaper writer who is currently the mouthpiece for a serial killer. When the client is found near the latest victim and is charged with the crime it looks like Andy's string of acquittals has reached its end.

With the help of a cast of characters and his dog, Andy cracks wise while trying to put together what few clues he can find to discover if his client is guilty or innocent.

When Andy is asked by his friend, a newspaper owner, to protect the paper and his star reporter, Andy has no idea where this will lead. The reporter is being contacted by a serial killer, to act as a liaison between the killer and the police. But when it appears to the police that the reporter knows too much and is lying, Andy suddenly finds himself the defense lawyer for the reporter. Many twists in this story keeps the reader turning pages as Andy puzzles out the deeply buried truths. Great characters in a great plot make for a wonderful read.