Dead Neb Don't Play Fetch: An Andy Carpenter Mystery

July 7, 2026

Retirement is, once again, not going well for Andy Carpenter. Just when he would rather be doing almost anything other than practicing law, an old friend pulls him into a case that feels impossible to ignore. This time, the plea for help comes on behalf of a homeless veteran charged with murder, and as always in Andy’s world, there is also a dog in need of care. That combination alone is enough to drag him straight back into trouble.

The case only gets more intriguing from there. The victim is a wealthy, eccentric businessman with a reputation for philanthropy and a particular fondness for dog causes, making the crime feel even stranger from the start. On the surface, the evidence appears overwhelming, which is exactly the kind of setup that makes an Andy Carpenter mystery so much fun: a case that looks simple until you spend more than five minutes with it.

What follows looks poised to deliver the mix Rosenfelt readers expect: sharp humor, a fast-moving investigation, a defendant who may not be what he seems, and an emotional undercurrent built around loyalty, justice, and dogs. Dead Men Don’t Play Fetch sounds like another classic Andy Carpenter outing, with a suspicious death, a tangled mystery, and the kind of canine-centered heart that gives the series its charm.