In my never-ending search for the lightest possible entertainment in reading, I have discovered an author that is new to me. His name is David Rosenfelt and he is the former marketing director of Tri-Star Pictures before becoming an author of novels and screen plays.
Rosenfelt has written five books about a lawyer named Andy Carpenter who lives outside of NYC in Patterson, NJ. Andy’s father was a district attorney of record and Andy grew up an only child in a very middle class life.
His first case and events surrounding that case, defending a man found guilty of murder and on death row, set up a whole cast of characters and circumstances that flow into his other four books.
I have thus far read: OPEN AND SHUT, FIRST DEGREE, and PLAY DEAD.
What makes this set of lawyer novels different than any other set? Rosenfelt has a wonderful sense of humor. His attorney’s voice is full of satire. His descriptive passages are sometimes almost poetic, as when he described his childhood trips to baseball games with Mr. Carpenter, Sr.
I am an animal lover. Mr. Rosenfelt has mirrored his own life with his character’s charitable work rescuing dogs, golden retrievers in particular. The Tara Foundation, in actuality has rescued over four thousand dogs. Mr. Carpenter’s favorite character is Andy’s golden retriever, Tara – a rescue from an animal shelter.
BURY THE LEAD, a book I have yet to read, was a Today Show Book Club pick, but ironically I heard about the first book I read, PLAY DEAD, from a regular caller on the sports radio show, “Finebaum.”
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathy Albers
