Dog Tags

A German Shepherd police dog witnesses a murder and if his owner--an Iraq war vet and former cop-turned-thief--is convicted of the crime, the dog could be put down. Few rival Andy Carpenter's affection for dogs, and he decides to represent the poor canine. As Andy struggles to convince a judge that this dog should be set free, he discovers that the dog and his owner have become involved unwittingly in a case of much greater proportions than the one they've been charged with. Andy will have to call upon the unique abilities of this ex-police dog to help solve the crime and prevent a catastrophic event from taking place. From Publishers Weekly Series fans and newcomers alike will welcome Rosenfelt's eighth comic legal thriller to feature Paterson, N.J., defense lawyer Andy Carpenter (after New Tricks). Billy Zimmerman, an ex-cop and Iraq war vet who lost a leg to a suicide bomber, has used Milo, a German shepherd and a former police dog, as his partner in snatch and run crimes. When a snatch that goes badly awry results in a murder charge for Billy and impoundment for Milo, Andy takes on Milo as a client. Andy, whose courtroom antics always delight, makes his bid for Milo's freedom before formidable Judge Horace Catchings. Billy's case presents greater challenges, with tendrils reaching back to Iraq and involving payoffs, hit men, and even a possible national security threat. Oddball regular characters, like Willie Miller, who tries his hand at detecting, and Marcus Clark, "the most-menacing-looking human being" Carpenter has ever seen, add to the fun.