RATING: 4.75

Whoopee! Andy's back! I love this series featuring Andy Carpenter, wiseass defense attorney from northern New Jersey. And BURY THE LEAD, third in the series, does not disappoint.

Andy lives a relatively quiet life. He inherited $22 million, but it hasn't gone to his head. He's used some of the money to set up a dog rescue foundation, together with Willie Miller, a former client who received a substantial judgment. So when Andy decides to do legal work, it's because he wants to, not because he has to. When an old editor friend calls and asks him to represent his star reporter, Andy isn't really interested at first. But it turns out that the reporter, Daniel Cummings, has been selected by a serial killer to be his mouthpiece. And somehow, he's made it look like the latest killing was the act of Cummings. The fact that Daniel had insider knowledge of a group of killings based on information fed to him by a purported murdered begins to be viewed with skepticism. Wasn't it possible that he was the actual perpetrator, using the "serial killer speaking to me" as a cover?

Andy isn't too crazy about Cummings as a person, but he does admire his reporting ability. Then again, an attorney doesn't have to be in love with his client in order to do a good job defending him. What Andy needs to do is determine who other than Daniel could be responsible for the killings, with the signature of the murderer being that he cuts off the victims' hands. The situation begins to look really bad when information comes in that Cummings may have been responsible for having his wife murdered several years earlier.

Andy Carpenter is a character that I love to spend time with. The dialogue in the book crackles; and Andy's deadpan humor makes me laugh out loud. The humor flows naturally out of the situation and is never forced. The other element of this series that I enjoy is how creative Andy is in the courtroom. He has a unique way of looking at things and is innovative in his approaches. It's very satisfying to see him trip up prosecution witnesses with the questions that he asks. The only weak area of these books for me is Andy's relationship with Laurie Collins. He's head over heels in love with her, and at times, their interactions just don't come across as plausible.

Rosenfelt is rapidly becoming a favorite author for me based on the 3 books in the Andy Carpenter series. He is contracted with his current publisher for a total of 6 Carpenter books, which makes a fan like me very happy. Most legal mystery books are heavy and dramatic; this series is light but provides courtroom scenes that are even more riveting than usual because of the personality and approach of the protagonist. Make the acquaintance of Andy Carpenter soon—you won't regret it.