Book Review: The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter #15)

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars.  Andy Carpenter is a defense attorney in Paterson, New Jersey.  His client is Martha Boyer, also known as "Pups" because of all the dogs she has fostered over the years.  The 12 dogs she is currently taking care of vastly exceeds the local zoning law for number of pets, and Andy is representing her in court.  There is a drastic turn of events when the complainant ends up dead, and Andy has to defend Pups of murder.

The story takes place around Christmas, and there are twelve dogs as the title indicates.  However, the core of the novel is the mystery, the cast of characters, and the courtroom drama.  I would refer to this book as a cozy which is what we want for a good Christmas mystery.  This is the first book in the Andy Carpenter series that I have read.  Typically I don't start reading in the middle of a series, but this was a book club selection.  I loved Andy's first person narration of the story, along with his wit and humor, and will probably read more by this author.  

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Book Review: Boat Baby: A Memoir by Vicky Nguyen

Boat Baby: A Memoir by Vicky Nguyen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vicky Nguyen is an NBC correspondent who I watch frequently on the Today Show.  I wasn't familiar with her backstory - she and her parents left Vietnam when she was just 8 months ago, taking a boat to China and waiting months at a refugee camp before they could make it to the United States with someone sponsoring them.  She tells the story of her childhood, teenage years, college and first jobs with humor and insight.  Her parents are remarkably hard working individuals, starting many different businesses.  She is the typical immigrant daughter - helping her parents navigate the language, customs and expectations presented by their new life in a new country.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and she brings humor and honesty to her story.  Highly recommended.

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Book Review: The Likeness by Tana French (Dublin Murder Squad #2)

The Likeness by Tana French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cassie Maddox is former undercover detective with the Dublin Murder Squad, currently working with the Domestic Violence Squad. She is called back to help investigate the murder of a young woman who apparently has assumed Cassie’s undercover name and identify (Lexie Madison), and who also is an identical twin for Cassie. Cassie goes undercover once again, pretending to be Lexie. Over the course of three weeks, she lives at the house and spends all her time with her fellow housemates, trying to figure out who murdered Lexie.

Set in Dublin and the surrounding area, we meet Lexie’s four roommates – Daniel, Justin, Rafe and Abby – who are all students at Trinity University and are very close with similar interests. They live in a huge mansion which Daniel inherited from an uncle, located about an hour outside of Dublin. The house itself almost seems like another character; they spend all their time outside of college in the house – listening to music, cooking, fixing up the house, etc.

Tana French’s writing is a fantastic fusion of literary fiction and mystery / police procedurals. Her character development and descriptions are simply superb. The book gives us an in-depth understanding of what it means to be an undercover detective. I originally read this book in 2019 and just re-read it for a mystery book club discussion. I enjoyed it even more with the second reading. I have read the entire Dublin Murder Squad series and was sad to see it come to an end. However, I have enjoyed French’s other novels as well and am looking forward to the third book in the Cal Hooper trilogy, The Keeper, which is scheduled to be published in March 2026.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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