Bury The Lead

Rating:
Summary: Lightweight Entertainment
Review: David Rosenfelt is an easy author to like. His prose is light, casual, and witty, neither pretentious nor self-important. Kind of like Rosenfelt's defense lawyer-hero, Andy Carpenter, who stars again in "Bury the Lead". Andy is back with the usual cast of supporting characters: girlfriend/PI Laurie Collins, "Law-dromat" owner and hypochondriac Kevin Randall, and of course Tara, the golden retriever. "Bury" is again set in the northern New Jersey suburbs that Rosenfelt knows so well ("The Giants and the Jets play football in Jersey, yet they deny its existence, referring to themselves as 'New York'"). Daniel Cummings, a high profile reporter with some baggage, is chosen by a fiendish serial killer as a conduit to the police, but soon finds himself as the number one suspect. Carpenter and team are initially reluctant, but eventually are convinced of his innocence and take on Cummings' defense. What follows is a relatively lightweight plot that, just when starting to stretch and fray around the edges, moves along quickly enough satisfy all but the most critical cases of A.D.D. There are a couple of twists to hold mild interest, but not so much as to make this a novel you'll remember three months from now. But Rosenfelt's likeable cast and breezy pace more than compensate any weaknesses in the action, and a surprisingly light tone, despite the rather gruesome subject matter, is a refreshing twist in itself.

I suspect that the first-time Rosenfeld reader may find "Bury the Lead" somewhat more enjoyable than will the Rosenfelt veteran, as the Andy-Laurie-Tara act begins to wear a bit thin on this the third installment. Nonetheless, "Bury the Lead" is a credible and entertaining effort, well worth the time. One word of caution: at 272 pages of large print, this is a short read - don't plan on using it for filler on too long a flight.

Rating:
Summary: Mr. Rosenfelt has done it again!
Review: I have read all of Mr. Rosenfelt's books and I must say he has become one of my favorite authors. I was in the process of moving when this book came out, so I had to wait to read it, and it was well worth the wait. I thought I had the story figured out, a couple of times, but I was wrong both times. I also must say, I spend a lot of time laughing out loud when I read Mr. Rosenfelt's books. So pick this up, read and enjoy. I look forward to the next one.

Rating:
Summary: Another Great Fun Read from David Rosenfelt!
Review: Read David's first two books and couldn't wait for this one! Just finished it last night, and am happy to say it's another winner from this fun writer. I really enjoy his witty style of writing & dialogue, and can't read thru the pages fast enough to get to the next plot twists & turns. I highly recommend the book - it's the perfect poolside/beachside read...or for the long flight to wherever you're going. Bonus - you'll probably find yourself trying to "song-talk" too!

Rating:
Summary: exciting legal thriller
Review: The women in North Jersey are panicking because a serial killer is on the loose, a sociopath who strangles women from behind with a scarf and then cuts off their heads. His victims have been an elderly grandmother, a prostitute and a businesswoman. A reporter on Patterson's local newspaper Daniel Cumming is the only person who the killer communicates with and he has become a part of the story as much as he reports it.

Daniel's editor, Vince Sanders, is overjoyed because the circulation of the paper is rising at a fantastic rate but something is bothering him so he calls lawyer Andy Carpenter to represent the paper and Daniel. When the killer informs Daniel where to find the next victim, he races to the area but he gets hit on the head and loses consciousness. When he awakens the police treat him like a suspect and after they find two hands and scarves with blood on it, they arrest Daniel. Vince begs Andy to represent his reporter and he acquiesces even though he isn't sure Daniel is innocent.

There are many surprising twists in this exciting legal thriller which the author handles with panache and a sense of stark realism. The characters are off beat originals especially the protagonist who has inherited $22 million dollars yet his idea of a good time is spending a day watching football, playing with his dog and having fun with his significant other. He is a high profile lawyer who usually wins cases but this one means calling in favors. The ending is a surprise that readers will think about for a long time.

Harriet Klausner