Two reviews of audiobooks; short and sweet, that will hopefully pique your interest. (Links on individual covers are to Amazon.)
Quite the opposite of genres, one an easy fast read and the other a serious topical and unique storyline with several familiar characters from one of your favorite TV series.
Dead Men Don’t Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Grover Gardner
I try not to miss any of the Andy Carpenter Mystery series since discovering them in 2016. The last I read turned out to be a prequel to the series he called Dogged Pursuit. Andy is a wise-cracking but extremely sharp defense attorney who has been trying to retire for years but keeps getting cases of the wrongly accused. Carpenter’s side hustle is a dog shelter and in this case, it’s the dog of the newly gained defendant that goes to his rescue.
The Andy Carpenter series seems to begin on a simple whodunnit (we already know he must be innocent), but usually escalates into a complex and many layered plot.
The attorney has surrounded himself with a cadre of experts in the field from ex-cops (one being his wife) to a man who does the “heavy” work as well as a computer hacker (not always white hat) who wants to do more than hack. (He envisions himself a dark detective.) Love the support characters—they are always fun.
Still, I think it’s the courtroom scenes I might enjoy second only to the inclusion of the canines. It’s a song and dance that must come off perfectly if he’s going to win.
If you enjoy cozy animal mysteries, legal thrillers, and a sarcastic sense of humor, this might be your next read. These are fun, fast books—and certainly addicting. Released in July, it’s in your library. For the best experience (you’ve heard that one before but this time it’s accurate), don’t miss the audiobook narrated by Grover Gardner. Just the best! Totally recommended.
Shadow of the Solstice: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel by Anne Hillerman
Publisher: Harper
Narrator: Jessica Matten
Leaphorn & Chee #28
The series originally created by Tony Hillderman continues with the Navajo Nation police notified of a visit to Shiprock by the US Cabinet Secretary. At the same time, they are facing a resumption of uranium mining along the border where a body is found near a radioactive uranium waste dump site.
If that isn’t enough, there are indigenous people disappearing during their quest for help and a group shows up claiming to be peaceful but may have more sinister plans than meditation.
I must admit that I requested this book on the basis of the Leaphorn character noted in the title. I loved the Dark Winds series, originally created for TV by Graham Roland, from novels written by Tony Hillderman. My favorite character in the series is Joe Leaphorn, well played by Zahn McClarnon. In this episode of the series, Leaphorn has retired and presents only cameo appearances.
The book dives into complexity by tackling several current topical issues including poverty, addiction, and education. I was appalled that people could take advantage of the government effort to offer recovery services for addicted indigenous. Several topics had me in disbelief, not that it couldn’t happen but that it was.
The book is generally classified as a western noir thriller or crime drama. It is dark, authentic, disturbing, and atmospheric. A drama that captures the essence of Native American life as they navigate living in a capsule that challenges their spiritual beliefs.
It’s excellent and highly recommended.
Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these audiobooks. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
©2026 V Williams
