Book: Dogged Pursuit

Author: David Rosenfelt

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for an advanced audio copy.

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Dogged Pursuit is listed as the 31st book in the Andy Carpenter series, but it’s a prequel. I have read many books in this series, but not all of them. Going back to the beginning was such a breath of fresh air, and it makes this a great starting point for new readers. 

Although this series has numerous entries, each one can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I love to compare each one of these books to an episode of Matlock. Same characters, just a different case. 

As a prequel, I was excited to discover how it all began, and I was not disappointed at all. Seeing a younger Andy and a younger Laurie getting to know each other was a fantastic thing, especially when you already know where they are headed. Besides the dogs, a little more on that shortly, my favorite character is Marcus. My only complaint is that we got virtually no Marcus in this prequel. He had a special role in this book, but my favorite scenes in the other books usually include Marcus. 

Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, also gets her origin story here, and I love the author’s note about it. The gap between when this book takes place and the series proper takes place is too significant for Tara to still be present in the world. This was discussed in a way every dog lover will enjoy. 

Any book you pick up is a great choice and a great entry point in the series. You can’t go wrong, but if you’re a newcomer, a prequel is your best option. But be warned, you will be hooked. 

Final score: 5/5