AND TO ALL A GOOD BITE, the 32nd Andy Carpenter mystery, strikes again with classic suspense, violence and David Rosenfelt's trademark humor. The attorney’s first-person narrative is typically and hilariously on display on virtually every page --- even when violence is involved --- and the dialogue is consistently funny, all of which leads to as enjoyable a mystery novel as you are likely to find. Anywhere.

Although the shape and style of each book is similar to the others, each one features some subtle differences. The first chapter, for example, almost always includes a homicide, and the person who is accused of committing it almost always becomes Andy's client even though he hates the pressure and stress that each murder trial causes. However, this one is slightly different.

A young man named Jeff Wheeler is on his way to pick up his girlfriend, but when he reaches his destination --- her workplace --- he is shaken by a huge explosion and fire. It has hit the building he was about to enter. He tries to climb the stairs to get to her but is stopped dead in his tracks by the choking fire. She's gone. But on the stairs, he sees a beautiful puppy in a cage, and he saves the animal. The rescue makes him something of a hero. For a while.

"Every Andy Carpenter mystery is a quick, witty and extraordinarily entertaining read. AND TO ALL A GOOD BITE absolutely conveys all of those wonderful qualities."

As the story progresses, Wheeler becomes convinced that the fire was set by the building's owner, a respected businessman/fine-art collector named Stanley Franklin. Franklin recently had announced that he is the fortunate discoverer (and now owner) of a treasure trove of paintings that had been stolen by the Nazis during World War ll, all of which are products of some of the greatest artists who ever lived. His plan is to auction them as a full set, with a starting price of $150 million. Of course, only the richest people in the world will be eligible for the auction.

But only a year after the fire, Wheeler has become a very angry young man. The love of his life has been taken from him, and he believes the perpetrator is about to become one of the super-wealthy world elites. Wheeler can't accept that ugly reality. He has spread the word about his feelings regarding Franklin's evil and makes the tragic mistake of verbally attacking him in a restaurant with plenty of witnesses. Soon after this incident, Franklin is murdered in his own home, and Wheeler is arrested.

Andy briefly had met Wheeler after the young man rescued the dog, and the two had liked each other very much. Now Wheeler wants Andy to represent him. How could dog-lover Andy turn down the request of a man who had risked his own life to save a puppy? So he takes the case, and as usual in this series, the evidence piles up against his client. Andy faces the almost impossible job of persuading a jury that his man is innocent. Everyone except for a couple of Wheeler's close friends is convinced of his guilt.

But Andy and his eccentric team go to work on the case. They include his wife, Laurie, a former cop; his accountant, Sam, an expert computer hacker; another investigator, Marcus, a nearly invincible physical specimen who acts as Andy's bodyguard; and two more investigators --- Corey, also a former cop, and Corey's ex-police dog companion, Simon Garfunkel, whose name I must mention in all of these reviews because it makes me laugh every time I see it.

Along the way, we meet several potential perpetrators, all of whom demonstrate sufficient motives for the crime; Andy's friends, who always depend on him to pay for their meals at their favorite restaurant; other folks who may be able to provide Andy's team with important clues; and, of course, several filthy criminals who may have framed Wheeler and are violent enough to murder or attempt to murder anyone who might be able to implicate any of them in their nefarious activities --- including Andy himself.

Andy begins his defense of Wheeler at the trial realizing that job number one may be to disprove the prosecutor's pieces of damning evidence: Wheeler's threats toward and hatred of Franklin, plus evidence found in a trash can near Wheeler's home --- a plastic bag containing papers with Wheeler's handwriting and fingerprints --- and the gun that was used to kill Franklin. Andy eventually will counter those points with common-sense arguments that may convince the jury to conclude that they do not have enough evidence to convict.

Andy displays his advanced degree in pre-verdict nervousness. He believes he has made a good case for his client, but he's all too aware that he can't talk about who started the fire and what relationship the explosion may have to the murder. And even if he could prove that Franklin himself was responsible, that would not prove Wheeler's innocence. Murder is murder even if the victim is a bad guy.

David Rosenfelt undoubtedly possesses a unique talent. He presents a novel featuring suspense and a whole lot of blood and gore while at the same time offering the reader the opportunity to experience a breezy, light piece of real fun and enjoyment. Every Andy Carpenter mystery is a quick, witty and extraordinarily entertaining read. AND TO ALL A GOOD BITE absolutely conveys all of those wonderful qualities.