One Dog Night

In Rosenfelt's winning ninth Andy Carpenter legal thriller (after Dog Tags), Paterson, N.J.'s most reluctant defense attorney agrees to defend recovering drug addict Noah Galloway, who's been arrested for setting a fire six years earlier that killed 26 people. Andy and Noah have two important connections: Noah tried to break into Andy's house about a year before the arson incident, and Noah was the original owner of Tara, Andy's beloved golden retriever. Though Noah remembers nothing about the fire, he tells Andy he's guilty. With Noah resigned to a life behind bars without parole, Andy does his usual sterling%E2%80%94and amusing%E2%80%94performance in the courtroom to stall for time. The colorful supporting cast provides some unusual assists: incurable pessimist Hike Lynch starts to look on the bright side; semiliterate Willie Miller decides to write a book; accountant and computer expert Sam Willis becomes a gun-packing field agent for Andy. The zany plot, despite its improbabilities, will keep readers turning the pages. (July)