Dog Tags

Series fans and newcomers alike will welcome Rosenfelt's eighth comic legal thriller to feature Paterson, N.J., defense lawyer Andy Carpenter (after New Tricks). Billy Zimmerman, an ex-cop and Iraq war vet who lost a leg to a suicide bomber, has used Milo, a German shepherd and a former police dog, as his partner in snatch and run crimes. When a snatch that goes badly awry results in a murder charge for Billy and impoundment for Milo, Andy takes on Milo as a client. Andy, whose courtroom antics always delight, makes his bid for Milo's freedom before formidable Judge Horace Catchings. Billy's case presents greater challenges, with tendrils reaching back to Iraq and involving payoffs, hit men, and even a possible national security threat. Oddball regular characters, like Willie Miller, who tries his hand at detecting, and Marcus Clark, "the most-menacing-looking human being" Carpenter has ever seen, add to the fun. (Aug.)