Unleashed, David Rosenfelt's 11th mystery featuring defense attorney Andy Carpenter, opens with a prologue that takes place very far away from Andy's native New Jersey, indicating this installment deals with more global concerns. The story then moves closer to familiar ground: Paterson, N.J., where Sam, Andy's accountant, hits a dog while on his way to see Barry Price, a hedge fund owner who had offered to take Sam up in his private plane. The accident--the dog survives but is seriously injured--makes Sam late for his appointment, so Barry goes up alone. His plane crashes, and Barry's wife, Denise, is charged with his murder.
Because Denise was Sam's high school sweetheart and they've remained friends, Sam asks Andy to defend her. Mid-trial, the case takes a shocking, personal twist, and Andy is drawn into a deadly conspiracy that would make 9/11 look like a terrorist practice run.
As usual, Rosenfelt is adept at combining humor with very serious crimes. The body count is high, but Andy can induce chuckles with his anti-work philosophy, his courtroom quips and observations about his staff, including Hike, the support attorney with a penchant for depressing conversation, and Edna, the assistant who never assists in anything. And of course, there's a new dog character, Crash, who's even less interested than Andy and Edna in expending any energy at all.
The villainous plot Andy must prevent from being Unleashed, though, is no laughing matter. Andy is forced to do things he's never done, and readers might feel a little discomfort, too, because, in light of real-life world events, the conspiracy is all too plausible. --Elyse Dinh-McCrilllis, freelance writer/editor, blogging at Pop Culture Nerd