Bury the Lead

I’ll admit, I approached *Bury the Lead* with skepticism. Another Andy Carpenter novel? Another missing person case in New Jersey? But Rosenfelt—bless him—writes with such confidence that I was hooked within the first chapter. Carpenter isn’t your typical noble lawyer; he’s a guy who reluctantly takes on cases because he’s bored, and his disdain for the legal system’s hypocrisies is the book’s best asset. The mystery itself is well-constructed, with enough red herrings to keep you guessing but not so many that the solution feels like a magic trick. The real star, though, is the setting: New Jersey isn’t just a backdrop here—it’s a character, with its decaying infrastructure, corrupt power brokers, and the kind of quiet desperation that makes you glad you don’t live there. My only quibble? The final act feels slightly rushed, as if Rosenfelt was racing to tie up loose ends, but it’s a minor complaint in a book that otherwise balances tension and humor effortlessly. Gardner’s narration is a masterclass in how to make a first-person protagonist feel *real*. His Carpenter isn’t a caricature of a wise-cracking lawyer; he’s a guy who’s seen too much and is just tired enough to be entertaining without sliding into burnout. The supporting cast is where Gardner shines brightest—his portrayal of a local cop with a drinking problem is so nuanced it’s almost uncomfortable, and the voice he gives Carpenter’s long-suffering assistant, Wanda, is pitch-perfect. The audio quality is top-notch, with no noticeable distortion or pacing issues, though I did wish the audiobook included a PDF of the newspaper articles referenced in the story—it’s hard to fully visualize the investigative threads without them. If you’re a fan of legal thrillers with a side of dark comedy, this is one to add to your queue. Just don’t listen to it late at night unless you’re okay with losing sleep.