Over the course of his legal career, Andy Carpenter has lost a few cases. But that doesn't mean he forgets his clients.

Andy has always been convinced that Joey Desimone, a man convicted of murder nine years ago, was innocent and believes that Joey's family's connections to organized crime played a pivotal role in his conviction. While there isn't much Andy can do for him while he serves out his prison sentence, Joey suggests that he check up on Joey's elderly uncle. He'd rather not, but as a favor to Joey, Andy agrees to take his dog, Tara, on a few visits.

The old man's memory is going, but when Andy tries to explain why he's there, it jogs something in the man�s mind, and his comments leave Andy wondering if Uncle Nick is confused, or if he just might hold the key to Joey's freedom after all this time. Andy grabs on to this thread of possibility and follows it into a world where the oath of silence is stronger than blood ties, and where people will do anything to make sure their secrets are kept.

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AUTHOR
David Rosenfelt, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, is a graduate of NYU. He was the former marketing president for Tri-Star Pictures before becoming a writer of novels and screenplays. Open And Shut was his first novel; First Degree, his second novel, was named a best book of 2003 by Publishers Weekly. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife and 35 dogs.

AUTHOR WEBSITE
DavidRosenfelt.com

NARRATOR
Grover Gardner, a Washington, D.C.-based actor, director and audiobook narrator, has been a member of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, as well as Resident Director at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore. Recently, he has been active in educational theater, directing student productions for local universities, and teaching graduate-level courses in acting and voice-over work. He has recorded over 450 audiobooks and was named by AudioFile Magazine as one of "Best Voices of the Century."

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REVIEWS
Audiofile
"In the genre of quick-witted thrillers solved by man-and-dog teams, David Rosenfelt truly is a leader of the pack... Grover Gardner's narration is delightful, adding sparkle to the tongue-in-cheek sarcasm that is Andy Carpenter's hallmark. Gardner portrays the lawyer as somehow both street savvy and naively altruistic. Best of all, if Tara could voice her patient tolerance of human shortcomings, she would sound like Grover Gardner."

Booklist
"A blessed anomaly in crime fiction... Andy is like a gulp of cold water on a steamy day... Rosenfelt peels back the layers of puzzlement ever so skillfully, tantalizing us throughout until, finally, both Andy and the reader are enlightened, simultaneously. A gem."