Rosenfelt's twenty-sixth Andy Carpenter novel, starring the dog-loving, work-hating, stinking-rich retired lawyer from New Jersey, follows what has become a familiar pattern: a violent opening, then a lengthy account of Andy's lucky life. He tends his animal shelter, which has received a Christmastime litter of noisy puppies--the title's yelpers--squabbles with his wife, indulges his frat-rat humor with cronies at the sports bar, and gets pulled into a legal mess. This time the mess concerns a falsely accused man whose accuser recants and then suddenly dies. The plot is a bit confusing, and Andy's shtick is growing a bit wearisome--boasting about how ordinary he is, bragging about losing power struggles with his wife. Still, anybody who hates the Christmas season can't be all bad. Not the best in the series by a long shot, but Andy's loyalists--fellow dog lovers and work haters, no doubt--will be amused.

In Edgar finalist Rosenfelt's pleasing 26th mystery featuring semiretired Paterson, N.J., lawyer Andy Carpenter (after Holy Chow), Chris Myers, an employee at the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue center Andy runs, needs his help. A disbarred lawyer, Chris was convicted of involuntary manslaughter as the result of a bar fight almost three years earlier. He has always insisted he was innocent of the crime, and now a prominent witness in the case against him has come to Chris saying that he was paid to give false testimony. Before the motion to have Chris's conviction overturned is processed, though, the recanting witness is found dead, and Chris is arrested for murder. Andy and his investigative team, which includes his wife, Laurie, a former cop with the Paterson, N.J., PD, and Marcus Clark, a "remarkably scary and dangerous" person, who saves Andy's bacon whenever fisticuffs are called for, set out to clear Chris. In the process, they unmask a nefarious scheme. A nice group of supportive human pals, adorable dogs, and a plot that's just complicated enough make this a winner. Cozy fans not already familiar with this series should check it out. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Oct.)

Andy Carpenter, that ornament of the Paterson bar, is dragged out of semiretirement yet again by a friend's formidable legal troubles. Before he joined the Tara Foundation, Andy's dog-rescue organization, disbarred attorney Chris Myers served 14 months for killing Joey Bonaventura in a bar fight he was too drunk to remember. No sooner has Charlie Burgess, the star witness against Chris, admitted he was lying than he recants his admission and is found shot to death under circumstances that broadly hint that Chris killed him. Andy, of course, never wants to work, but he can't say no to Chris. So he sics the members of the K Team on the case. A preliminary review of the legal matters Chris worked on before his law firm let him go produces four cases that might have motivated a double frame-up. The most promising of them is also the most puzzling: Chris' work on behalf of the citizens of Metuska, Pennsylvania, whose properties were being seized by the local government under the rules of eminent domain. Since the city paid top dollar for the properties and seemed to make no use of them once they were confiscated, Andy can find no reason for the municipal misbehavior. It's a good thing that his mystification redoubles his commitment to the case, because Chris needs all the help he can get. The climactic revelation, as in all of Andy's best cases, is both head-shakingly incredible and deeply satisfying. Not many dogs, even less about Christmas, but this holiday package still delivers the goods. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.