Collared is the next novel in David Rosenfelt's witty, heartfelt
mystery series sees attorney Andy Carpenter suddenly fostering a child
and defending a close friend suspected of murder
Lawyer Andy Carpenter's true passion is the Tara Foundation, the dog
rescue organization he runs with his friend Willie Miller. All kinds of
dogs make their way to the foundation, and it isn't that surprising to
find a dog abandoned at the shelter one morning, though it was
accompanied by a mysterious anonymous note. But they are quite surprised
when they scan the dog's embedded chip, and discover that they know this
dog. He is the "DNA dog."
Two and a half years ago, Jill Hickman was a single mother of an adopted
baby. Her baby and dog were kidnapped in broad daylight in Eastside
Park, and they haven't been seen since. A tip came in that ID'd a former
boyfriend of Hickman's, Keith Wachtel, as the kidnapper. A search of his
house showed no sign of the child but did uncover more incriminating
evidence, and the clincher that generated Wachtel's arrest was some dog
hair, notable since Wachtel did not have a dog. DNA tests showed
conclusively that the hair belonged to Hickman's dog. Wachtel was
convicted of kidnapping, but the dog and baby were never found.
Now, with the reappearance of the dog, the case is brought back to
light, and the search for the child renewed. Goaded by his wife's desire
to help a friend and fellow mother and Andy's desire to make sure the
real kidnapper is in jail, Andy and his team enter the case. But what
they start to uncover is far more complicated and dangerous than they
ever expected*.*
