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Dead Center  By  cover art

Dead Center

By: David Rosenfelt
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Publisher's summary

If there aren't any real-life lawyers as entertaining, as witty, and as willing to tilt at windmills as Andy Carpenter, Edgar-finalist Rosenfelt's engaging series hero, then there should be.

Carpenter, the Paterson, N.J., lawyer whose wealth allows him to work as seldom as he chooses, is recovering from the loss of the love of his life, Laurie Collins, who has moved home to Findlay, Wis., to become the acting chief of police. When Laurie calls Andy for help after arresting 21-year-old Jeremy Davidson for murders that she thinks he didn't commit, Andy can't resist heading off to Findlay with his faithful dog, Tara.

There's damning evidence against Jeremy, accused of killing two young women, one of whom he was romantically involved with. Andy is forced to pry into the closed society of Center City, home of the victims and a peculiar religious sect called the Centurions.

Dead Center is our Editors' Pick for Mysteries and Thrillers. Find out what else made Audible's Best of 2006 list.
©2006 David Rosenfelt (P)2006 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

  • Audie Award Finalist, Mystery, 2007

"Written with flair and humor, this is perfect light reading." (Publishers Weekly)
"Those who like the added complexity of character-driven mysteries will find much to enjoy in this award-winning series." (Booklist)
"Grover Gardner's narrative style is clear but low-key, a style that fits Andy Carpenter, Rosenfelt's series hero....His reading perfectly evokes the suspense and drama of a criminal investigation." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: The Best Cozy Mysteries to Keep You Warm This Holiday Season


We’ve rounded up a list of some of the best cozy mystery audiobooks to help brighten up your winter listening. Here you'll find contemporary and historical cozies, classic whodunits and ingenious heist stories. While varying in tone, plot, and setting, these picks all share an irresistible holiday atmosphere. You'll find snowstorms galore, bakeries full of tasty holiday treats, glittering get-togethers, and picturesque English villages decked out in their holiday finest.

What listeners say about Dead Center

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Another Great Entertaining Listen!

I love the Andy Carpenter books. They not only keep you guessing as to "who done it" but they are funny and entertaining to boot. Being a dog lover, I also love Tara's character; his description of her actions are so real you feel like you are there sitting on the couch with them. If you are looking for a fun, easy to listen to, entertaining book you simply can't go wrong with any of David Rosenfelt's books.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

short, fast-moving comic mystery/romance

Dead Center is a short mystery with a fast-moving plot, romance, lots of humor, a suspicious religious cult, a beloved dog, and murder. It is only about 8 hours long and engaged me from start to end. The humorous detective narrator kept me entertained. This novel had all the pieces you expect to see in a guy-story murder mystery. Nothing original, but all the pieces come together well, and I enjoyed the book a lot.

The basic plot - a New York lawyer is called by his former girlfriend (a police head in a small Wisconsin town) because she fears the man she arrested for murder might not actually be guilty, in spite of overwhelming evidence which forces her to pursue the prosecution. The draw of an intriguing crime and an ex-girlfriend he still has feelings for brings him to the small mid-west town.

My only complaint is the narrator. He has a funny voice, sounding a little like Billy Crystal. Certainly more like a comic than a New York lawyer. Half the words he narrates are funny, which might be why they went for the comic sound, but it was irritating. I did eventually get used to it, and it eventually became a neutral factor.

I should say that I often get bored by the sameness of so many mysteries, but this one entertained me throughout.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

just what i was looking for

there are times when my favorite authors do not have anything new to listen to, and you have to search for a new author. This can be a painful experience. Finding this book was a joy. Fun book fun story. I recomend it as a good start.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Funny, PI-style story

What did you love best about Dead Center?

I'm very forgiving of narrators. For me, usually the story takes over and the quality of the narration fades into the background. I wasn't sure if this was going to happen in the case of 'Dead Center', though. Grover Gardner's reading is very dead-pan. Then, I 'got it'. This novel is your quintessential, cliche PI storyline but with a wealthy defence attorney as the main character. How could you have anything else but a dead-pan, almost monotone, narration? Even the characterisations of the other players in the story seem like he is poking fun at them. It is witty, self-depracating, sarcastic, funny and I chuckled out loud all the way through.

A light-hearted, entertaining listen. Typical of the genre, there is no huge depth to the plot but it did still keep me guessing with red herrings and twists. I was very pleasantly surprised by the experience and would recommend the listen. This is the fifth book in the Andy Carpenter series but the first of them available on Audible and can be enjoyed without having read the earlier books. In fact, I had no idea it was a series until I went looking for other titles by the author. I hope the others will be available on Audible soon, particularly as they are all read by Grover Gardner. I'll definitely be looking for them elsewhere in either print or audio.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The cliche PI-style monotone and the accent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting story

Would you try another book from David Rosenfelt and/or Grover Gardner?

The story line was pretty good and I thought the best part of the book was the last few chapters.

Would you recommend Dead Center to your friends? Why or why not?

The narrator does a nice job voicing the characters, and has a good tone for this type of book.

Any additional comments?

One of the most memorable moments was almost at the end, when they figured out who the killer was. That was a bit of a surprise.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Dead Center - A Fun, Easy Listen

Where does Dead Center rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book was fun to listen to. It didn't demand any energy but was able to keep my interest. Listened to it while I worked out and drove in my car. It was easy to follow.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dead Center?

One of the most memorable moments was almost at the end, when they figured out who the killer was. That was a bit of a surprise.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It was really entertaining. I loved his sense of humor and his descriptions of the people around him. He made me smile and I could easily picture all the people in the book. That is a really good thing.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Not sure of that one. Sorry

Any additional comments?

This was a fun, funny at times, entertaining listen. Glad I did listen to it!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Great Listen

What made the experience of listening to Dead Center the most enjoyable?

Both the main story and the side stories were interesting and the narrator was spot on. I did not want to stop listening and was sorry to hear it end.. The small town issues are mostly the same as my small town and well written. And the town of zealots in the side story was intriguing. The narrator captivated me instantly. He truly became the main character immediately.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • M
  • 01-14-12

Sound quality drags it down

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes! With the caution that the sound quality is absolutely tinny and terrible. Even worse than Brilliance - and that is saying something.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

Laughs - because he gets it just right! He is just BRILLIANT in his interpretations and pauses - and he us NOT doing silly female voices - he is perfect. A true shame that the sound is tinny and only mid register - it is awful - because the reading is first class. The sound does make you tired. It is like listening to an AM station on radio. I avoid that.

Could you see Dead Center being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Is is a TV series being read out loud - LOVE IT! Stars.... Hmmmm , Josh Hammell maybe.

Any additional comments?

Change distributor for the audible content! If I didn't like David Rosenfeldt's books that much - I would NOT buy them as audible, I already avoid Brilliance - unfortunately I now have another one to avoid - Listen & Live Audio, Inc...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Fun

What did you love best about Dead Center?

The main character is cheeky but appealing with his quirky sense of humor.

What did you like best about this story?

It isn't predictable, yet it is still believable.

What about Grover Gardner???s performance did you like?

A job well done.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The sweetness of the relationship developed along the way.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

very good

Any additional comments?

very entertaining listen, want to listen to more, but to short for a credit. would not hesitate to try another if get the chance to buy on sale.

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