Open and Shut

By: David Rosenfelt

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Whether dueling with new forensics or the local old boys' network, irreverent defense attorney Andy Carpenter always leaves them awed with his biting wit and winning fourth-quarter game plan.

But the fun stops the day Andy's dad, Paterson, New Jersey's legendary ex-DA, drops dead in front of him at a game in Yankee Stadium. The shocks pile on as he discovers his dad left him with two unexpected legacies: a fortune of $22 million that Andy never knew existed...and a murder case with enough racial tinder to burn down City Hall.

Struggling to serve justice and bring honor to his father, Andy must dig up some explosive political skeletons - and an astonishing family secret that can close his case (and his mouth) for good.

Crack another case with Andy Carpenter.

©2002 David Rosenfelt (P)2008 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"As soon as readers finish this remarkable first novel, they will begin clamoring for a second Andy Carpenter adventure." ( Booklist)
"Brisk dialogue, careful plotting, and solid spadework." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Well worth the entertainment

This book is very well written , serious , laughable and suspenseful.
Even more so in the audio version.
I recommend it highly and am looking forward to more (the rest) of the series .

Love Rosenfelt stories narrated by Grover Gardner

Well-written and witty with very appealing characters. As a NON-evangelical Christian, I can’t help wishing that contemporary non-Christian writers could find other ways of expressing characters’ shock and anger than using the names Christ and Jesus as curses. Just sayin.’

Great lawyer character

I’d compare this to the Lincoln Lawyer stories. I like them both, but this character was a better “lost cause” defense attorney. Ending caught me by surprise.

Tongue-in-cheek Attorney wins my vote!

Andy, the main character, has a realistic view of himself as the plot moves along. He provides a good sense of the world of attorneys while he struggles to find out whether or not his client is innocent. The narrator clearly is a master at his job. His characters are easily distinguished and you're fully concerned with the outcomes of their lives. This is a very humorous novel and well worth the 6 1/2 hours you need to hear the book in its entirety.

A Legal Mystery with Humor

I am coming to the series late. At this time, there are 22 books in the series and this is book 1. I enjoyed it very much.

Many reviewers have given a synopsis of the plot so I am going to say what I like about the book. There were many things, I liked. I liked the character of Andy Carpenter who is a defense lawyer. He has undertaken a case that does seem open and shut against his client. I liked his sense of humor. He strives to do the right thing. He is an animal lover. He lives with his golden retriever Tara who is based on his most perfect dog in the world that has passed away.

The plot of the mystery was very good. His time is very limited to prepare for the trial and you go along with him as he tries to find some break through. During this time, he finds himself in danger as someone doesn't like him poking his nose into the past.

If you like legal mysteries, with engaging characters, humor , a very good plot and the location being New Jersey, you should really like this book.
Grover Gardner was excellent with the delivery of the story

Open and Shut

I really enjoyed this book and I found I couldn't stop listening even after I had finished my drive. The story was great as was the humor. Grover does an excellent job of narration.
I'm onto his second in the series now.

not a dopey talking dog mystery

love dogs. hate dopey talking dog mysteries. rosenfelt's background in hollywood shows in this absolutely wonderful series. start at the beginning of the series if you can. and if you need a good story that doesn't pander but manages to make you feel better at the end, this is for you

Worth the purchase

I didn't notice until I started listening that the reader is a big favorite of mine,. Grover Gardner is the narrator for my beloved Inspector Montalbano series, by Andrea Camilleri. As with the Inspector, Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter is a good fit for Mr. Gardner.

Gardner's talent probably prejudiced me in favor of this one, but it was a good story. Good pacing, few diversions, and interesting characters. The premise was a stretch but not enough to spoil the story for me.

Open and can't shut

An easy listen; perfect for the car. If you've ever practiced law and appeared in a criminal courtroom, you'll recognize all of the characters and Andy still manages to make you laugh. Awesome.

Not my favorite narrator

Any additional comments?

I like the story - a mostly straightforward legal procedural - quite a lot, but not narrator Grover Gardner, a personal preference, but his voice sounds so odd to me.