David Rosenfelt: Play Dead

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

ACCLAIM FOR DAVID ROSENFELT’SNOVELS

PLAY DEAD

“Riveting… No shaggy dog story, this puppy’s alive with reliable Rosenfelt wit and heart.”

– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“There is no way you can read this novel without becoming completely caught up in the story. As always, Andy’s offbeat, outspoken personality shines on every page, and the balance of humor and mystery is dead-on.”

– Booklist (starred review)

“Enjoyable… Carpenter continues to amuse and engage.”

– Library Journal

“The customary humor abounds in this entertaining novel.”

– Midwest Book Review

“A steadily absorbing journey through layers and layers of deceit.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“A fun mystery novel… entertaining.”

– TheMysterySite.com

DEAD CENTER

“Entertaining… witty… perfect.”

– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Enjoyable… entertaining.”

– Portland Tribune

“Rosenfelt is a very funny guy who’s got the gift of glib.”

– Kingston Observer (MA)

“Rosenfelt adroitly mixes drama with humor… Those who like the added complexity of character-driven mysteries will find much to enjoy in this award-winning series.”

– Booklist

“Written with flair and humor… 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 hero, then there should be.”

– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A terrific tale… Fans of the series will enjoy Dead Center .”

– Midwest Book Review

“Witty… cleverly plotted… very enjoyable.”

– About Books

SUDDEN DEATH

“The author handles the material deftly, mixing humor and whodunit but never letting the comedy overwhelm the mystery.”

– Booklist

“Another touchdown!”

– Publishers Weekly

BURY THE LEAD

A TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK

“Absolute fun… Anyone who likes the Plum books will love this book.”

– JANET EVANOVICH

“A clever plot and breezy style… absorbing.”

– Boston Globe

“Exudes charm and offbeat humor, sophistication, and personable characters.”

– Dallas Morning News

FIRST DEGREE

SELECTED AS ONE OF THE BEST MYSTERIES OF 2003 BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Entertaining… fast paced… sophisticated.”

– MARILYN STASIO, New York Times Book Review

“Suspense just where you want it and humor just where you need it.”

– Entertainment Weekly

“Entertaining.”

– Cleveland Plain Dealer

OPEN AND SHUT

EDGAR ®AWARD NOMINEE

“Very assured… packed with cleverly sarcastic wit.”

– New York Times

“Splendid… intricate plotting.”

– Cleveland Plain Dealer

“A great book… one part gripping legal thriller, one part smart-mouth wise-guy detective story, and all-around terrific.”

– HARLAN COBEN, author of

No Second Chance

“Engaging and likable… The action is brisk.”

– San Francisco Chronicle

Also by David Rosenfelt

New Tricks

Dead Center

Bury the Lead

Sudden Death

First Degree

Open and Shut

For Mike, whom I could never beat

at anything…

And for Rick, whom no one would

ever want to beat at anything.

Acknowledgments

I’m not a big fan of acknowledgment pages; most of the time I refuse to even acknowledge them. I especially hate when authors drop names of famous people as a way to impress the readers, and then go on to tell heartwarming little anecdotes to show how tight the author is with those bigshots.

Not me; that’s not what I’m about. I make my acknowledgments short and to the point, and I don’t go scrounging around for impressive names. I let my literary achievements do my showing off for me. If someone has been helpful or inspirational, I thank them… if not, I don’t. No one gets a free pass.

So, in no particular order, I would like to acknowledge…

Michael Jordan Bill Clinton

Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower Debbie Myers

Jonas Salk

Britney Spears

Clarence and Marlo Thomas Bob Castillo

Babe Ruth

Wolf Blitzer

Wolfman Jack

Stacy Alesi

Gandhi

Jessica and Homer Simpson Little Anthony and the Imperials Derek Jeter

Susan Richman

Wayne and Fig Newton Puff Daddy

My Daddy

My Mommy

Alex Trebek

Various Rosenfelts Golda Meir

The Barbara sisters: Bush, Streisand and Walters Nelson Mandela

Ozzie Nelson

Ozzy Osbourne

Les Pockell

Kevin Costner

Kevin Federline Robin Rue

George Costanza Joe Montana

The entire state of Montana David Divine

Bruce Springsteen Walter Cronkite Norman Schwarzkopf Tony Blair

Tony Gwynn

Tony Soprano

Kristin Weber

Bialystock and Bloom Ralph and Alice Kramden Bobby and Gladys Knight Doug Burns

George Burns

Henry Kissinger Trixie and Ed Norton June Peralta

The Taylors: Lawrence and Elizabeth Cal Ripken

Paris and Conrad Hilton Tokyo Rose

Al and Nancy Sarnoff The Bird Brothers: Larry, Charlie and Big Warren G. Harding Stephanie Allen Celia Johnson

Magic Johnson

Andrew Johnson

Johnson amp; Johnson Norman Trell

Gracie Allen

Ernest Hemingway The Jacksons-Michael, Stonewall and Phil Simon amp; Garfunkel Scott and Heidi Ryder Joe Frazier

Christopher Columbus Christopher Cross Sandy Weinberg

Sam and Whitney Houston Anthony, Bernard and Johns Hopkins Muhammad Ali

John and Carol Antonaccio The Rogers: Kenny, Roy and Ginger Rocky Balboa

Geraldo, Chita and Mariano Rivera George Kentris

Abbott amp; Costello Chief Justice John, Julia and Robin Roberts Michael, Sonny and Don Corleone I apologize if I left anyone out.

On a serious note, please e-mail me at dr27712@aol.com with any feedback on the book. Many people have done so in the past, and I very much appreciate it.

“ANDY, YOU’RE NOT going to believe this.”

This is the type of sentence that, when said in a vacuum, doesn’t reveal much. Whatever it is that I am not going to believe might be very positive or very negative, and there would be no way to know until I see it.

Unfortunately, this particular sentence is not said in a vacuum; it’s said in the Passaic County Animal Shelter. Which means that “positive” is no longer one of the possibilities.

The person speaking the words is Fred Brandenberger, whose job as shelter manager is an impossibly difficult one. There are far more dogs that come through his doors than potential adopters, and he therefore must helplessly supervise the euthanasia of those that are not taken. I know it drives Fred crazy; he’s been in the job for two years, and my guess is he’s not going to last much longer.