David Rosenfelt - Play Dead

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

Copyright 2007 by David Rosenfelt

Excerpt from New Tricks copyright 2009 by David Rosenfelt

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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First eBook Edition: August 2009

ISBN: 978-0-446-54428-3

Contents

ACCLAIM FOR DAVID ROSENFELTS NOVELS

Riveting No shaggy dog story, this puppys 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, Andys 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 whos 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 arent any real-life lawyers as entertaining, as witty, and as willing to tilt at windmills as Andy Carpenter, Edgar-finalist Rosenfelts 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.

J ANET E VANOVICH

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.

M ARILYN S TASIO , 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.

H ARLAN C OBEN , author of

No Second Chance

Engaging and likable The action is brisk.

San Francisco Chronicle

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.

Im 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; thats not what Im about. I make my acknowledgments short and to the point, and I dont 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 dont. 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 & Johnson

Norman Trell

Gracie Allen

Ernest Hemingway

The JacksonsMichael, Stonewall and Phil

Simon & 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 & 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.

A NDY , YOURE NOT going to believe this.

This is the type of sentence that, when said in a vacuum, doesnt 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; its 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; hes been in the job for two years, and my guess is hes not going to last much longer.