Dead Center

By: David Rosenfelt

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

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)

Great Story, Funny Style, Super Reader

This was my first Rosenfelt book, but the combination of a good plot, funny style, and just the right reader, make this book interesting and enjoyable. The author sees the world through a different filter than ordinary folks. I'm downloading another of Rosenfelt's next.

Fun you can count on!

I really enjoy all of Rosenfelt's books and this one is no exception.

Good thriller with a quirky hero

"Dead Center" is very entertaining all around. The story is gripping, if just this side of credible, and the narrator embodies the hero-narrator to a T. I'll be looking for more books in this series.

Enjoyable Story

This was an interesting mystery. I would definitely listen to another book by this author.

Lots o laughs

Enjoyed his entire series so far lots of laugh this one particular story drag somewhat but I still found it very entertaining

"Scrapple Pot Pie"

What did you like best about Dead Center? What did you like least?

I loved Calvin's wit and his ability to go toe to toe with Andy. E.g. his stories about his leg and references to others having 2.
Religious cult stories are not on the top of my fave list. See Nora Robert's Devine Evil for a good one.

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

Not this one 1st. Only after listening to others in the series first. After listening to 5 in a row, I now understand reviewer's love for this series. You become part of the family and you get drawn into buying the series to stay in the family. So be careful if you start this series, cuz you will force yourself to buy most if not all this series!

Have you listened to any of Grover Gardner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He is Andy, and the gang! It is the author's part of making the story, characters , humor, and the hidden mystery in each story stand out. As always every story may not be better than the previous one, but you will enjoy it.

Any additional comments?

You must use standard speed to let the humor sink in when mulit tasking

Cannot refuse a woman in distress

Any additional comments?

Andy Carpenter is a rich defense attorney and only takes cases that he wants to take. His girlfriend, who he loves, has left him and moved to Wisconsin to work in law enforcement. She runs into a situation where she needs help. Andy is glad to drive all the way to Wisconsin to provide the needed help. Of course Andy takes his beloved Golden Retriever, Tara, because he won't leave home without her. Andy hopes to win Laurie back home while he is visiting with her.

Good story, well written and well performed. Grover Gardner is an excellent narrator! This book could stand alone but it is more enjoyable if you have read the previous books and know how the relationship between Andy and Laurie started and evolved.
Both are extremely likable characters.

I liked it.

I like the characters of this series and this book is as good as one would expect.

The story is fun.

One of my New Favorite Authors

This book is definitely worth the "read". It is well written and narrated with just the right balance of humor and suspense. I am currently listening to another of Rosenfelt's books (Bury the Lead) and just love his writing style.

Hard to Swallow Premise, but good listen

Aside from being a ridiculous premise, the story folds out well and is very entertaining. If you listen based on the fact that you can believe that an entire city can of 5,000 people can remain in a secret cult and only a couple have ever escaped or left, then you'll do fine.

Notwitstanding, the story was well written a a good listen. The narrator did a fine job.