If you love clever courtroom drama, laugh-out-loud humor, and golden retrievers who steal every scene, you’ve probably already fallen for David Rosenfelt’s books. With over 50 novels (and counting!), the Andy Carpenter mystery series is one of the most beloved cozy-legal-thriller hybrids in modern crime fiction.
This up-to-date guide lists every David Rosenfelt book in chronological order — including the standalone novels and his newer K Team spin-off series — so you can read them exactly as the author intended (or jump in wherever you like… we won’t judge).
List Of David Rosenfelt Books In Order by Series
Discover the complete List of David Rosenfelt Books in Order by Series, including his bestselling Andy Carpenter mysteries, the K Team series, standalones, and more. This detailed reading guide helps you follow each series chronologically, explore character development, and choose the perfect starting point. Ideal for mystery lovers looking to enjoy Rosenfelt’s engaging humor, suspense, and courtroom drama.
Andy Carpenter Series (28 Books)
This is the flagship series featuring defense attorney Andy Carpenter and his furry sidekicks.
| # | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open and Shut | 2002 |
| 2 | First Degree | 2003 |
| 3 | Bury the Lead | 2004 |
| 4 | Sudden Death | 2005 |
| 5 | Dead Center | 2006 |
| 6 | Play Dead | 2007 |
| 7 | New Tricks | 2009 |
| 8 | Dog Tags | 2010 |
| 9 | One Dog Night | 2011 |
| 10 | Leader of the Pack | 2012 |
| 11 | Unleashed | 2013 |
| 12 | Hounded | 2014 |
| 13 | Who Let the Dog Out? | 2015 |
| 14 | Outfoxed | 2016 |
| 15 | The Twelve Dogs of Christmas | 2016 |
| 16 | Collared | 2017 |
| 17 | Rescued | 2018 |
| 18 | Deck the Hounds | 2018 |
| 19 | Bark of Night | 2019 |
| 20 | Dachshund Through the Snow | 2019 |
| 21 | Muzzled | 2020 |
| 22 | Silent Bite | 2020 |
| 23 | Dog Eat Dog | 2021 |
| 24 | Best in Snow | 2021 |
| 25 | Holy Chow | 2022 |
| 26 | Santa’s Little Yelpers | 2022 |
| 27 | Flop Dead Gorgeous | 2023 |
| 28 | ’Twas the Bite Before Christmas | 2023 |
| 29 | Dog Day Afternoon | 2024 |
| 30 | The More the Terrier | 2025 |
The K Team Series (5 Books)
A spin-off set in the same universe, starring Corey Douglas and his German Shepherd, Simon Garfunkel.
| # | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The K Team | 2020 |
| 2 | Animal Instinct | 2021 |
| 3 | Citizen K-9 | 2022 |
| 4 | Good Dog, Bad Cop | 2023 |
| 5 | ’Tis the Season | 2024 |
Standalone Novels (9 Books)
These are non-series thrillers with no recurring characters.
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Don’t Tell a Soul | 2008 |
| Down to the Wire | 2010 |
| On Borrowed Time | 2011 |
| Heart of a Killer | 2012 |
| Airtight | 2013 |
| Without Warning | 2014 |
| Blackout | 2016 |
| Fade to Black | 2018 |
| Black and Blue | 2019 |
David Rosenfelt Books In Order To Read
Andy Carpenter Series In Order (Main Series – 28 books as of 2025)
The heart of Rosenfelt’s universe. Reluctant defense attorney Andy Carpenter, his ex-cop wife Laurie, their son Ricky, and an ever-growing pack of rescue dogs solve murders in Paterson, New Jersey — usually while Andy tries (and fails) to stay retired.
- Open and Shut (2002)
- First Degree of Guilt (2003) – sometimes listed as First Degree
- Bury the Lead (2004)
- Sudden Death (2005)
- Dead Center (2006)
- Play Dead (2007) → Edgar Award finalist
- New Tricks (2009)
- Dog Tags (2010)
- One Dog Night (2011)
- Leader of the Pack (2012)
- Unleashed (2013)
- Hounded (2014)
- Who Let the Dog Out? (2015)
- Outfoxed (2016)
- The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (2016) – holiday special
- Collared (2017)
- Rescued (2018)
- Deck the Hounds (2018) – another Christmas book
- Bark of Night (2019)
- Dachshund Through the Snow (2019) – Christmas #3
- Muzzled (2020)
- Silent Bite (2020)
- Dog Eat Dog (2021) → Anthony Award winner
- Best in Snow (2021)
- Holy Chow (2022)
- Santa’s Little Yelpers (2022)
- Flop Dead Gorgeous (2023)
- ’Twas the Bite Before Christmas (2023)
- Dog Day Afternoon (2024)
- The More the Terrier (2025) ← Brand-new release!
Pro tip: You can safely start with book 1, but almost every Andy Carpenter mystery works perfectly as a standalone. The recurring characters grow and change (marriages, kids, new dogs), so reading in order is more rewarding.
The K Team Spin-Off Series In Order
A newer series featuring Corey Douglas (ex-cop and German Shepherd owner Simon Garfunkel), Marcus Clark, and Laurie Carpenter. Same universe, grittier vibe, still plenty of dog humor.
- The K Team (2020)
- Animal Instinct (2021)
- Citizen K-9 (2022)
- Good Dog, Bad Cop (2023)
- ’Tis the Season (2024) – K Team holiday book
David Rosenfelt Standalone Novels
Before Andy Carpenter took over his life, Rosenfelt wrote these excellent non-series thrillers:
- Don’t Tell a Soul (2008)
- Down to the Wire (2010)
- On Borrowed Time (2011)
- Heart of a Killer (2012)
- Airtight (2013)
- Without Warning (2014)
- Blackout (2016)
- Fade to Black (2018)
- Black and Blue (2019) – co-written with his wife Gretchen
- The Boy from the Woods (2020) – wait, no… that’s Harlan Coben! (Easy mix-up!)
(Rosenfelt has no other current standalones after 2019.)
Recommended Reading Orders
Most fans follow one of these paths:
- Publication order (listed above) – the classic way
- “Dog-first” order – start with Play Dead (#6) because it introduces Tara, the golden retriever who started it all in real life
- Seasonal binge – save The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, Deck the Hounds, Dachshund Through the Snow, etc. for December
Why Readers Can’t Stop Reading David Rosenfelt
- Andy’s sarcastic first-person narration is legitimately hilarious
- Zero graphic violence or gore (perfect cozy mystery vibes)
- Real courtroom procedure explained in plain English
- Every book helps real-life animal rescues (Rosenfelt and his wife have rescued 1000+ dogs)
- Short chapters = dangerous “one more chapter” addiction
Where to Buy or Borrow the Books
- New releases: Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or your local indie
- Used/paperback: ThriftBooks, Better World Books
- Ebooks & Audiobooks: Libby/OverDrive (library), Audible (narrated by the amazing Grover Gardner — trust me, listen to at least one on audio)
Final verdict? If you’ve never read David Rosenfelt, grab Open and Shut or Dog Day Afternoon today. You’ll be hooked by page 10 — and probably sponsoring a shelter dog by the end of the month.
Happy reading (and petting all the dogs in these books)! 🐾
Which Andy Carpenter book is your favorite? Drop it in the comments — I’m always looking for an excuse to re-read the series… again.
