Judge Henry Henderson has no love for Andy Carpenter so he was delighted to assign him to represent a Bernese mountain dog puppy, "Waggy," in a custody battle for the dog. The dog's owner, Walter Timmerman, was brutally murdered. Suing for the dog's custody is Stephen Timmerman, the murdered man's stepson, and Charles Robinson, real estate millionaire who wants to train Waggy to be a show dog. Andy suspects that there is some connection between Waggy and the DNA research being conducted by Timmerman. An attempt is made to kill Waggy but Laurie, Andy's lover, is shot instead. This makes Andy even more determined to solve the mystery connected to the dog.

New Tricks is a quick and easy read, with the pleasant Andy Carpenter and the regulars making their appearances. The humor is quirky and enjoyable. The concept of the DNA research is a bit scary, hopefully a figment of the author's imagination. There are some tricky courtroom scenes with the fate of the dog at stake. We have a sidebar with Andy trying to stabilize the situation with Laurie. A very enjoyable read especially for dog lovers.