Books in the A McKenzie Novel series

McKenzie has a lot of old girlfriends. But only one went on to marry the current governor of the state of Minnesota. And only one is calling him with a desperate request to meet in secret. The First Lady is carrying an email that contains a nasty rumor about her husband, and the truth is buried decades deep in a small town's history.Of course McKenzie always has plenty of time on his hands and is in the business of handling such matters for his friends. So he heads straight into the governor's past, planning to poke around and see if he can stir up a little information. Before long, someone starts poking him back, and it's clear that he has stirred up nothing but trouble. McKenzie is soon shifting through a complex web of interlocking secrets and lies, some decades-old, and some rooted violently in the present day.Praise for PRETTY GIRL GONE:"Housewright's unapologetically flawed hero charms, while the clean plot lines, palpable Minnesota winter and understated humor make this a good, satisfying read." -Publishers Weekly"This is the third McKenzie mystery, and it's turning into quite an interesting series: solid premise, tight plotting, and this time more depth in character development, as Housewright explores McKenzie's emotional side." -Booklist"Pretty Girl Gone is an incredible addition to 'Cold Case' mysteries, joining the likes of recent books by Michael Connelly, KJ Erickson, Mary Logue, and Reed Farrell Coleman. Housewright artfully portrays the hopelessness of a group of men who's defining moment happened when they were teenager's; of pitiful lives spent chasing a memory soured by tragedy and deceit... McKenzie is an entertaining and engaging character, and in this, the 3rd novel in the series (following A Hard Ticket Home and Tin City), appears all too human... Pretty Girl Gone is a complex, thoroughly enjoyable addition to what is becoming one of our favorite mystery series." -CrimeSpree Magazine"(Housewright is one) of Minnesota's most dependable practitioners of the craft... McKenzie is good company...with a wry sense of humor, often aimed at himself, and a quick, accurate take on people and places. While certainly not an errant knight in the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker, he's a good man who's wise enough to know that he will disappoint himself." -Minneapolis Star Tribune

Frank “Jelly” Nash was dead. And since the notorious bank robber was shot in the head in 1933 during a daring escape attempt, he was deader than most. So why was he sending letters and emails to Rushmore McKenzie, asking the retired cop, unexpected millionaire, and unlicensed P.I. for help?To answer the question, McKenzie joins forces with Ivy, a beautiful woman from his past—and her boyfriend—in a frantic search for $8 million in gold that Jelly stole just before his death. But they aren’t the only ones looking. So are a couple of two-bit thugs, a woman named Heavenly, a local big-wig with much to hide, and an odd assortment of ne’er-do-wells.The search delves deeply into St. Paul, Minnesota’s colorful and infamous past as the treasure-seekers scurry for clues. In the early 20th century, St. Paul was an open city—a place where gangsters could come and stay unmolested by the local authorities as long as they committed no crimes within the city limits. John Dillinger, Bugsy Siegel, Ma Barker’s murderous brood, Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, Machine Gun Kelly, Pretty Boy Floyd, notorious gunman Vern Miller, and yes, Frank Nash, were often spotted frequenting the city’s clubs and casinos, and their activities are carefully examined as the rivals dual each other.The treasure hunt turns unexpectedly deadly when the boyfriend is shot dead outside of Ivy’s apartment. Suddenly, McKenzie is looking for more than a legendary stash from seventy-five years ago, he’s looking for a stone killer and the long-hidden truth behind Jelly’s gold.Praise for JELLY’S GOLD:“In Edgar-winner Housewright’s enjoyable sixth novel to feature Rushmore McKenzie readers get a dual treat as the likable PI deals with a parade of present-day sharpies and gold hunters, while Housewright retells the story of the wholesale corruption that for decades made St. Paul a playground for a who’s who of gangsters, including John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and others who hobnobbed with St. Paul’s upper crust.” —Publishers Weekly“Housewright not only writes a compelling historical mystery here, but also engages in reconstructive history, using contemporary accounts to trace Nash’s movements in 1933. He also employs a nifty device to bring the history into the novel, careening between McKenzie and other seekers of the prize and Nash’s own words cast into fictional form. Readers will learn a great deal of fascinating information, including the fact that Nash’s nickname Jelly stands for his favorite safecracking device, nitroglycerin. Top notch.” —Booklist, starred review“A clever entertainment driven by an amiable protagonist—Housewright’s best in quite a while.” —Kirkus Reviews“If you haven’t discovered Housewright, you’re in for a real treat—this is a real gem from one of America’s best crime novelists.” —Lansing State Journal

Homicide cop Bobby Dunston's daughter has been kidnapped, taken in broad daylight on a city street in the middle of September. The kidnappers demand a million dollars and force Dunston to get the ransom from his friend Rushmore McKenzie. It soon becomes apparent to both of them that one of the kidnappers is childhood pal Scottie, a once aspiring drummer now gone astray, and that the kidnapping is payback for "crimes" they committed in their past.Of course McKenzie, a former cop and now unlicensed P.I., handles the ransom drop-off and the child is returned safely. But Scottie is soon brutally murdered (maybe that's Mac's fault and maybe it isn't) and someone takes out an open contract on McKenzie, using his own money to pay for it. Dodging attempts on his life from assassins of all shapes and sizes, McKenzie now has precious little time to uncover the mastermind behind it all if he's going to survive.Praise for MADMAN ON A DRUM:"Hate, revenge and old-fashioned greed propel Edgar-winner Housewright's stellar fifth mystery to feature former St. Paul, Minn., cop Rushmore McKenzie. Housewright's chivalric noir hero never fails to charm, whether mourning a St. Paul that's lost much of its colorful, if shady, past or busting a bestial dogfight entrepreneur out in the chilly countryside. Against a realistic Minnesota backdrop, this homage to Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer raises cutting questions about crime and punishment and today's price of friendship and loyalty. Of course, McKenzie knows it's all about money, but Housewright makes it so fresh and real it hurts." -Publishers Weekly, starred review"Housewright returns with another noir-tinged mystery starring St. Paul detective Rushmore McKenzie. Lots of narrative momentum and exciting scenes." -Booklist"McKenzie's subtle humor keeps the tension from boiling over, but don't expect any breaks in the action." -Minnesota Monthly

During one of the first heavy snows of the winter, on the interstate outside the Twin Cities, Rushmore McKenzie is trapped behind an erratically-driven truck. Then a figure appears on the truck bed and a body is rolled out onto the road, right in front of McKenzie''s car. McKenzie avoids hitting the body, a bound woman who is barely alive, but his sudden braking in the middle of the highway starts a chain of accidents, resulting in a thirty-seven car pile-up. By the time the police arrive, and the EMTs and ambulances have taken care of the immediate injuries, the truck is long gone. <br><br>The injured woman awakens with no memories-not of the accident, not of anything-and is now referred to by the police as Unidentified Woman #15. With few leads, the detective in charge, McKenzie''s former partner and old friend Bobby Dunston, turns to McKenzie for a favor. Not that a favor is required, because when you dump a person in front of McKenzie''s moving car, he tends to take that personally. <br><br>Praise for UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #15: <br><br>"Housewright, winner of the prestigious national Edgar Award and three Minnesota Book Awards, strikes a perfect balance between fast-paced excitement as McKenzie chases the bad guys and his commitment to bar-owner Nina as they try to work out the nuances of their relationship since moving in together. All previous McKenzie thrillers earned high praise from critics, including several starred reviews, but in <i>Unidentified Woman #15</i> McKenzie comes alive as never before. It''s as though Housewright got a surge of energy that lets us into Mac''s mind so we know him even more intimately. And with a 12th book in a series, that''s a fine thing." -<i>St. Paul Pioneer Press</i> <br><br>"Housewright''s prose style is reminiscent of Donald E. Westlake''s: smoothly flowing, graceful, but never calling attention to itself. Rushmore is an amiable series lead... A strong addition to an always-reliable series, and a crime novel that will appeal both to readers looking for complex characters and satisfying style and to those interested mainly in story." -<i>Booklist</i> <br><br>"Take a well-written noir and mix it with humor and readers will anticipate this 12th series outing (after <i>The Devil May Care</i>), especially if they appreciate mysteries with a strong sense of place and an appealing sleuth who is still figuring out what to do with himself after leaving the police force. A solid choice for fans of Steve Hamilton, Dennis Lehane, or James Lee Burke." -<i>Library Journal</i> <br><br>"Unidentified woman #15 has no memory when she regains consciousness, but she believes the world is exactly the kind of ''place where sooner or later'' someone rolls ''you off the back of a speeding pickup truck.'' And here''s why I love McKenzie so much. Although he sees the world in a cynical way, he still tilts at windmills and fires stones from his slingshot. Housewright''s novels render the Twin Cities in familiar detail while helping us see things differently." -<i>Minneapolis StarTribune</i>

Since becoming an unlikely millionaire and quitting the St. Paul Police Department, Rushmore McKenzie has been working as an unlicensed private investigator, basically doing favors for friends and people in need. But even for him, this latest job is unusual. He's been asked to find a stolen Stradivarius, known as the Countess Borromeo, that only the violinist seems to want him to find. Stolen from a locked room in a B&B in the violinist's former hometown of Bayfield, Wisconsin, the violin is valued at $4 million and is virtually irreplaceable. But the foundation that owns it and their insurance company refuses to pay the thief (or thieves) for its safe return. However, Paul Duclos, the violinist who has played it for the past twelve years, is desperate to get it back and offers to pay the thief out of his own pocket. Though it's not his usual sort of case, McKenzie is intrigued and decides to help, which means going against the local police, the insurance company, the FBI's Art Crime division, and his own lawyer's advice. And, as he quickly learns, there's a lot more going on than the mere theft of a priceless instrument. Praise for STEALING THE COUNTESS: "A Stradivarius goes missing and all hell breaks loose in the thirteenth entry in Edgar-winning Housewright's very strong Rushmore McKenzie series... Though the novels are loosely based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, the series makes great use of the variegated landscapes-filled with opportunities for crime and escape-of Minnesota and Wisconsin... Greatly enhancing the story are the fascinating details Housewright provides on the history and design of these priceless instruments." -Booklist, starred review "The brazen theft of a Stradivarius violin known as the Countess Borromeo, valued at $4 million, provides Rushmore McKenzie with some ethical challenges in Housewright's entertaining 13th mystery featuring the unlicensed St. Paul, Minn., PI (after 2015's Unidentified Woman #15)... The charming lead enhances the crime puzzle, which is both complex and logical." -Publishers Weekly