Books in the Mac McKenzie Novel series

Louise Wykoff is arguably the most recognizable woman living in Minnesota, known for her presence in over one hundred paintings by the late and brilliant Randolph McInnis. Louise, known better as "That Wykoff Woman," was just a young apprentice when her intimate representation and the fact of the McInnis's marriage caused rumors to fly-and Louise to hide away for decades. All of McInnis's paintings are in museums or known private collections, until Louise confesses to having three more that no one has ever heard of-and now they've been stolen. Rushmore McKenzie, an occasional unlicensed private investigator, agrees to look into the theft. As he investigates, following clues that appear far too straightforward, he finds himself on the wrong side of the bars wondering if the trail might be deeper and darker than he's been led to believe. Hours away from St. Paul, deep in the nature of Grand Marais, the truth seems murkier-and deadlier-than usual. Praise for Dead Man's Mistress: "Edgar winner Housewright's enjoyable 16th novel.... Cursed with a Midwestern charm to match his nonstop patter, McKenzie is an appealing hero who comfortably operates within the hardboiled detective tradition." -Publishers Weekly "Smooth, professional work whose mounting complications... are kept under admirable control right up to the double-barreled denouement." -Kirkus Reviews "The drama is unending, with not-so-clean and not-so-smart small-town deputies investigating a local man's suicide (or it is murder?), a rich family battling for rights to the stolen artwork, and the dogged film crew intent on capitalizing on the scandalous story. It's all painted against a backdrop of greed and deceit-in short, all of the quirky antagonists and character flaws that Housewright has so much fun exploiting for his audience. If Housewright is an acquired taste, I acquired it after the first chapter of my first McKenzie novel..." -Minneapolis Star Tribune "If you are an inspiring writer, then I suggest you read David Housewright's novels. He's one of the best authors in the mystery genre... It is very fast paced. Somehow, the author condenses a four-hundred-page novel into only three-hundred pages without affecting the reader's suspension of disbelief... With its baffling mystery, intriguing plot, human drama, and unique setting, Dead Man's Mistress is highly recommended for seasoned fans as well as for new ones." -Gumshoe Review "This is a nifty little caper... Dead Man's Mistress has lots of snappy dialog in the tried and true gumshoe tradition... it has a nicely realized sense of place... I liked McKenzie, and as I was reading, I kept trying to recall who he reminded me of. Then I remembered: Robert B. Parker's Spenser, of blessed memory." -Books to the Ceiling

Once a police detective in St. Paul, Minnesota, Rushmore McKenzie has become not only an unlikely millionaire, but an occasional unlicensed private investigator, doing favors for friends and people in need. When his stepdaughter Erica asks him for just such a favor, McKenzie doesn't have it in him to refuse. Even though it sounds like a very bad idea right from the start. The father of Malcolm Harris, a college friend of Erica's, was found murdered a year ago in a park in New Brighton, a town just outside the Twin Cities. With no real clues and all the obvious suspects with concrete alibis, the case has long since gone cold. As McKenzie begins poking around, he soon discovers another unsolved murder that's tangentially related to this one. And all connections seem to lead back to a group of friends the victim was close with. But all McKenzie has is a series of odd, even suspicious, coincidences until someone decides to make it all that more serious and personal. Praise for What the Dead Leave Behind: "Unlicensed PI Rushmore 'Mac' McKenzie tackles perhaps his most complex case yet in Edgar-winner Housewright's witty 14th Minnesota-based mystery...Housewright is such a pro at plot and character development that it's nearly impossible to put this entry down." -Publishers Weekly "It's a distinct pleasure to follow McKenzie as he uncovers layer upon layer of corporate corruption, from sexual harassment to industrial espionage, while every second woman in the cast comes on to him. The hero emerges with his virtue intact and a brace of new heads for his trophy wall. The surprising number of malefactors at the company isn't a strength of the tale, but they're all well worth your cathartic scorn." -Kirkus Reviews