I don't know if I'm alone in this feeling or not, but there are a few authors whose work I always enjoy and yet for whatever reason, I don't seek them out. Yet when I come across one of their books I think, "Oh yeah, I like this writer." David Housewright is one such author for me.

What the Dead Leave Behind is the fourteenth book in Housewright's Rushmore 'Mac' McKenzie series. McKenzie is a former St. Paul, Minnesota police detective who, years ago, accepted the reward money for the solving of a crime, even though it was through his police work - a decision that made him a millionaire and for which he has taken a lot of flack. Now he does some detective work - usually getting beaten up along the way - as a favor for friends in need.

Here the request for help comes from his step-daughter, Ericka. The father of Ericka's friend, Malcolm Harris, was found murdered in a park the year before in a Twin Cities suburb. With not many clues to go on, the case has gone cold and Malcolm isn't handling it well. Mac starts looking into it and his investigation takes him from suburban hot-dish groups to corporate espionage and bar brawls to shootings.

I started reading the Mac McKenzie books because of the Minnesota connection (being Minnesotan I enjoy books written by Minnesotans and featuring Minnesota landscapes). But once I get into the books, I stay with them because of the character of Mac McKenzie. In part he's a throwback to the Sam Spade-like, hard-boiled, noir detectives of the 1930's. But he manages to live comfortably in the modern day. He's no Luddite, despite his throw-back toughness.

And make no mistake, McKenzie is tough. He takes a beating that would kill a normal man. Said beating is so intense it almost becomes laughable that McKenzie survives. Almost. Housewright pushes the scene to the very edge, maybe toes just over the line, and then pulls it back.

And like all good literary PIs, McKenzie has a code of ethics that he lives by. He's in a committed relationship, but enjoys flirting with the attractive women he meets. And while he might be tempted to go beyond flirting, he manages self-restraint.

The story here is quite interesting and while I can't say that I saw the ending coming, it also wasn't a surprise. This is a good detective mystery with a great character in the lead.

Looking for a good book? <em>What the Dead Leave Behind</em> by David Housewright is the fourteenth book in the Mac McKenzie series and judging by the strengths of this volume the series is going strong and will be around for many more volumes.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

First Sentence: The way he paced recklessly in front of me, bouncing off the furniture, tripping on the throw rug/ the way he looked at me with unblinking eyes—I decided the kid was messed up.

Former police detective, now unlicensed investigator, Rushmore McKenzie is asked for a special favour; find out her killed the father of a friend. But nothing is simple and one case leads to another unsolved murder and a particular group of friends.

Housewright is very good at the concise; from the very beginning we know who are the primary characters. We also have background on McKenzie and, through his internal voice, how he thinks and who matters to him. In addition to his many talents; he cooks—“braised boneless pork ribs simmering in gravy laced with chili powder; mashed potatoes seasoned with onion salt, black pepper, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and chives; plus green beans and pecans sautéed in chicken broth and maple syrup.”—cautions one to not read when hungry and reminds one a bit of Robert Parker’s Spencer. However, knowing these things is of particular advantage to those jumping into this series for the first time.

Housewright’s dialogue is easy, natural, and, at time, quite delightful—“Do you think that the killer might be at the party?” she asked. “That is so Agatha Christie.”

“What the Dead Leave Behind” has an excellent protagonist and a very well done plot that goes unexpected places. Learning where everyone ends up is very refreshing.

WHAT THE DEAD LEAVE BEHIND (Unl. PI-Rushmore McKenzie-St. Paul, MN–Contemp) - VG
Housewright, David – 14th in series
Minotaur Books – June 2017

Rushmore “Mac” McKenzie is a detective, sort of. After leaving the St. Paul police force in order to accept a reward for catching an embezzler, he finds himself rich and relatively idle. Deciding to channel that boredom into “favors” for friends and friends of friends as an unlicensed detective, I get the feeling that his life is more exciting as a civilian.

This is a series and I was able to follow along without having read the first 13 books, which is always nice. Housewright does a good job of supplying supplementary information in such a way that one unfamiliar with the series will still be able to understand.

I consider this to be the perfect sort of book to take along on a long-haul flight across the world, something I am very familiar with (I’ll be downloading the first few for my transatlantic flights this summer). Mac’s girlfriend’s daughter implores him to find out what happened to her friend’s father. He was murdered before the book begins and the police have no leads. The game is afoot!

"I believed in momentum. I believed that if you keep moving, peeking under beds, peeping over fences, turning over rocks, there’s a better chance of accidents happening, some good, some bad; of the fortuitous unearthing of the odd puzzle piece in the most unlikely nook or cranny."

This is a truly interesting detective mystery. Perhaps my favorite part was all of the Twin Cities love embedded in it. No, I’m not from the Twin Cities, nor even the midwest. I simply love when an author shows hometown pride. I felt like I was there, from the descriptions of local venues to the complaints about traffic bottlenecks. Mac is a good man, with a set of skills that he puts to good use. Will the mystery be solved? Read and find out.

"Now the big question—why do you still care? Good question. I felt a little like a historian working a Rubik’s Cube, twisting the sides this way and that until it gave me a clear picture of what happened at such and such a time in such and such a place–but to what purpose?"

4 stars.

Expected Publication: June 6, 2017

This is a wonderful series with an intriguing lead character. Rushmore (Mac) McKenzie was previously in law enforcement, but he became a millionaire after receiving a reward for a case that he solved. He is now wealthy, and works as a private investigator only when he finds a case that interests him. But when his stepdaughter Erica asks him to look into the murder of the father of one of her friends, he can't resist helping her out and when he begins to look into the matter he finds more than he expected. This is an entertaining and enjoyable story. The characters are all exceptionally interesting people that you will enjoy getting to know and a plot full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing all the way through.

Former cop turned PI Rushmore McKenzie doesn’t do his work for money, he has plenty of that. He helps out friends in a bind. So when his stepdaughter, Erica asks for help, he can’t refuse. It seems a friend of Erica’s father was murdered a year before and the case has lain cold and unsolved. The son, Malcolm wants answers, so McKenzie starts doing a little digging and discovers another murder that appears linked to another unsolved case. The only factor linking the murders is a group of friends they had in common. With friends like those….