This may be book #19 in the Mac McKenzie series, but Housewright has yet to disappoint. (Sure, this isn't quite as compelling as some of the earlier installments -- but it's still very well-written, and after the close-call Mac survived in the previous adventure, it's good to see that the hero still has life in him!) A good recommendation for both folks who like PI mysteries AND fans of Agatha Christie/"guests trapped in a castle/hotel with a murderer" stories.

This 19th in the series takes McKenzie and Nina into the middle of a family feud at Redding Castle, a resort hotel for over a century.

Despite having promised Nina that he would retire after his last case almost ended him, McKenzie gets pulled in again - this time to help a friend of Nina's.

Jenness Crawford's grandmother owned Redding Castle, a resort hotel for over a century. The grandmother just died and Jenness believes she was murdered.

As we expect, McKenzie does work it all out. The motives? Money, jealousy and vengeance.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Something Wicked is book number 19 in the Mac McKenzie series, but it is the first I have read. So, I expected not to get much depth for the main characters that comes with reading an entire series. However, I didn’t feel that way at all because Rushmore McKenzie is such an interesting, multi-faceted character. I wouldn’t mind reading the series to fully figure him out and his relationship with Nina Truhler.

Something Wicked takes place in Minnesota and really reflects the current times in which we live. It deals with COVID and other issues facing us today. I haven’t read any mysteries set in Minnesota so that was an interesting change of pace for me.

The mystery itself involves a castle, artwork, and family drama. There are complex relationships and intrigues that make the mystery interesting and hard to solve.

Although the mystery was interesting, my favorite part of the story was the cast of characters. I especially enjoyed Mac’s dealings with the local police chief, Dee Gardner. I think Dee deserves her own series, she is so interesting and clever.

Overall, I thought this was an engaging mystery with interesting characters.

Once again Rushmore McKenzie finds himself involved in an investigation. McKenzie, once a detective with the St. Paul police department, had retired after a “situation” from one of his cases made him a millionaire. If you have not read the first book in this series, you really should and you will be hooked on McKenzie, his dry sense of humor and his ability to solve the “favors” he is able to do for friends. His wife, the lovely Nina Truhler and owner of the jazz club Rickie’s, has asked him to investigate the suspicious death of an elderly woman. The woman’s granddaughter, Jenness, once worked for Nina and believes that her grandmother was murdered when she decided not to sell her Redding Mansion Hotel. Tess’s five children were set to inherit the funds from the sale…would one of them have ended their mother’s life to force a sale for the money? A locked room, no autopsy of the body before cremation and five siblings who disagree on what should be done adds up to an intriguing puzzle for McKenzie, one is he determined to solve. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I haven't read any books by this author, but wow this was great! This is a locked room mystery that involves much more such as the development of the family relationship and secretes from the past. This one kept me guessing until the end!

Every avid reader loves to find a new-to-them series that has a long list of books to catch up with. I found myself reading #19 and now I have 18 to binge read. When I started Something Wicked I had some trepidation because I am one of those readers who prefers to read series in order. I needn't have worried. This worked fine as a stand alone and it hooked me from the first chapter. Mac and Nina are now on my list of favorite characters.
The setting was what drew me in from the start. Who wouldn't like to investigate a mystery at a castle/resort? Add family strife, nasty family members, a possible murder and inheritance....count me in. This mystery has it all. The writing style flows well, the characters are well developed and the puzzle was very satisfying. I can't wait to dive into the previous books.
My thanks to the publisher, Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mac and Nina find themselves in the middle of a family feud-and more- when Nina convinces Mac to "vacation" in Redding, Minnesota, which just happens to be where her friend Jen's family castle (yes, castle) is located. Jen is convinced that her grandmother Cass was murdered, probably because of her turnaround on agreement to sell the castle to developers. Was that it? Well Jen's siblings (a horrid lot) and the Sons of Europa (an even worse group of white supremecists) are all tied up in this entertaining mystery. Mac's a good character, Housewright has effectively incorporated the pandemic, and you might not (I didn't) guess where this goes. And, bonus is the positive relationship between Mac and Police Chief Dee Gardner. I've only read a couple of the books in this long running series so this was a sorta standalone for me and it was fine that way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Something Wicked Earns 5/5 Locked Doors…Engaging & Clever!

It seems trouble in its many forms came all at once: Covid lockdowns, Nina and McKenzie’s honeymoon scrapped, Nina’s jazz club flirting with bankruptcy, and Mac getting shot. Now, however, there is a silver lining with the world opening up and Nina’s club, as well as Mac, are healing, so Nina suggests a vacation. Wink! Wink! Nine had already received a frantic call for help from friend and former employee Jenness Crawford. She is managing the family hotel and resort, Redding Castle, and suspects her grandmother’s recent death was not of natural causes. She is very excitement when Nina and McKenzie show up although Mac is surprised it’s going to be a working vacation.

Although Mac does have experience having been a retired St. Paul police detective, neither Nina or Mac are real private investigators; they just help out. After meeting Jen’s aunts and uncles, they learn her grandmother changed her mind about selling the property to developers, yet now she’s gone, the “Sibs” (siblings), are set on reaping the proposed millions. Seeing curious behaviors and hearing interesting conversations does pique Mac’s interest and brings into question…whether or not any of them resorted to murder in order to inherit control over the resort? Or was Tess’s success stopping a rezoning application for a right-wing, so-called religious group a factor? Or is a death just a death? Don’t trust coincidences!

David Housewright’s nineteenth book was wickedly good making me a fan of his Mac McKenzie series. I worried starting so far into the series I’d have too many questions about background and previous incidents, but everything needed was provided, like many standalones. I was totally engaged with the clever, complex drama with plenty of family conflicts and angst over a white separatist/supremacist group and entertained by the multi-generational characters and the shocking conclusion with its right amount of perilous predicaments. Housewright’s writing style included sensory-laden descriptions, diverse personalities, and informative banter including fascinating facts about historical events and figures and Norse mythology, discussions related to several recent headlines, and debates on policing, white supremacists, and religious freedoms to add the realism I demand. The “Just So You Know” wrap up provided plenty of satisfying closure. Using a first-person narrative from McKenzie’s perspective with his inner thoughts and witty repartee was well-developed, but different since I usually read books with female leads; I kept seeing in my mind’s eye a woman, but I sorted that out by picturing my favorite heartthrob. Oooh, yeah! However, I am a sucker for food talk, and the discussion about Sticky Toffee pudding made me drool…alas no recipe, though. Very engaging. Don’t miss this one. Candidate for one of my top 2022 reads!

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Definitely creepy. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This isn't a series or author I've read before, it was fine as a standalone. Although, I think I would've enjoyed the background of previous in the series. The setting in the Minneapolis, St. Paul area was also new, interesting and unfamiliar to me. There were atmospheric and historical facts dispersed throughout. Other than quite a few characters to keep up with, it was an easy read.
The matriarch of Redding Castle, Tess, has passed away leaving a large family of Redding descendants squabbling over keeping or selling the historic family estate.
Jenness Crawford has asked her friend, Nina Truhler, to come help her save the castle from becoming condos. Jenness does not accept that her grandmother's death was natural, she thinks she was murdered. Nina's husband, a former detective, McKenzie, is tricked into thinking this is a weekend getaway.
The eldest son, Benjamin, is executor of Tess's estate. He's married to Olivia, hard to say who has the more shocking secrets, Big Ben or Livie.
The other siblings, Carly, Eden, and Anna, all have varying reasons to want the millions to be had by selling Redding Castle.
Cassandra Boeve, (Cassie) is the owner of Boeve Luxury, LLC, a development company. She has her own agenda and secrets invested in the purchase of Redding Castle to build the new luxury condos. Her office administrator, Veronica, is another devious character entangled in the secrets.
There's also a white supremacist hate group, the Sons of Europa, nearby. They make for another possible suspect in the plot as the strange occurances, burnings and threats continue.
The Redding Police Chief, Deidre Gardner, (Dee) knows McKenzie. He gets caught up in the crimes and increasing drama at the castle. They have their hands full trying to solve the case.
It was an entertaining, enjoyable and suspenseful read. While I wouldn't call it a thriller, I wanted to know "who did it", and didn't guess early on. The characters were described well and relatable. The voice in McKenzie's head drove me a bit nuts, but I assumed the relevance is in a prior book. I would read others in this series and recommend this one as worth the read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of "Something Wicked, Mac McKenzie #19", by David Housewright, and to Minotaur Books. These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

This is a mystery that will keep you turning pages - an occasional investigator agrees to help a friend find out the cause of a mysterious death and the family inheritance - the detective will end up at the family castle trying to hash it out before he is possibly offed

First Sentence: "Jenness Crawford's voice trembled with rage"

Rushmore McKenzie may have retired from the police force, but when a friend of his wife, Nina, asks for help, McKenzie can't refuse. Jenness believes someone murdered her grandmother despite a lack of evidence. However, her biggest concern is that her siblings want to sell their 1883 home, hotel and restaurant, struggling since the pandemic, to developers. The Sons of Europa, a group calling for the preservation of white families, wanting her to sell so zoning laws might be changed, and no one wants that.

Housewright can be relied upon for an excellent sense of time and place, and wonderful dialogue. His realistic inclusion of live in the time of COVID was very well done. He deals with the issues of white supremacy, racism, greed, deceptiveness, infidelity, and more while being objective and non-preachy.

McKenzie, Nina, and the town's sheriff Deb are the ones who hold the story together and maintain our interest. There is a danger inherent with a plot which centers on a family rivalry; the characters tend to be unpleasant. That was certainly the case here. While Jenness avoided that curse, she was overshadowed by the other characters.

There were significant weaknesses to the book. Exposition can be interesting but unless it moves the plot forward, it's filler. Predictability is boring. Highly dramatic points at 50 percent and 75 percent makes one think of "Midsomer Murders." It becomes predictable rather than suspenseful. An ending that tells, rather than shows, seems lazy. Classifying this story as a "locked-room mystery" is deceptive, and a major loose thread, even when acknowledged in the epilogue, wonders why it was there in the first place. Housewright is usually better than this. It appeared his heart just wasn't into this book.

SOMETHING WICKED relies on the strength of its principal characters and they don't disappoint. A protagonist with a strong, committed, supportive relationship is such a pleasure. It may not overcome everything but serves as the core for a decent way to spend a day.

SOMETHING WICKED (UnlInv-Rushmore McKenzie-Minnesota-Contemp) – Okay
Housewright, David – 19th in series
Minotaur Books, May 2022, 336 pp.

Retired detective Rushmore Mackenzie is pulled back into another investigation when his wife Nina's friend is convinced her grandmother was killed. Mackenzie and Nina travel to the castle turned hotel where the family is squabbling over whether to keep the hotel going or sell it to developers. This is a satisfying mystery with likeable main characters.

This book had great characters that were wonderfully woven. The atmosphere was realistic and enchanting. The plot was suitable suspenseful and had twists and turn. It was not the most action packed books but the charm of the characters help to keep it rolling at a good pace. Over all my love for these characters made this book a good read.

David Housewright brings readers a locked room mystery in the latest book in the Mac McKenzie series. In Something Wicked , Rushmore McKenzie agrees to help a friend of his wife’s by investigating a death at a castle turned hotel and a family fighting over the inheritance.

Rushmore McKenzie was a detective with the St. Paul, Minnesota police department until events made him a millionaire and he retired. However, he continues to take on unofficial private investigations for family, friends, and others. After nearly being killed, he’s retired again and bored when his wife, Nina Truhler, owner of Rickie’s, a restaurant and jazz club, convinces him to go to Redding, Minnesota on a vacation. However, the real reason is that Jennes Crawford believes her grandmother was murdered and the siblings who inherited Redding Castle, a hotel and resort, are going to sell it to a developer. Jennes believes someone in the family killed their mother.

McKenzie exudes wit, charm, and the occasional sarcastic remark while investigating crimes. Nina is smart, intelligent, and willing to help friends in need. She uses her business experience to give Jennes ideas on how to increase her revenue streams for the castle. McKenzie and Nina are a relatable couple who pull readers into their lives. Beside McKenzie’s relationship with his wife, his dynamic with Redding Police Chief Deidre (Dee) Gardner was one of the most compelling aspects of the story.

The author weaves a tale involving friends, family, romance, action, death, racism, inheritance, social justice, and divisiveness that pulls readers in and keeps one hooked from beginning to end. Relationships drive the investigation. Diverse characterization and great world-building details add to the depth of the story. Even the effects of the recent pandemic on peoples’ views and actions play a role in the narrative.

The writing flows so well the pages flew by. The plot is solid, absorbing, and intriguing and the historical references added a layer of interest to it. The ending has some surprises that will likely surprise some readers. The last chapter tied up most of the loose ends, but was all telling versus showing. My other quibble was that one of the key loose ends isn’t resolved.

Overall, this engaging novel unleashes wit, suspense, romance, and mystery that make it a twisty read that keeps readers hooked. If you enjoy mysteries, then I recommend that you check out this one. I am looking forward to finding out what happens in McKenzie’s next investigation. This novel works as a standalone novel, but readers will get more background if they start with book one.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and David Housewright provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for May 24, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Something Wicked by David Housewright
Rating: 4 stars

Prolific Minnesota crime writer brings back Rushmore McKenzie surviving a almost fatal shooting. Now recovered he is bored and his long time partner asks him to look into a the death of a friends very rich grandmother. Although it seems straightforward McKenzie finds otherwise.

Comments: A nifty crime novel with a very Agatha Christie style ending. Housewright does Minnesota crime writing a great service.

336 pages

4 stars

Nina Truhler is married to former St. Paul, Minnesota Police Department detective Rushmore McKenzie. While he is officially retired, he still occasionally gets involved in investigations. Nina owns a restaurant. Her business has struggled with the COVID crisis. She is now beginning to see the light at the end of that particular tunnel.

After getting shot in his latest case, Nina insists he retire for good. Except…When Jenness “Jen” Crawford tells Nina her grandmother was murdered at the old castle she owned, Nina is intrigued. The castle was turned into a guest house long ago and sits with a beautiful vista. Nina and McKenzie travel there.

McKenzie is, of course, drawn into another mystery.

David Housewright writes a very good novel. This book is almost a cozy mystery. It is well written and plotted and the characters, especially Nina and McKenzie are engaging and likable. I especially liked the “Angela Fletcher” allusions. I was also glad to see the COVID crisis brought into the book.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions stated here are solely my own.

I was really happy to learn David Housewright was gifting us a new "McKenzie" novel in 2022. I was even happier after reading the advanced NetGalley copy from St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books. Something Wicked is a nice twist on the locked room mystery which reminds us why McKenzie belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of private eyes. Housewright never fails to deliver marvelous mysteries. I hate to state the obvious, but he's one of the best in the genre. Of course, the book features the wit and charm we've come to expect from the author. The "Murder, She Wrote" running gag is especially good. Something Wicked is both a timely read and exceptionally entertaining! One of the best in a strong series! #SomethingWicked #NetGalley

David Housewright's newest featuring one of my favorite fictional couples hits all the right notes. Nina and McKenzie are smart and savvy and fun. Loyal to their friends. Very much in love with one another. A pleasure to be around. Housewright slams right into the face of the crises we're facing today. He does it fairly, honestly, and with guts. Something Wicked is my favorite of a favorite series.