Penance

Holland Taylor #1

by David Housewright

A Minneapolis PI investigates the murder of the man who killed his wife

Holland Taylor is comfortable in interrogation rooms. For years the cold dark cells of the Minneapolis homicide squad were his turf, and with the help of his partner he wrung confessions out of countless killers. But that was long ago. Tonight Taylor is on the other side of the desk. Tonight he is the suspect. Taylor’s career in the department ended after his wife and daughter were killed in a drunk driving accident. The culprit, John Brown, was sentenced to a measly six years for vehicular manslaughter, and Taylor vowed bloody vengeance in front of open court. After a few months of freedom, Brown is shot dead, and Taylor, now a private investigator, is called in as the obvious suspect. He didn’t kill John Brown, but he will find out who did if—even it means tearing Minneapolis apart from the inside out.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Detective, Audiobook

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

A past president of the Private Eye Writers of America, David Housewright has published 28 crimes novels including In A Hard Wind (June 2023 St. Martin’s Minotaur) and has contributed short stories to 15 anthologies and other publications. He has earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, a Shamus nomination from the PWA, and three Minnesota Books Awards. A reformed newspaper reporter and ad man, he has also taught writing courses at the University of Minnesota and Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. His name and face were recently added to “Minnesota Writers on the Map” by the Minnesota Historical Society and Friends of the St. Paul Public Library.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The trouble with the Minnesota school of hard boiled fiction is that all the authors sound like John Sandford.

A young PI is hired to defuse a scandal that is dogging the campaign of a political candidate. From there, everything is predictable.

Housewright's Mac MacKenzie series is much better.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holland Taylor, ex-homicide cop finds himself the suspect in the case of the death of John Brown, the man who killed his wife and daughter in a DUI car accident. Brown was killed just a few months after his release from prison after serving most of a four-year sentence, so naturally Taylor becomes a suspect.

He's sucked into the investigation by his former partner, Anne Scalesi, now a lieutenant in the St. Paul Homicide unit and he’s thrown into the midst of the campaign of C.C. Munro who might become the first female governor of Minnesota. As the dead bodies pile up and connections appear, Taylor has some serious navigating to do through the swamp.

It has cynicism, a nifty plot, and humor. Can’t ask for more than that.

P.S. He has a pet rabbit.

An excellent P.I. story. I will definitely read more. Really, 4.5

[Yv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wat als je als ex-agent ineens verdachte bent in een moordonderzoek en je aan de andere kant van de verhoortafel terecht komt?

Dat overkomt Holland Taylor. Vier jaar geleden verloor deze detective zijn vrouw en kind door een ongeval. Hij heeft moeite om dit te verwerken, raakt uiteindelijk van het pad af en besluit te stoppen bij de politie. Omdat hij nog graag mensen helpt hun problemen op te lossen, besluit hij als privé-detective verder te gaan. Als de man, die verantwoordelijk was voor de dood van zijn gezin, vrijkomt uit de gevangenis en dood wordt aangetroffen, is Taylor meteen de verdachte. Ineens zit hij aan de andere kant van de tafel in de ondervragingsruimte. Nadat hij wordt vrijgelaten, blijft het door zijn hoofd spoken en hij besluit zelf te achterhalen wat zich heeft voorgedaan. Holland neemt ons mee op sleeptouw in een interessant onderzoek waar veel meer achter blijkt te zitten dan in eerste instantie wordt gedacht.

Holland heeft een sarcastische kijk op de wereld en maakt dan ook vaak grapjes in deze toon. Hier moet je van houden, want het boek staat er vol mee. Niet alle grapjes zijn even leuk, maar bij de meeste ontsnapte wel een gniffel. Holland is een sterk karakter en draagt het boek, maar gelukkig wel zonder te dominant te zijn. Hij aarzelt niet om hulp te vragen als hij dat nodig vindt en is geen einzelgänger die alles beter denkt te weten.

"I'll drive you home," she suggested.

"I can drive myself," I told her and to prove it, I stood up too quickly, lurched forward, caromed off my desk, fell against the wall and let her catch me by the arm.

De tekst is in eerste persoon geschreven en hierdoor zien we alles vanuit de ogen van Taylor. Dit zorgt ervoor dat je betrokken raakt bij de personages. We voelen Taylors twijfels over vijanden en liefdevolle gevoelens naar vrienden. Hierdoor is het erg lastig om geen sympathie op te wekken voor hem.

Vol warme gevoelens en humor word je in deze thriller mee een onderzoek in getrokken. Wees niet bang dat het saai wordt, want bloederige details zijn er ook genoeg. Niet in overvloed, maar wel aanwezig. De goed uitgewerkte karakters en het fijne plot maken van Penance een cozy thriller dat een fijne twist op de standaard thriller is.

[Tulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good first book.

Minnesota gubernatorial election, Private Investigator Holland Taylor involved in investigating blackmail. Himself is suspected killing drunk driver just got out of jail. He was the drunk drive that killed his wife and daughter. He was determined to find who killed him, investigations cover other murders in the election campaign. Many suspects and who and why keeps you turning the pages. Holland has a cute rabbit named Ogilvy.

[David Freas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holland Taylor is a retired cop working as a PI who suddenly finds himself caught up in several cases: the murder of the man who killed his wife and daughter in a drunk driving accident, the attempted blackmail of a woman running for governor of Minnesota, and exposing a card sharp (‘mechanic’) who took a bookie for a huge sum of money in a poker game. The three interweave and in the end all are resolved but not before Holland is shot at, beaten up, and accused of murder several times.

Reading an author for the first time is always a crapshoot. Will I like him or hate him? Will I connect with the main character or not care if he or she lives or dies, solves the case or fails miserably?

This crapshoot came up a winner. Holland Taylor is just enough different—he’s not a drunk or recovering alcoholic, he’s come to terms with his wife and daughter’s deaths, he’s not a hardass—to be refreshing. He’s tough when he has to be, not just because he can. He’s a bit like Parker’s Spenser in his take on things and at one point, even compares himself to Spenser.

There were a few spots where I had a little trouble understanding what the characters were saying, following what they were revealing. And I think the ending could have been a little stronger. Those small points aside, I’m glad I tried Housewright.

Now, I have another author on my ‘To-read’ list and look forward to reading more of his work. It’s too bad there are only two more books in this series. I’ll have to try his other series as well and hope it’s as good.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: PI Holland Taylor
SETTING: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES: #1 of
RATING: 2.75
WHY: A cop turned PI looks into a murder and becomes involved with a gubernatorial campaign. For me, the book was marred by inconsistent characterization and a plot that spun out of control at the conclusion. The book was an Edgar winner - go figure.

[Linda Prihoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, the first in a series of three, is about an ex-cop turned private investigator who gets involved in several murders in and around the Minnesota State Capitol. The writing is at times very witty. There are a number of peripheral characters whose links to the overall story are confusing at times. The ending was somewhat rushed. Overall, I enjoyed the book and plan on reading the others in the series. The author also writes a different series that I plan to check out. I visited the author's website and learned that one of the three books in this series may be made into a movie.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delicious mystery with a number of great twists, a challenging solution, and some truly memorable local color. (Housewright NAILS St. Paul and Minnesota. NAILS them.) It's hard to say more without giving away the details, so you'll just have to trust my star rating. Points off for a fairly inexplicable subplot.

[Roseanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this book better than I thought I would. It's an easy read, with a great plot. I didn't figure it out at all, it kept me guessing.

[Andrew Belleci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im not sure how I feel about this author and book. It's my first exposure and I really enjoyed the main character, Taylor. The story however was very difficult to follow. At times plot points were vague and character introductions confusing and unclear. This was in part due to a myriad of victims and potential suspects. The conclusion still didn't really make sense to me. I think I'll give him another shot and then move on to his other series.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Edgar-winner for best first novel, this p.i. procedural with an election/Minnesota setting deserved the award.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had this on the shelf for years, don't know why I waited so long. Very worthy of the Edgar for first novel.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holland Taylor lost his wife and daughter to a drunken driver. Soon after that man is released from prison, he is murdered and Holland is a suspect. He is soon cleared, but told to figure out who did it by his former partner. Along the way, there are political candidates, bribery, cheating at poker games and unrequited love. As more bodies pile up it becomes unclear whether the killings are linked or randomly coincidental.

A likeable enough character, and an easy enough read, but it felt a little like getting dumped in the middle of the story at times. That's not a completely bad thing, it's was just at times a little confusing. All was explained, so perhaps that is to throw the reader off. Along the way, there are some interesting and unexpected twists and turns to the story.

Recommended for a quick bit of hard boiled mystery action.

[Don Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3). No, a burned out cop who becomes a P.I. Is certainly not a new concept, but it usually works. And with a cool guy like Holland Taylor, it certainly does. This is a very contemporary story, lots of politics and much more, with enough twists and turns to get you ready for the amusement park. A little violence, a little sex and a fair amount of greed and overbearing ambition fill our plates nicely. An easy little read. Good stuff.

[Coffee&Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rocky start, but enjoyable read. I saw more than a few typos which point to this being an amateur effort however once the book got started I couldn't put it down. I will definitely check out more titles by this author.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

clever whodunit. Takes place in Twin Cities which is fun to recognize names of familiar locales.

[Jeffrey Philips · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Housewright won an Edgar for this book in 1996. It is written in first person, has some humorous sections also. Nice twist towards the end. I really enjoyed reading this mystery.

[B. Shaun Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. Had some great twists and turns. Got confusing with some of the characters toward the end. Overall a good read.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of David Housewright's Mac Mackenzie novels, but while I'm waiting for the next one I need another place to go, so I decided to try his other, apparently less successful series. This one has a former Saint Paul cop, now private investigator, who is rough around the edges, troubled and depressed, not always completely honest with those around him, a little dodgy, but who never quits thinking and is relentless in getting his man. He is the narrator, which makes plotting difficult, but from the very beginning we realize there will be many layers of duplicity he will have to work through. But how can you not pull for a guy who writes like this, describing the atmosphere at a political campaign headquarters:

There was an energy coursing through the room that I could not define. Tension, anxiety, pure joy; all of the above. Everyone was smiling, everyone seemed to be feeding off everyone else's adrenaline. I had felt that energy only once before: while walking through the concourse at the Metrodome during the '87 World Series, after Kent Hrbek launched his grand salami into the right-field seats and every soul in Minnesota realized that this time--unlike four Super Bowls, two Stanley Cups and two presidential elections--this time we would not lose.

[Judi Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a good detective book and saw some great reviews for this author. Even though this was a older book (1995), I really enjoyed it.

Holland Taylor is a P.I. He was formerly a detective, but left. His wife and daughter were killed by a drunk driver and his whole life fell apart.

He wakes up in the morning to be taken in for questioning on a murder. When he tries to contact his friend and partner, Anne, she won't have anything to do with him and they were both close. Now he is on the case of who might have committed the murder of this man and why they wanted him involved, just to question and let him go.

A really great read and can't wait to read some more by this author.

[Tashagoodreads]

DNF.

Our intrepid hero drinks Summit Pale Ale. I do too, but who cares what brand he drinks? Very distracting, adolescent writing. And for every woman in every situation, we are told how pretty (or not) she is, what she's wearing, etc. Very distracting, adolescent writing.

Then we're told the most brutal homicides are committed by homosexuals. Really?

One scene has Taylor and his companion attacked by two guys with knives. Of course, they were Black. Why not White? Why not some other skin color? Why not Trump's Proud Boys? Again, adolescent writing.

This is the first Housewright book I've read. Are they all like this?

I prefer Arthur Conan Doyle, Tana French, Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book #1 in the Holland Taylor series. I love Housewright's Rushmore MacKenzie series so thought I'd dip into this series as well. Penance was written in the '90s and I enjoyed all the references (stopping at a gas station to use the pay phone!). Holland Taylor is a former Minneapolis detective who is now a private investigator. He left the force after his wife and daughter were killed by a drunk driver who received what he considered a slap on the wrist. Disillusioned with the justice system, he left the politics of the police department to go out on his own.

My only complaint was the narrator of this audio book mispronounced most of the MN cities mentioned. I can understand Owatanna, maybe Mankato and Edina, but who's never heard of Minneapolis?

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable introduction to private investigator, Holland Taylor. Hard to believe I missed a series written by an author who lives in my area. The chances are I didn't, but after 28 years, do not remember. That is okay, I would be getting a first time, second time around.

I liked the main character and I liked the few people in world that he interacts with as he gets caught up into a very bizarre case where bodies are piling up and no one is really sure of who killed who.

Great story. I see many more books out there, some with this character and many with another. I will have to give them all a try.

[John Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Housewright's first book, and his original character, Holland Taylor. I red this quite a while ago and have been a big fan of Housewright ever since. He's never let me down. I love his writing and his stories. He's apparently finally free to write another Holland Taylor book (He had to quit the Taylor series when he changed publishers I think I remember him saying.) But it's been so long since I read the first three (Taylor) books I thought I'd go back and re-read them so I'd be all ready for the new one. It's a great story and a an excellent whodunit.

[Susan Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoy David Housewright's Mac McKenzie series, and I'm all caught up with the series so I figured I try his Holland Taylor series. Meh...It's ok. The plot seemed a bit ridiculous but I kept going with it....political intrigue...multiple murders...and too many suspects to keep track of! I like the character of Holland Taylor and am curious to see how he grows (or doesn't) in the series. Still a major fan of David Housewright and Mac McKenzie!

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I could give it 2.5 stars I would have. I read this because it was an Edgar award winner. I did not like it THAT much. Without wanting to spoil anything the protagonist was a little too cutesy for me. The story had too many characters and was too unbelievable. This kind of writing reminds me of mass market stories I don't care for. If you like John Sanford you would likely enjoy this author. In the end it was not for me.

[Kelvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a 1990s book with a setting in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. It is a very well written book with clean crispy writing and moves pretty fast. The plot is quite complex with many different threads and has a lot of characters and moving pieces, as well as a pretty high body count. The hero is an ex-cop who is now a PI Holland Taylor. He is actually a pretty likeable guy.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good story. Holland is a bit too hard-boiled. As a native Minnesotan, I try to read/listen to books by MN authors. My only complaint was that the reader did NOT run place names by a Minnesotan. He even had an extra vowel sound in "Minneapolis," but the really bad pronunciations were "Nicolette" and "Mankato."

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook, which was very well done. I pulled this up from Libby when I could not find the other books I was looking for. I enjoyed this more at the beginning, but the plot got pretty complicated for me, especially listening to this book. I then kind of lost track of the plot a little bit. It was still interesting and the protagonist was fun to imagine and entertaining.