From the Grave

Mac McKenzie #17

by David Housewright

A past case comes back to haunt Twin Cities P.I. McKenzie as a stolen sum of money threatens to resurface in From the Grave, the next mystery in David Housewright's award-winning series.

Once a police detective in St. Paul, Minnesota, Rushmore McKenzie became an unlikely millionaire and an occasional unlicensed private investigator, doing favors for friends. But this time, he finds himself in dire need of working on his own behalf.

His dear friend and first love Shelby Dunston attends a public reading by a psychic medium with the hope of connecting with her grandfather one final time. Instead, she hears McKenzie's name spoken by the psychic in connection with a huge sum of stolen--and missing--money.

Caught in a world of psychic mediums, with a man from his past with a stake in the future, and more than one party willing to go to great and deadly lengths to get involved, McKenzie must figure out just how much he's willing to believe--like his life depends on it--before everything takes a much darker turn.

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Noir

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2020

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

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am on a series binge of David Housewright’s Mac McKenzie collection, of which this is the seventeenth book. Housewright explores the life of Mac ‘Rushmore’ McKenzie, an amateur private investigator from St. Paul, Minnesota who is always eager to help those close to him. A psychic reveals that someone in the afterlife wants Mac dead and has a secret, which creates panic. Mac must come to terms with a shooting from his early days on the police force and process what might be waiting for him in the shadows. Housewright finds new ways to be unique and yet highly entertaining in his writing.

Mac ‘Rushmore’ McKenzie came into a significant amount of money years ago, which led to his abrupt retirement from the St. Paul PD. Now, he’s working as an unlicensed PI and helping those worth his while. This takes on a new meaning when his close friend, Shelby Dunston, reaches out to him with some troubling news. Shelby might have been the first woman Mac ever loved, but she is also well-grounded. Shelby's been to see a psychic, trying to connect with her grandfather, but the only thing that came from it was news that someone in the afterlife wants Mac to be held accountable for some of his actions while he served as a police officer.

This triggers much in Mac's mind, including remembering a justified shooting when he was on the force. He remembers the events as though they were yesterday, but it also triggers memories about the shooting where a bank robbery went sideways. The perp was shot in the head after hiding the loot away, but before revealing its location to Mac. The lingering memories leave Mac feeling off and wanting to tie off all the loose ends.

As Mac relives the events, he tries to synthesise what happened, while also trying to tap into the psychic's memories. There is a son who wants revenge for his father's death and the missing money that could help salve many wounds. The story intensifies as Mac McKenzie makes sense of it all, even as the demons he long-ago put to rest have surfaced anew. Housewright delivers a stunning piece that offers wonderful Mac backstory!

While I have the latest novel in the series as an ARC, I wanted some context and so am binge reading the entire collection. Housewright presents a solid narrative that enriches the story, gaining momentum with each chapter. The story provides a wonderful pathway for the reader's enjoyment, adding some adventure. Characters are unique, with great backstories and some development where it works. Plot points provide surprises and some great direction, fueling my desire to keep bingeing this collection.

Kudos, Mr. Housewright, for a ghostly novel that keeps me praying for more!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In David Housewright's From the Grave, the 17th installment in the Mac MacKenzie mystery series, this caper deals with evil spirits and psychic mediums and dealing with the past. It all started when Shelby Dunston attended a psychic reading with psychic Hannah Braeten and her prediction that someone offered money to kill Rushmore "Mac" McKenzie. From when learns about this, PI Rushmore is quite intrigued to be informed about this and dug into the cold cases with his former partner, Bobby Dunston. It led him to the armored robbery heist and the death of Leland Hayes. It sent McKenzie on a wild goose chase to look for clues for the money and searched for answers to those who associated to Leland in the past. When Kayla Janas, a young psychic protegeé and college student, meets McKenzie, she claims the same thing on what Leland had said. McKenzie had no idea on who and what to believe until the end when it was all for show and the biggest discovery of what happened to the missing money and dispelling Leland's evil haunted spirit away for good.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Sentence: The young woman who identified herself as a psychic medium moved with almost absentminded confidence among the fifty people who had paid forty dollars each for a seat in the community center lecture hall with the hope that she might help them connect with a dead mother or father, uncle or aunt, a dead child—by no promises.

From a friend who attended a psychic reading, former cop, Rushmore McKenzie, learns of a threat placed on his life by the spirit of Leland Hayes, a man McKenzie had killed. Now, more than 21 years later, a highly skeptical McKenzie becomes involved with two psychic mediums to find the money and, due to one of the mediums, to locate a missing woman.

Housewright creates a strong sense of place, even for something as basic as Nina's condo. The interplay between the two characters is easy and natural—"I like your outfit." "Really? Last night you couldn’t wait for me to take it off."—and a particular conversation between them provides good background and an explanation of their relationship. McKenzie's unpleasant neighbor provides a touch of normalcy. Mackenzie has an inner monologue that is used sparingly and effectively, often with a touch of humor. Housewright has also given him an excellent playlist.

It is always fun when an author references other authors. Because of the psychic aspect, he also references a number of popular paranormal investigation shows, but it is McKenzie's skepticism that keeps things grounded until his skepticism is tested. Learning what goes on in the making of such shows is both interesting and demystifying without taking away from the possibility of actuality.

This book is somewhat lighter and less suspenseful than some. In this time of COVID-19 when many are having trouble concentrating, that's not a bad thing. Even so, the story does not lack for twists or red herrings.

FROM THE GRAVE, at its foundation, is a solid mystery, well-constructed and enjoyable. One may, or may not, accept the paranormal aspect, but it does provide an extra layer of creativity. However, best of all, is the ending that makes one smile.

FROM THE GRAVE (Unl Invest/Para/ColdCase-Rushmore McKenzie-Minn/St. Paul, MN – Contemp) – VG
Housewright, David – 17th in series
Minotaur Books, May 2020, 312 pp

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love the kind of books that keep you entertained as well as tell a good story, you've picked the right title. David Housewright belongs on the same library shelf as Janet Evanovich and David Rosenfelt. This is the type of book you will pass around to all of your friends and recommend every time someone says....what should I be reading now!!!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty-odd years ago a young police officer named Rushmore McKenzie shot and killed a man who robbed an armored truck of over $500,000. The money was never recovered. Skip ahead to (more or less) present day and McKenzie is now a millionaire ex-cop who dabbles in unlicensed private investigations.

His life is turned upside down when not one but TWO psychic mediums are "contacted" by the ghost of the man he killed years ago with an offer to reveal the location of the hidden money to anyone who will kill McKenzie. McKenzie isn't too awfully concerned because he knows that there is no such thing as ghosts... except it gets harder and harder to be a non-believer as the mounting evidence seems to suggest otherwise.

This is the seventeenth book in the McKenzie series. I may or may not have read a couple of them years ago - I definitely have not read sixteen of the previous books. After a bit of a muddled start - complete with a lot of backstory - I was up to speed. Once things get up and running it's really, really good. The author has just the right touch so that the plot doesn't get too heavy or too light.

So to sum up: A millionaire ex-cop who solves mysteries. A vengeful ghost. A sidestep into the world of psychic mediums, palm readers, ghosthunters, etc. Except as a tongue-in-cheek parody (which it is NOT) this book should absolutely, positively not work at all... But it does work. It works well as a serious story set firmly in something approximating the real world.

My only real complaint is the amount of expositional information. I prefer a more streamlined narrative and the backstory slows things up from time to time. I would recommend From the Grave to most mystery lovers. It's not too dark but it's not a cozy either.

-- Contains a smattering of adult content and language with a few racial slurs. No explicit violence. Should be appropriate for all but the most sensitive readers.

***Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and author David Housewright for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Dick Aichinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

These McKenzie books are a pleasure. Not overly complicated but enough happening to keep it interesting and the interaction of the characters is like sitting around a table with good friends you can be yourself with.

In this story, McKenzie, the ex-St. Paul cop who does favors for people after becoming rich, is jolted by the wife of his best friend and a best friend in her own way, divulges to him that he is in danger. In danger of being murdered. Curious more than alarmed he pushes her for details of where this information came from. She had attended a psychic medium group event and ... a spirit called him (McKenzie) out. He had robbed an armored car, McKenzie was the cop who ultimately killed him in the gun fight later. The money disappeared in the time from the robbery until 3 hours later with the man was killed. The spirit offered the location of the money if McKenzie was killed. This came out to the man's son who was also in attendance.

This was new. McKenzie has had people who wanted him dead but they were ... well people ... living ... real people. Not a ghost. Of course, he doesn't even believe in ghost, much less mediums who can communicate with ghosts he doesn't believe in. But any danger won't come from if he believes but if others believe. So, the chase is on. What happened to the money? And, how do you solve a 22 year old crime the FBI couldn't solve at the time?

Very entertaining and definitely a different case and cast of characters to solve the case. Having come from Minnesota and "The Cities" in particular it is additionally fun how Housewright pokes fun at the Minnesota sports fan devotion to teams and convincing themselves that winters are really so bad. I hope he continues writing these books for a long time. I am looking forward to the next one to find out what does happen with his girl friend, Nina.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #17 in the Rushmore McKenzie series and what a fantastic addition to the series this book is. I love McKenzie and his girlfriend, Nina. I enjoy McKenzie’s sense of humor, especially when his inner voice talks to him, (which is very frequently). This book is about psychic mediums who get messages from dead people, (a topic that I have always found fascinating). McKenzie receives a message from a man he shot and killed years ago, when he was a cop. The man was killed after an armored car robbery and $654,321 was never recovered. The message from the deadman, Leland, is he wants his son, Ryan, to kill McKenzie and he will then let Ryan know where the money is. I found this book very fascinating and an extra bonus was the wonderful ending.
I’ll definitely be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The past is running to catch up and overpower P.I. McKenzie when a man he killed 20 years ago appears to be after him again. Yes…I said “killed”. Meet psychics Hannah Braaten…a double threat since she can not only see the dead she can hear and speak with them also. During a reading Hannah encounters Leland Hayes…the man that McKenzie killed who wants the $6000.00 that he died for 22 years ago and now he sees no reason that his son shouldn’t be able to get it for him. Obviously that he is dead comes as a big surprise to him. It was a fairly good read but not as good as some of the others in this series. This surprised me since everyone knows how I feel about ghost stories. I found the dialog to be rather stilted and there just wasn’t enough twists to raise it to a 5 star rating.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a typically engaging mystery, with lots of local color about the city I've lived in for over forty years. And with these books I always learn something new. But this one required that I at least partly believe in the ability of some people to converse with the dead and sense the future. For me that was a very big stumbling block to complete enjoyment. I'll still be looking forward to reading others in this excellent series, though.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

FROM THE GRAVE is another solid tale from the prolific David Housewright. This book is the 17th entry in his Rushmore McKenzie series and Housewright is also five books into his Holland Taylor series. That's what I mean by prolific. Even at this considerable publication pace the storytelling remains top drawer. Here, the cast of characters is narrowed to the familiar, as McKenzie's inner circle of Nina, Bobby, and Shelly takes center stage.

Add to the mix the son of a former (short-lived) McKenzie adversary and two beautiful psychic mediums and you have a fast-paced story that spends considerable time dealing with ghosts (real and and imagined or both) from McKenzie's past and the mere mortal humans (both the good and the fraudulent) who try to make a buck off the paranormal world. Somehow the book remains remarkably grounded. Given this backdrop, FROM THE GRAVE could have gone off-rails on several occasions and, yes, there were a couple of times during the reading of this book that eye-rolling wasn't too far off. But the story holds and the flights of fancy strive for the thoughtful rather than the fanciful. And, even in a book full of paranormal activities and talk, the internal logic remains exact. This is one of Housewright's talents. All the threads tie together in the end with nary a wasted plot remnant. No reason not to expect the series to continue at a high level in 2021 and beyond.

McKenzie suspects
chicanery is afoot.
Could be so or not.

[Maryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hesitant to read this book because is was about psychic mediums, but it really surprised me how good it was, no violence and murders and McKenzie did not take beatings. The plot revolves around the discovery of the hiding place of money from an armored car robbery committed twenty-three years ago by a father and son. The father was killed by then police officer McKenzie and the son served time for the crime. Psychic mediums were involved trying to located the money with all kinds of questionable activities. The hiding place of the money was discovered and unresolved questions were answered in an amiable manner. Most enjoyable read!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wild ride! I need to confess that I am not overly fond of Nina...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun, light mystery. My favorite part was the references to local Minnetonka/Minnesota areas. Silly premiss, just don't expect a hard detective novel.

[Beachreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rushmore McKenzie has always been one of my favorite protagonists. He is sarcastic and witty and often unsure of himself so he debates issues and decisions with his "inner voice." He is loyal to his longtime friend Bobby Dunston and his wife Shelby
and to his partner Nina.

The stories are set in MN, mainly in the twin cities. The setting is very colorful with descriptions that evoke the harsh winters. The writer mentions local bars, restaurants, and clubs; neighborhoods; and many streets and buildings located in the Cities. My familiarity with the area from numerous trips there to visit relatives adds a bit of extra enjoyment for me.

From the Grave, the seventeenth entry in this series, left me very disappointed. The mystery is a weak thread. Psychic mediums assist an unwilling McKenzie in locating some missing money from an armored truck robbery. Bobby Dunston's wife draws McKenzie into this weird case.

The pace is stalled by all the time spent on the work of mediums and the descriptions of various supposed paranormal encounters. There is very little tension and no suspense. This really is not on par with the earlier books in the series.

There is a lot of talk about sex and McKenzie and Nina's sex life. This does not enhance the story at all. It was never a topic in the previous books as I remember.

Another thing that really began to bother me was McKenzie's (and therefore the author's) sexist attitude toward every female character. They wore short skirts or tight jeans with knee high boots. They had shapely legs. They were beautiful or more beautiful than another character.

I seem to be finding a lot of male mystery writers who objectify women. Pretty soon there won't be any that I want to read. Goodbye, Rushmore McKenzie and David Housewright (his last two Holland Taylor mysteries are prime examples of this).

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all the books in the McKenzie series and enjoyed the majority, but From the Grave was dead on arrival. I just couldn’t get into the psychic medium theme and I found the story to be slow, boring and unexciting with no suspense or drama. The only real action was when McKenzie’s neighbor was shot, but then we find out it had absolutely nothing to do with the plot. My recommendation - don’t buy it, bury it.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review can be found here: https://www.criminalelement.com/book-...

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5

Rushmore 'Mac' McKenzie is a private investigator, a former police officer, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He left the force in order to accept the reward money from a case he had solved. Police officers can't accept reward money. Now a case from his police days has come back to haunt him. Literally.

One of Mac's closest friends, Shelby Dunston, hurries to inform him about an incident she just encountered at a public event in which a local psychic medium was giving readings. One man in the audience got upset and made a scene when he was told that his father, speaking through the medium, told him he would reveal the location of the money if he killed McKenzie. Shelby is certain it's Mac the medium/spirit was talking about.

It doesn't take long to realize that the man at the public reading was Ryan Hayes. Ryan was only recently released from prison where he was serving a twenty-five year sentence for his part in an armored car robbery - even though most people agreed he was forced into it by his father, Leland Hayes. Leland Hayes was shot in the head by second year officer Rush McKenzie. The money, hidden shortly before the shootout, was never found. Now it seems that Leland is trying to enact his revenge from the grave, by putting up a reward (the secret to where he hid his money) in exchange for killing Mac.

A Mac McKenzie novel is not the sort of book where one expects to find a little supernatural element. But don't worry ... Mac's not a believer. Well, not at first, anyway.

We've often seen McKenzie investigating in order to help others, so this is a fun treat to see him out there to protect himself and to answer some nagging questions (how does a medium know so much about him?).

We get to experience the world of psychics and mediums (there's a convention that McKenzie gets to attend), as well as the world of 'reality television' - wouldn't you know ... the psychic who delivers the message about 'killing McKenzie' also happens to be in the running for a new reality tv show (it helps that she's an attractive woman).

McKenzie (and the reader) gets sidetracked here and there with some red herrings. Honestly, I'd feel cheated if that weren't the case with a McKenzie novel. But for the most part, this is pretty straight-forward and it's not as intense a thriller as some of his recent McKenzie novels have been. Still McKenzie is a great character and this is recommended read for mystery fans.

Looking for a good book? From the Grave by David Housewright is the 17th book in the Mac McKenzie Mystery series, though it can be read as a stand-alone novel. Mystery fans will enjoy this brush with the paranormal.

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

[Jarl Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being from Minnesota myself, you would think that I would have read all of David Housewright's McKenzie novels, especially since I am a fan of John Sandford's "Prey" and "Virgil Flowers"series, which also take place in Minnesota and which also feature lots of local texture and crime-solvers who don't abide by the rules, although Sandford's protagonists are still working for the system.

I guess that since I had met this author a dozen times at parties and found him just a regular Minnesotan--the kind of guy who lets other people talk and who brings too much food to the potluck--that the books that he had only begun writing then would likely be clever, but inoffensive.
Alexander McCall Smith with snow, maybe.

As with so many things, I was completely wrong about David Housewright's work. This is his 25th book so he's had lots of time to polish his craft, but if the previous 24 are anywhere near as good, I am in for a lot of enjoyable reading.

Other reviewers, no doubt, will go into the plot of "From the Grave" in detail. Suffice it to say, the detective novel that stumbles headlong into the "psychic phenomenon industry" is not going to be unchanged by the experience. There are a fair number of plates spinning at any one time with the hero having to deal with a personal life while he's trying to find some very real heist money that is being offered by the thief as a bounty on P.I. McKenzie's head.

Oh, and the thief has been dead for 20 years.

Lastly, I know that this series is on audio. If you've listened to John Sandford's books on audio and you've spent enough time in Minnesota to know how street names, landmarks and even fish (It's "CROP-ee" not "crappy") are supposed to be pronounced, I am guessing that the McKenzie audio series will be produced by someone who is not deliberately trying to torture you.

But I could be wrong.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read anything by this author, and I chose it for the title.

Twenty+ years ago, former cop, McKenzie blew the head off of a bank robber who was shooting at the police at a road block. The bank-robber had forced his 17 year old son to go with him and the kid was caught and given the prison sentence his father would have gotten had he been prosecuted.

McKenzie's former partner's wife go to a psychic demonstration, that the bank robber's son also attends and medium supposedly called forth the dead bank robber who tells his son that he'll tell him where the money is hidden if he'll kill McKenzie.

When McKenzie is told of this, he begins to investigate the medium, the bank robber's son, and another psychic medium who has had a similar experience with the dead bank robber & his son.

Meanwhile, McKenzie's former partner meets the second medium in his home and she reveals information on his current case, that leads to the discovery of the body of a missing woman and helps him solve the case.

I found the book very interesting with rather accurate descriptions of psychics & phenomenon.

I liked the characters and the author's honesty when explaining the accuracy& abilities of psychics, mediums & other para-normal practitioners.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More than two decades before the events in this book begin, then-cop Mac McKenzie kills a man who had held up an armored car. Leland Haze took more than six hundred thousand dollars. Twenty-two years later, McKenzie’s adolescent arms-length love, Shelby Dunston is attending a public reading by a former model turned psychic medium. She’s giving a reading to the son of the guy McKenzie killed all those years ago, and he says he’ll reveal where he stashed the more than six hundred thousand dollars if someone will kill McKenzie. McKenzie is now an unlicensed private investigator who does occasional investigative favors for select friends. He’s already a millionaire, and the author explained how that happened in an earlier book in the series.

McKenzie is healthily skeptical when he learns that a ghost has put up a reward for his life. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he confronts his skepticism and revamps it based on experiences he has.

I’m skittish at best around paranormal plots. Because of Housewright’s excellent writing style, I found it easier to deal with ghostly plots than I otherwise would have.

This was an entertaining read with an unusual but satisfactory ending.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a satisfying, creepy, engaging read.

This was more than just another Minnesota mystery with a loner sleuth finding clues in the snow.
McKenzie is your consummate loner, it's true, even though he has lots of friends and his lovely Nina. I just get that vibe from him. This story had him calling in favors all around, and digging back 20 years to try to retrace the steps of a nasty, cruel bank robber.

I loved it. I loved the characters, especially McKenzie himself, and Ryan. I loved the psychics, and all that entailed. I loved the digging through history aspect, the dive bar, the drives through my town (although I still am not 100% sure if the geography is perfect).

I loved Nina in this one, I loved her and McKenzie together.

And I loved the ending. I had to stop reading last night, because whoa. I continued this morning, and I'm glad that I stopped where I did! Because believe me, you do not want to be reading this at the end alone at night by yourself. Just trust me on that.

I have only read a couple of the earlier McKenzie books, and I liked them. But this one feels like it could be the best one yet. I loved it.

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the Grave is the seventeenth mystery in the detective series featuring Twin Cities detective Mac McKenzie. It all starts when a friend of Mac’s goes to a psychic reading and a malevolent ghost shows up and promises the secret of a hidden treasure in exchange for murdering Mac.

So Mac begins to investigate and in the course of the investigation, he encounters four good friends, three bad guys, two psychics, and a ghost in a haunted house.

From the Grave is interesting. The mystery itself is fair. I like the characters and always have. However, I did not see Mac McKenzie becoming a ghost hunter. I guess I like my detectives to stay in their lane and he just took an off-ramp.

That does not mean I am not eagerly awaiting book number eighteen

I received an e-galley of From the Grave from the publisher through NetGalley.

From the Grave at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan

David Housewright author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

[ImA PrivateDude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really interesting and I really enjoyed reading it. When Shelby goes to see a psychic medium to try and contact her deceased grandfather, she overhears someone else’s reading. The psychic is repeating the name McKenzie a lot. Shelby happens to know someone named McKenzie, and learns that someone is trying to get McKenzie killed from the grave. Only when McKenzie is killed will he tell his son where the $654,321 he stole right before getting killed is hidden. With his past catching up to him, McKenzie has to find the money as fast as he can, and survive at the same time. McKenzie can’t do this alone. Since his life is in danger, he is able to get help from people. I really like that because as humans, we have a responsibility to look out for each other. This book is kinda similar to real life in the sense that sometimes criminals try to get revenge on cops who put them in prison or jail. I’d rate this book 4 out of 5. It’s not the best book I’ve read, but I certainly enjoyed it.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another case for irreverent former St. Paul, Minnesota homicide detective Rushmore McKenzie. Years ago, after catching an embezzler, McKenzie chose to resign from the force and claim the over three million reward. Now, he helps people out and this time he is the one who needs help. A psychic medium has told him that the man he killed during an armored car robbery is now a spirit and wants McKenzie dead. Of course, McKenzie doesn’t believe in ghosts, spirits or psychic mediums, but when someone is killed and it should have been him, he begins to take things a little more seriously. I love the writing style of Mr. Housewright as there is mystery, a solid story and humor that makes his books some of my favorites to read. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Onetime St. Paul, Minn., cop turned unlicensed detective Rushmore "Mac" McKenzie's past has come back to haunt him. During a lecture, a psychic medium channels a dark presence who talks about a large sum of money and repeats the name McKenzie. The presence calls for McKenzie's death before it will reveal the location of the money. His best friend Chief of Detectives Bobby Dunston's wife is in the audience & she later relays all this to Mac, who thinks the presence, if it exists, is Leland Hayes, a criminal Mac shot dead 25 years earlier in the aftermath of a bank robbery, from which the money was never recovered. Mac is soon caught up in the world of psychics, "reality" TV production, and very real physical threats by those seeking the lost treasure.

[Mike Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love "smart-talking" heroes, you'll love the Rushmore (Mac) McKenzie series by David Housewright. From The Grave is the latest winning entry in the series. It is as delightful as any the writer has gifted us. McKenzie is his usual witty self as he tackles the most unusual of death threats. The supporting cast is strong and the plot hums along at an entertaining pace. The eclectic mix of bad guys, good guys, witnesses, and psychics proves to be an irresistible combination. There are a lot of great fictional heroes based in the Midwest and this book reminds us why McKenzie is one of the best.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt quite lost for almost half of the book. Guess some series are hard to start with book 17, even if it is in the Twin Cities. Early in his career as a cop, Mac was in a position where he killed a bank robber and the accomplice, who was also his son, was sent to Federal prison. No cop ever fully recovers from such a thing, but after all these years it seems that the dead man wants Mac dead before he will reveal to his son where the loot was stashed. This is attested to by two separate psychic mediums. Interesting premise and Mac's personal life is craftily woven through it. Interesting read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be pretty entertaining, as in funny. The entire story revolves around psychic mediums and a beyond the grave threat on McKenzie's life. I do hope however that people are aware that psychics and that ilk are not talking with the dead, they are talking with demons and opening themselves and everyone else around them to evil.
Burning sage and saying the St. Michael prayer is not going to remove a demon from a house. That had me laughing. Don't try to order any evil entity out of anywhere with that routine. Yikes!
The ending however, was great. Can't wait to pick up the next book in the series.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how McKenzie was pulled into this one, so unusual. It was fun to see how skeptical McKenzie was with the psychic's and rightfully so for the most part. As McKenzie worked to uncover what was really at the heart of things it was interesting what he uncovered and how, especially the Saturday drive he took with his friend Bobby. While McKenzie did get rid of the evil spirit and figure out what happened to the money, I'm glad that he kept that one last secret. I think it was the right thing to do with all the facts known.

[Karin Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read in this series but I am going to go back and read them all! Love this main character and I think the other books in the series may help me gain a better understanding of how he ended up where he did. I felt like I was missing something. The plot is great...just enough twists and turns to hold my interest and the end left me wanting more. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.