A Hard Ticket Home

I have been impressed with David Housewright's writing since his debut novel, Penance, appeared some years ago. From what I've heard elsewhere, I was one of the few who liked it, but that sort of thing has never bothered me in the past. He had one character there, an ex-cop named Holland Taylor, and he's started a second character here, another ex-cop named Rushmore "Mac" Mackenzie. Mac's a regular sort of guy, except that while a cop he managed to find an embezzler everyone else was looking for, and collect the reward for being the guy who tracked the fugitive down. This led to his being on the outs with his police department, so he quit. Now he occasionally helps people in trouble, though of course he's not a licensed investigator or anything. In the current book, he's hired to find a woman who ran away from her parents just after she turned 18. They haven't seen her since, and her younger sister has developed leukemia. Neither of the parents are acceptable donors, but a daughter might be, so off Mac goes, looking for her. Soon, people are shooting at him, women coming on to him, and the dead bodies and confusing plot twists are piling up. This is a very good mystery, perhaps Housewright's best. The plot's logical and everything connects. The suspects are all believable, the crimes are things that at least could happen, and the solution to everything is satisfying. I would recommend this book.

recommending this book and author! Loved the book and found a new literary hero (and new author). I highly recommend this book to any and all who love a terrific plot line, great characters and a can't-wait-to-turn-the-pages read...I definitely will be reading ALL this author's titles and am just starting the first of his Holland Taylor books-can't wait to jump in!!! If you enjoyed this book, you might also look into Lee Child's books, Harlan Coben, Tess Gerritsen, J.A. Jance (J.P.Beaumont titles), Chris Grabenstein.

I loved the Holland Taylor books and a few years ago, I emailed David Housewright, wondering when the next would appear in print. I don't remember his exact response, but the gist was that his former publisher had lost interest in the series, and other publishers were reluctant to take on a series started by another house. This is an Edgar Award winning series! Oh, well...the plot summary of the fourth Holland Taylor book soon disappeared from his website, and now we have Rushmore Mackenzie, a new hero and a new publisher. Mac is a bit less hard bitten than Holland Taylor, perhaps, a little more optimistic in his outlook, a bit more vulnerable, but pretty much the same. Smart, determined and ready to give his all to right wrongs and pursue justice. There's always room for one more true blue American hero! An excellent debut.

After almost a dozen years on the St. Paul Police force, Rushmore McKenzie knows he has no chance of promotion ever since he made a righteous killing using a gun that was not standard police issue. When he finds an embezzler and the money he stole, he quits the force. This makes him eligible to take the insurance company reward for the return of the money. He is now a wealthy unlicensed private eye taking cases that interest him.Richard and Molly Carlson ask him to find their daughter Jamie who left years ago and never returned. Their younger daughter Stacy is dying of leukemia and her only hope is a bone marrow transplant. After a thorough search he locates Jamie who tells him she will get in touch with him after she tells her husband about the family he never knew she had. When he doesn't hear from her, he goes to her home only to find her murdered. Her husband and son are missing, but Jamie's parents want him to locate their grandson who might be a match for Stacy. The investigation turns deadlier when eight men connected to the case are murdered, some by McKenzie's hand.The case off as a missing person's case but turns into a conspiracy linking a business group with a low profile gang armed with East European weapons. David Housewright has written an exciting, action packed crime thriller in which it is difficult to tell the good people from the bad. A HOT TICKET HOME is a dark urban thriller that will have readers wondering what lurks behind the masks certain people wear to cover the evil that resides within.Harriet Klausner