Madman on a Drum

First Sentence: They kidnapped Bobby Dunston's daughter in the middle of a bright September afternoon off a city street that I had traveled safely maybe a thousand times when I was a kid. Former St. Paul cop Rushmore McKenzie returned from the force in order to receive a $1M finders fee on embezzled funds. His friend, and investment manager, has increased his wealth five-fold. The daughter of his best friends, and of his heart, has been kidnapped. The kidnapper is asking for $1M saying they can get it from McKenzie. Finding the kidnapper is not the end of the case, but the beginning of greater threat on the life of McKenzie and those to whom he is close. For me, Housewright should be in the ranks of Rankin, Connelly, Craig, Parker and others. In some ways, I like his protagonists more than some of the others. McKenzie is macho, yet flawed. His sense of humor lightens the story and can get the character into trouble. I was particularly taken with McKenzie's explanation as to why he still puts his life at risk and helps people. Housewright is skilled at including local flavor and history to his locations, explanations of the Minnesota justice system and a myriad of other details that are fascinating and instructive without ever intruding on or slowing down the plot, action and suspense of the story. The story was gripping; one of those I started at 3 p.m. and finished at 1 a.m. because I couldn't stop until I was done. The suspense built with each new twist. The violence can be brutal, but so are the bad guys. It was Housewright's best book yet; an excellent read

"Madman On A Drum" is David Housewright's 5th Rushmore McKenzie novel and they just get better and better. McKenzie is the flawed former police officer who once resigned from the force to collect several million dollars in reward money and has used that money to become an unlicensed PI who does "favors" for friends in trouble. This time, his friend in need is his lifelong buddy and chief of the homicide unit of the St. Paul Police Department, Bobby Dunston. Bobby's eldest daughter, Victoria, has been kidnapped off the streets of St.Paul in broad daylight. Soon, the Dunston family receives a ransom request for one million dollars that they can only secure from McKenzie who is more than glad to offer it since the Dunston family is his adopted family--he cares as much for the kidnapped Victoria as her own parents. Bobby and McKenzie sense that they know the kidnapper from the phone calls but that is on hold as McKenzie must deliver the ransom money personally in exchange for Victoria's life. A hair raising yet intriguing car chase ensues across the Twin Cities as McKenzie is ordered hither and yon by the mysterious kidnapper via cell phone(s) in a suspenseful cat and mouth game to isolate McKenzie from any assistance from police or electronic surveillance. After securing Victoria's release, things get murkier as the action accelerates. One of the kidnappers is found dead and suddenly a $50,000 contract (using his own money) is issued for McKenzie's death. As he and the police scramble to track down the kidnapper, McKenzie is forced to dodge and elude would be assassins and hit men from all walks of life who are seeking the quick payoff. As McKenzie closes in on the mastermind behind both the kidnapping and the contract hit, loyal McKenzie readers will be caught gasping. I am not a Minnesotan yet I feel I know the Twin Cities from the wonderful descriptions Housewright employs as his novels unfold. His characterizations are also spot on as he builds character and dialogue that are believable and real to the reader. McKenzie is a protagonist who just seems to get better to this reader with each outing. He has a conscience yet also a temper that can get him into trouble. He cares deeply about others yet has no problem resorting to violence when appropriate. He is a cool thinker who uses well thought out police work to find answers and even when he makes mistakes, he recovers in time to restore your faith in him. I recommend Housewright to any reader of noir and thriller genres. His efforts include humor, violence, strong love interests, double crosses, heady doses of the Twin Cities and environs, and good old fashioned enjoyable plotting. Rushmore McKenzie is an outstanding character in a great series and "Madman On A Drum" is a good stand alone for the new reader to explore.

This book is a great read but if it is your first exposure to author David Housewright, do yourself a favor and go back to read the first Rushmore McKenzie book and then read the rest in order to get to this one. This book stands on its own -- the author gives enough information for you to enjoy it even without reading them all in order. But you will enjoy it even more if you've been with the character from the beginning. I'm a Minnesotan so I appreciated all the Minnesota references and the chase across the Twin Cities to make the ransom drop, but even readers for whom the references will be no more than names on the page will enjoy this book. In addition to the usual intensity of McKenzie's investigations, this case is personal. In a way all of McKenzie's cases are personal because he does "favors" for friends. But this one is a whole different level of personal because it involves the family of Bobby Dunston, McKenzie's best friend. The personal element is why I recommend that you start at the beginning of the Rushmore McKenzie series. After five prior books in which you see the love McKenzie has for the Dunston family, you hardly need the author to tell you how McKenzie will react to the kidnapping of young Victoria Dunston. If you can't wait until you have read the previous books, go ahead and read this one now. But promise yourself that you'll go back and read the rest. It will be worth it.

G. Passantino very adequately described the synopsis of this book so I will not duplicate the excellent description. A reviewer on one of Mr. Housewright's previous books wondered why this author was not a household name. The question was never answered and I wonder why. I read most of the authors who write PI, detective and mystery stories and while I enjoy them, I find this author to be refreshing in that he writes with an intensity to keep you reading, a good sense of humor and as the other reviewer said he puts "family values" as well as realism in his plots. I can't wait until his next book and wish he would get the recognition he deserves.

I've read the previous McKenzie books by David Housewright (A Hard Ticket Home, Tin City, Pretty Girl Gone, & Dead Boyfriends), & although I enjoyed the stories & the main character, Rushmore McKenzie, unofficial PI, he wasn't in my list of top mystery authors (like Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, Peter Robinson, etc.). But with this 5th outing for the wealthy Minneapolis retired cop who can't help helping his friends, Housewright truly hits his stride. He has painted a susenseful & compelling tale around the abduction of McKenzie's favorite niece, the daughter of his best friend, homicide cop Bobby Dunston, & how that all tangles into their shared childhood, an estate growing from the nest egg of a reward for finding a criminal on the lam, & a contract on McKenzie paid for by his own money. Retrieving the brave 10 year old kidnap victim is only the beginning of the story. Thanks, David, for a main character with passion, family values that aren't tawdry, & realistic anger that compels action.