David Housewright books

David Housewright is an Edgar Award-winning author of crime fiction set in Minnesota, best known for the Mac McKenzie and Holland Taylor mystery series.

Grifter’s Song Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Come the Apocalypse 2019 Buy
Losing Streak 2019 Buy
Lost in Middle America 2019 Buy
People Like Us 2019 Buy
The Concrete Smile 2019 Buy
The Movie Makers 2019 Buy
The Whale 2019 Buy
Down Comes the Night 2020 Buy
Gone Dead on You 2020 Buy
Still Life with Suitcase 2020 Buy
The Money Block 2020 Buy
The Sound of Breaking Bones 2020 Buy
Upgrade 2020 Buy
Dracula Wine 2021 Buy
Open Up Your Heart 2021 Buy
Ride Like Hell 2021 Buy
Rocky Mountain Lie 2021 Buy
The Alpha Whisperer 2021 Buy
The Down and Out 2021 Buy
The Reckoner 2021 Buy
The Rule of Thirds 2021 Buy
Travel Money 2021 Buy
Concrete and Cocaine 2022 Buy
Dangerous to Know 2022 Buy
Diamond Dogs 2022 Buy
Dusty and Bent 2022 Buy
The Low White Plain 2022 Buy
Madam Tomahawk 2023 Buy
Outfoxed 2023 Buy
Somewhere Outside Salvation 2023 Buy

Holland Taylor Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Penance 1995 Buy
Practice to Deceive 1997 Buy
Dearly Departed 1999 Buy
Darkness, Sing Me a Song 2018 Buy
First, Kill the Lawyers 2019 Buy

Mac McKenzie Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
A Hard Ticket Home 2004 Buy
Tin City 2005 Buy
Pretty Girl Gone 2006 Buy
Dead Boyfriends 2007 Buy
Madman on a Drum 2008 Buy
Jelly’s Gold 2009 Buy
The Taking of Libbie, SD 2010 Buy
Highway 61 2011 Buy
Curse of the Jade Lily 2012 Buy
The Last Kind Word 2013 Buy
The Devil May Care 2014 Buy
Unidentified Woman #15 2015 Buy
Stealing the Countess 2016 Buy
What the Dead Leave Behind 2017 Buy
Like to Die 2018 Buy
Dead Man’s Mistress 2019 Buy
From the Grave 2020 Buy
What Doesn’t Kill Us 2021 Buy
Something Wicked 2022 Buy
In a Hard Wind 2023 Buy

David Housewright is an Edgar Award-winning author of crime fiction set in Minnesota. Born February 7, 1955, he was raised in Saint Paul and sets most of his novels in the Twin Cities area. He is a past President of the Private Eye Writers of America, and his work has been compared to Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald, and Robert B. Parker.

Housewright writes two main series. The Holland Taylor series began with Penance (1995), which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. The longer Mac McKenzie series, starting with A Hard Ticket Home (2004), follows a retired cop turned millionaire who works as an unlicensed PI doing favors for friends. The Mac McKenzie books have won multiple Minnesota Book Awards.

He also contributes to the multi-author Grifter’s Song series, which features various con artists and hustlers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Mac McKenzie series about?

The Mac McKenzie series follows Rushmore McKenzie, a retired St. Paul police detective who became an unexpected millionaire. He works as an unlicensed private investigator, taking cases as favors. The series is set in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

What awards has David Housewright won?

David Housewright won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel for Penance (1995). He has also won the Minnesota Book Award three times, including for Jelly’s Gold and Curse of the Jade Lily.

Should I read the Holland Taylor or Mac McKenzie series first?

Either works. Holland Taylor came first (starting with Penance in 1995), while Mac McKenzie began with A Hard Ticket Home in 2004. The Mac McKenzie series is longer and ongoing, while Holland Taylor has five books.

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