Mac McKenzie books in order

The Mac McKenzie series by David Housewright follows a retired cop turned millionaire who works as an unlicensed PI in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 A Hard Ticket Home 2004 David Housewright Buy
2 Tin City 2005 David Housewright Buy
3 Pretty Girl Gone 2006 David Housewright Buy
4 Dead Boyfriends 2007 David Housewright Buy
5 Madman on a Drum 2008 David Housewright Buy
6 Jelly’s Gold 2009 David Housewright Buy
7 The Taking of Libbie, SD 2010 David Housewright Buy
8 Highway 61 2011 David Housewright Buy
9 Curse of the Jade Lily 2012 David Housewright Buy
10 The Last Kind Word 2013 David Housewright Buy
11 The Devil May Care 2014 David Housewright Buy
12 Unidentified Woman #15 2015 David Housewright Buy
13 Stealing the Countess 2016 David Housewright Buy
14 What the Dead Leave Behind 2017 David Housewright Buy
15 Like to Die 2018 David Housewright Buy
16 Dead Man’s Mistress 2019 David Housewright Buy
17 From the Grave 2020 David Housewright Buy
18 What Doesn’t Kill Us 2021 David Housewright Buy
19 Something Wicked 2022 David Housewright Buy
20 In a Hard Wind 2023 David Housewright Buy

The Mac McKenzie series by David Housewright follows Rushmore “Mac” McKenzie, a retired St. Paul cop who became a millionaire and now works as an unlicensed PI. He takes cases as favors for friends, not for money.

Set in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the series is hard-boiled crime fiction with a strong sense of place. Housewright has won three Minnesota Book Awards for entries in this series, including Jelly’s Gold and Curse of the Jade Lily. The books have been compared to the work of Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald.

The series began in 2004 with A Hard Ticket Home and continues with new installments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mac McKenzie?

Rushmore McKenzie is a retired St. Paul police detective who became an unexpected millionaire. He works as an unlicensed private investigator, taking cases as favors for friends rather than for pay.

Should the Mac McKenzie books be read in order?

The books can be read as standalones, but reading in order lets you follow Mac’s relationships and the recurring characters. Start with A Hard Ticket Home.

How many Mac McKenzie books are there?

There are twenty Mac McKenzie books as of 2023, with the series still ongoing. Jelly’s Gold and Curse of the Jade Lily won Minnesota Book Awards.

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