Where to Start: The Recommended Reading Path
If you are new to the grit, humor, and Midwestern charm of David Housewright's crime fiction, you have two primary entry points. While both series take place in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, they feature very different leads and tonal styles.
Option 1: The Rushmore 'Mac' McKenzie Series (Highly Recommended)
For most readers, the best place to start is A Hard Ticket Home (2004), which introduces Rushmore 'Mac' McKenzie. Mac is an ex-St. Paul cop who became a multi-millionaire after claiming a massive reward. Since he doesn't need to work for a living, he acts as an unlicensed investigator who specializes in 'doing favors' for friends. This series is lighter, more character-driven, and features a protagonist with a comfortable lifestyle but a magnet for trouble. If you want to jump straight into a fan-favorite, the award-winning Jelly's Gold (2009) is an excellent mid-series standalone caper centered on lost Prohibition-era loot.
Option 2: The Holland Taylor Series
If you prefer classic, hard-boiled private investigator novels with a more cynical, traditional PI vibe, start with Penance (1995). Holland Taylor is a licensed investigator and former policeman who is working to survive, dealing with grief and the dark underbelly of local politics. This debut novel won Housewright the 1996 Edgar Award for Best First Novel and establishes his signature Twin Cities atmosphere.
Rushmore 'Mac' McKenzie Series in Publication Order
Because Mac McKenzie's personal life, relationships, and standing in the community evolve over time, it is highly recommended to read this series in order. Here is the complete list of McKenzie books, including his most recent adventures:
- A Hard Ticket Home (2004)
- Tin City (2005)
- Pretty Girl Gone (2006)
- Dead Boyfriends (2007)
- Madman on a Drum (2008)
- Jelly's Gold (2009)
- The Taking of Libbie, SD (2010)
- Highway 61 (2011)
- Curse of the Jade Lily (2012)
- The Last Kind Word (2013)
- The Devil May Care (2014)
- Unidentified Woman #15 (2015)
- Stealing the Countess (2016)
- What the Dead Leave Behind (2017)
- Like to Die (2018)
- Dead Man's Mistress (2019)
- From the Grave (2020)
- What Doesn't Kill Us (2021)
- Something Wicked (2022)
- In a Hard Wind (2023)
- Man in the Water (2024)
- Them Bones (2025)
- Fear the Reaper (2026)
Holland Taylor Series in Publication Order
Although there was a long gap in publication between the third and fourth novels, the Holland Taylor books should also be read in order. The newer books bring Taylor into the modern era while keeping his classic noir charm intact.
- Penance (1995)
- Practice to Deceive (1997)
- Dearly Departed (1999)
- Darkness, Sing Me a Song (2018)
- First, Kill the Lawyers (2019)
Standalone Novels and Shared-World Projects
Aside from his two main detectives, Housewright has written standalones and contributed to collaborative mystery projects:
- Finders Keepers (2012): A young adult mystery novel that showcases Housewright's versatile writing style.
- The Devil and the Diva (2012): A thriller co-written with his wife, Renee Valois.
- A Grifter's Song Series ('Dracula Wine') (2022): While online databases sometimes list the entire 30+ book A Grifter's Song series under Housewright's name, this is actually a collaborative multi-author series created by Frank Zafiro. Housewright contributed a single novella, Dracula Wine (published in 2022 as Volume 22), which features a grifting caper that takes characters from Minneapolis high society to international venues. You do not need to read the rest of the series to enjoy Housewright's quick-witted contribution.
What to Know Before You Start
Housewright's books are famous for their strong sense of place. The Twin Cities are not just background decoration; they are active characters. From the freezing Minnesota winters to local landmarks like St. Paul's historic Summit Avenue or the Mississippi River, the settings are highly realistic. While Holland Taylor and Mac McKenzie operate in the same geographic sandbox, they do not have active crossover books, meaning you can enjoy either series independently without worrying about missing vital crossover plot points.