Madman on a Drum: A McKenzie Novel - Hardcover

Housewright, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312370814 ISBN 13: 9780312370817

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2008

Synopsis

Homicide cop Bobby Dunston's daughter has been kidnapped, taken in broad daylight on a city street in the middle of September. The kidnappers demand a million dollars and force Dunston to get the ransom from his friend McKenzie. It soon becomes apparent to the two of them that one of the kidnappers is childhood pal Scottie, a once aspiring drummer now gone astray, and that the kidnapping is payback for "crimes" committed in their past.

McKenzie, former cop and now unlicensed P.I., handles the ransom drop-off and the child is returned safely.  But Scottie is found dead - brutally murdered - and someone has taken out an open contract on McKenzie, using his own money to pay for it.  Dodging attempts on his life from assassins of all shapes and sizes, McKenzie now has precious little time to uncover the mastermind behind it all if he's going to survive.

About this title

About the Author:

David Housewright has worked as a journalist covering both crime and sports (sometimes simultaneously), and advertising copywriter and creative director, and a writing instructor. He won the Edgar Award for his first novel, Penance, in 1996, the Minnesota Book Award for his second, Practice to Deceive, in 1998, and Tin City, the second McKenzie novel, was nominated for the same prize. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Review:

"Housewright's unapologetically flawed hero charms, while the clean plot lines, palpable Minnesota winter, and understated humor make this a good, satisfying read."

--Publishers Weekly on Pretty Girl Gone

 

“Housewright is terrific—funny, wry, and dead-on—which, along with some unexpected plot twists, gives this the sort of appeal that will have readers asking for the next book as well as ones that can fill in Mac’s history."
--Booklist on Dead Boyfriends

 

"It's got twists and double-crosses, exciting car chases and gun battles, leavened by plenty of laughs--a noirish novel with emphasis on the ish."

--The Boston Globe on Tin City

 

“It's clear [Housewright] is a Minnesotan in his bones, so his depiction of everything from beekeeping to the byways of Hilltop embeds us in a location where quiet indiscretions and desires highlight daily life... amiable and appealing...”

-- Washington Post on Tin City

“An amiable throwback to Marlowe/Archer. Housewright has a keeper in McKenzie —tough, smart, and sufficiently flawed to be entirely likable.”—Kirkus Reviews on A Hard Ticket Home

About this edition

• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0312370814
• ISBN 13: 9780312370817
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288