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Mac McKenzie #13
Stealing the Countess Lib/E
Since becoming an unlikely millionaire and quitting the St. Paul Police Department, Rushmore McKenzie has been working as an unlicensed private investigator, basically doing favors for friends and people in need. But even for him, this latest job is unusual. He's been asked to find a stolen Stradivarius, known as the Countess Borromeo, that only the violinist seems to want him to find.
Stolen from a locked room in a B&B in the violinist's former hometown of Bayfield, Wisconsin, the violin is valued at $4 million and is virtually irreplaceable. But the foundation that owns it and their insurance company refuses to think about buying it back from the thief (or thieves.) However, Paul Duclos, the violinist who has played it for the past twelve years, is desperate to get it back and will pay out of his own pocket to get it back.
Though it's not his usual sort of case, McKenzie is intrigued and decides to try and help, which means going against the local police, the insurance company, the FBI's Art Crime division, and his own lawyer's advice. And, as he quickly learns, there's a lot more going on than the mere theft of a priceless instrument.
Stolen from a locked room in a B&B in the violinist's former hometown of Bayfield, Wisconsin, the violin is valued at $4 million and is virtually irreplaceable. But the foundation that owns it and their insurance company refuses to think about buying it back from the thief (or thieves.) However, Paul Duclos, the violinist who has played it for the past twelve years, is desperate to get it back and will pay out of his own pocket to get it back.
Though it's not his usual sort of case, McKenzie is intrigued and decides to try and help, which means going against the local police, the insurance company, the FBI's Art Crime division, and his own lawyer's advice. And, as he quickly learns, there's a lot more going on than the mere theft of a priceless instrument.
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First published May 31, 2016
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About the author
David Housewright
43 books412 followersA past president of the Private Eye Writers of America, David Housewright has published 28 crimes novels including In A Hard Wind (June 2023 St. Martin’s Minotaur) and has contributed short stories to 15 anthologies and other publications. He has earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, a Shamus nomination from the PWA, and three Minnesota Books Awards. A reformed newspaper reporter and ad man, he has also taught writing courses at the University of Minnesota and Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. His name and face were recently added to “Minnesota Writers on the Map” by the Minnesota Historical Society and Friends of the St. Paul Public Library.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
April 10, 2025
I am on a series binge of David Housewright’s Mac McKenzie collection, of which this is the lucky thirteenth book. Housewright explores the life of Mac ‘Rushmore’ McKenzie, an amateur private investigator from St. Paul, Minnesota who is always eager to help those close to him. After being asked to help locate and return a priceless item, Mac educates himself about a world with which he is completely unaware. Looking in the shadows of a tourist town, Mac discovers how cutthroat music aficionados can be. Housewright finds new ways to impress once more!
Mac ‘Rushmore’ McKenzie came into a significant amount of money years ago, which led to his abrupt retirement from the St. Paul PD. Now, he’s working as an unlicensed PI and helping those he deems worth his while. However atypical his work can be, Mac’s latest ask is odd on a new level. He is approached to locate a stolen Stradivarius that has been nabbed from a musician’s room while on tour. Called the Countess Borromeo, this is a costly instrument and only the violinist, Paul Duclos, seems interested in having it returned, while everyone else prefers insurance cover the loss.
The case sends him to a small B&B in Bayfield, Wisconsin, where Mac begins poking around and trying to be discreet, though asking after a $4 million ‘fiddle’ makes it tough. Duclos remains passionate about his instrument’s return, but Mac discovers a great deal about his human client during the search. Why is Duclos so adamant about having the violin back while others have written it off?
Butting heads with the local police, Mac arrives in Bayfield to a sleepy community feel. He’s also forced to push back against the insurance company and a branch of the FBI, both of whom want the case erased from every blotter. While crossing wits with others Mac knows well from his past, he learns that there is more to the story than simply an instrument heist. It’s as shocking as Mac might predict. Housewright finds new ways to impress and entertain with each book!
While I have the latest novel in the series as an ARC, I wanted some context and so am binge reading the entire collection. Housewright finds enticing ways to spin a narrative, injecting entertaining ways to spin a yarn. The reader cannot help but enjoy how Housewright delivers a reading experience. Characters are, as usual, well-developed and easily used to flavour the larger story. The plot emerges as then to try gains momentum, balancing progress and surprises to keep things on point. Housewright has me eager to forge onwards!
Kudos, Mr. Housewright, for a composition that had me tuned in!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Mac ‘Rushmore’ McKenzie came into a significant amount of money years ago, which led to his abrupt retirement from the St. Paul PD. Now, he’s working as an unlicensed PI and helping those he deems worth his while. However atypical his work can be, Mac’s latest ask is odd on a new level. He is approached to locate a stolen Stradivarius that has been nabbed from a musician’s room while on tour. Called the Countess Borromeo, this is a costly instrument and only the violinist, Paul Duclos, seems interested in having it returned, while everyone else prefers insurance cover the loss.
The case sends him to a small B&B in Bayfield, Wisconsin, where Mac begins poking around and trying to be discreet, though asking after a $4 million ‘fiddle’ makes it tough. Duclos remains passionate about his instrument’s return, but Mac discovers a great deal about his human client during the search. Why is Duclos so adamant about having the violin back while others have written it off?
Butting heads with the local police, Mac arrives in Bayfield to a sleepy community feel. He’s also forced to push back against the insurance company and a branch of the FBI, both of whom want the case erased from every blotter. While crossing wits with others Mac knows well from his past, he learns that there is more to the story than simply an instrument heist. It’s as shocking as Mac might predict. Housewright finds new ways to impress and entertain with each book!
While I have the latest novel in the series as an ARC, I wanted some context and so am binge reading the entire collection. Housewright finds enticing ways to spin a narrative, injecting entertaining ways to spin a yarn. The reader cannot help but enjoy how Housewright delivers a reading experience. Characters are, as usual, well-developed and easily used to flavour the larger story. The plot emerges as then to try gains momentum, balancing progress and surprises to keep things on point. Housewright has me eager to forge onwards!
Kudos, Mr. Housewright, for a composition that had me tuned in!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
May 8, 2016
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.
Starting off reading novel number thirteen in this series wasn't any problem for me at all. Lucky thirteen this time? Probably not, just good writing. Naturally as a reader I know there is a lot of backstory involved with these characters and their circumstances, but I never felt lost or confused. That's a sign for me that the author concentrated more on this particular story than trying to pull forward elements in previous books. The writing was very good with descriptions of places in the Twin Cities that I easily recognized from visits to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Moving away from that area to continue the story still felt familiar even though I have not traveled to these specific towns. Obviously David Housewright has captured the feeling of the populace in this part of the country. This is a great example of the "fair play" style of mystery novel where the clues to help solve the mystery are scattered throughout the narrative. You have to be aware enough to pick them up, but if you do, you can feel like you were given a chance to solve at least some of the questions. There is a plot twist I didn't see coming because I didn't give enough attention to a small detail, but once it was revealed to me I fully accepted that it was my own fault for failing to pick up on that clue. In other words, I don't feel the author gob smacked me at the end by pulling rabbits out of the mystery clue top hat.
Rushmore (Mac) McKenzie is quite an interesting character. I was 89% of the way through the novel before his first name (or even his nickname) was ever mentioned. McKenzie was in law enforcement, but became wealthy by virtue of a reward attached to a case he solved. He is now characterized as a wealthy private investigator who only takes cases which interest him. In this story he is not receiving any fee for his investigation. At some point in the past I hope the author reveals how McKenzie augmented his $1 million plus reward because that money doesn't constitute "wealth" of the type alluded to in this story. McKenzie and an acquaintance from at least one previous novel try to solve the mystery of the stolen Stradivarius violin with them not necessarily working toward the same goal. A trip to Philadelphia puts them in grave danger, but being in small town Bayfield where the Countess Borromeo Strad disappeared isn't any guarantee of safety either.
I will definitely be reading some of the previous novels in this series because I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the plotting for this story. I can't say that Mr. Housewright fooled me about the story behind the theft of the Stradivarius, but it was fun to watch him hide clues and spring surprises on me. Both entertaining and enjoyable for readers of mystery novels.
Starting off reading novel number thirteen in this series wasn't any problem for me at all. Lucky thirteen this time? Probably not, just good writing. Naturally as a reader I know there is a lot of backstory involved with these characters and their circumstances, but I never felt lost or confused. That's a sign for me that the author concentrated more on this particular story than trying to pull forward elements in previous books. The writing was very good with descriptions of places in the Twin Cities that I easily recognized from visits to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Moving away from that area to continue the story still felt familiar even though I have not traveled to these specific towns. Obviously David Housewright has captured the feeling of the populace in this part of the country. This is a great example of the "fair play" style of mystery novel where the clues to help solve the mystery are scattered throughout the narrative. You have to be aware enough to pick them up, but if you do, you can feel like you were given a chance to solve at least some of the questions. There is a plot twist I didn't see coming because I didn't give enough attention to a small detail, but once it was revealed to me I fully accepted that it was my own fault for failing to pick up on that clue. In other words, I don't feel the author gob smacked me at the end by pulling rabbits out of the mystery clue top hat.
Rushmore (Mac) McKenzie is quite an interesting character. I was 89% of the way through the novel before his first name (or even his nickname) was ever mentioned. McKenzie was in law enforcement, but became wealthy by virtue of a reward attached to a case he solved. He is now characterized as a wealthy private investigator who only takes cases which interest him. In this story he is not receiving any fee for his investigation. At some point in the past I hope the author reveals how McKenzie augmented his $1 million plus reward because that money doesn't constitute "wealth" of the type alluded to in this story. McKenzie and an acquaintance from at least one previous novel try to solve the mystery of the stolen Stradivarius violin with them not necessarily working toward the same goal. A trip to Philadelphia puts them in grave danger, but being in small town Bayfield where the Countess Borromeo Strad disappeared isn't any guarantee of safety either.
I will definitely be reading some of the previous novels in this series because I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the plotting for this story. I can't say that Mr. Housewright fooled me about the story behind the theft of the Stradivarius, but it was fun to watch him hide clues and spring surprises on me. Both entertaining and enjoyable for readers of mystery novels.
June 11, 2016
First Sentence: The Maestro insisted that it wasn’t his fault.
“The Countess Borromeo,” a four-million-dollar Strativarius, was stolen from Maestro Paul Duclos after playing a concern in his small hometown on Lake Superior. The insurance company refuses to pay for its return unless they can arrest and convict the thief. Duclos is willing to pay $250,000, no strings attached, for the violin’s return and asks MacKenzie to help. Not only is he up against the police, FBI, insurance company’s rep, and his own lawyer’s advice, but others are after the violin too. Some are even willing to kill for it.
Housewright is one of those wonderful authors who takes you right into the story—no prologue, no extraneous pages of description—and captures your interest immediately. In this case, we are taken into the world of classical music with personalities singular to it. As is often true of those who love the tool of their art, here we are introduced to “The Countess” and the relationship between her and her artist while learning about the tradition for—“A Stradivarious nearly always goes by the name of the owner.”—and the plot becomes more intriguing with each page.
Housewright creates very real characters. You can easily visualize them and their surroundings. It’s entertaining having both MacKenzie’s conversations with others, and his internal monologue—“Help you what? Be specific.” “Take the money to Bayfield, find out who steal the Strad, and buy it back.” Hell no, my inner voice shouted. “Let me think about it,” I said aloud.”
For those who like suspense and action, Housewright really knows how to turn the dial up. At the same time, he achieves the perfect balance of drama, excitement and wry humor—“Special Agency in Charge Reid Beatty was not happy. I knew because he kept telling everyone, “I am not happy, I am not happy, I am not goddamn happy.””
“Stealing the Countess” is a very good read with excellent twists, did-not-see-that-coming moments, and a very good ending.
STEALING THE COUNTESS (Unl. Invest-Rushmore MacKenzie-Minnesota-Contemp) – VG+
Housewright, David – 12th in series
Minotaur Books – May 31, 2016
“The Countess Borromeo,” a four-million-dollar Strativarius, was stolen from Maestro Paul Duclos after playing a concern in his small hometown on Lake Superior. The insurance company refuses to pay for its return unless they can arrest and convict the thief. Duclos is willing to pay $250,000, no strings attached, for the violin’s return and asks MacKenzie to help. Not only is he up against the police, FBI, insurance company’s rep, and his own lawyer’s advice, but others are after the violin too. Some are even willing to kill for it.
Housewright is one of those wonderful authors who takes you right into the story—no prologue, no extraneous pages of description—and captures your interest immediately. In this case, we are taken into the world of classical music with personalities singular to it. As is often true of those who love the tool of their art, here we are introduced to “The Countess” and the relationship between her and her artist while learning about the tradition for—“A Stradivarious nearly always goes by the name of the owner.”—and the plot becomes more intriguing with each page.
Housewright creates very real characters. You can easily visualize them and their surroundings. It’s entertaining having both MacKenzie’s conversations with others, and his internal monologue—“Help you what? Be specific.” “Take the money to Bayfield, find out who steal the Strad, and buy it back.” Hell no, my inner voice shouted. “Let me think about it,” I said aloud.”
For those who like suspense and action, Housewright really knows how to turn the dial up. At the same time, he achieves the perfect balance of drama, excitement and wry humor—“Special Agency in Charge Reid Beatty was not happy. I knew because he kept telling everyone, “I am not happy, I am not happy, I am not goddamn happy.””
“Stealing the Countess” is a very good read with excellent twists, did-not-see-that-coming moments, and a very good ending.
STEALING THE COUNTESS (Unl. Invest-Rushmore MacKenzie-Minnesota-Contemp) – VG+
Housewright, David – 12th in series
Minotaur Books – May 31, 2016
November 7, 2018
The main character was very well done and charismatic. He was interesting to follow, I enjoyed getting to know the inner workings of his mind and how he logically came to his conclusions. Supporting characters were well rounded and brought more depth into the story.
Although this was technically a 'stand alone' novel I did feel like there were keys on my chain that I was missing. I was intrigued by others characters that were in play in the story and I got to wondering what they were like in previous novels. What brought them into the story and made them necessary accessories to the plot?
Writing style was elegant and attractive. It had great rhythm and I loved the authors ability to allow the reader to keep up with what was happening without giving too much away or making things predictable. I would enjoy reading him again I think.
Although I wasn't super interested in the big picture theme of what was happening it didn't detract from the story's quality as a whole. Plot was slow moving but thorough and easy to follow.
Overall; A very basically entertaining novel. Nothing stood out as fantastically done or individually creative but it wasn't horrible and did a decent job of keeping my attention. I have decided to start this series from the beginning and see if that helps me become a little more involved and invested into the story, characters and plot lines.
Although this was technically a 'stand alone' novel I did feel like there were keys on my chain that I was missing. I was intrigued by others characters that were in play in the story and I got to wondering what they were like in previous novels. What brought them into the story and made them necessary accessories to the plot?
Writing style was elegant and attractive. It had great rhythm and I loved the authors ability to allow the reader to keep up with what was happening without giving too much away or making things predictable. I would enjoy reading him again I think.
Although I wasn't super interested in the big picture theme of what was happening it didn't detract from the story's quality as a whole. Plot was slow moving but thorough and easy to follow.
Overall; A very basically entertaining novel. Nothing stood out as fantastically done or individually creative but it wasn't horrible and did a decent job of keeping my attention. I have decided to start this series from the beginning and see if that helps me become a little more involved and invested into the story, characters and plot lines.
February 24, 2021
The Maestro Duclos, an acquaintance of McKenzie, has had The Countess (the Stradivarius) he plays stolen after playing a public concert in his home town.
Both the Foundation that owns the violin and the Insurance company have stated that they will not pay the criminals for its return and they will prosecute anyone who tries to claim a reward for theft and possession of stolen property.
McKenzie is given $250,000 in reward by the Maestro with instructions to buy back the violin.
The people in the Maestro's hometown are all suspects, as the violin case w/ GPS attached was found empty in front of the home of the Maestro's H.S. girlfriend. Affairs come to light as does dirty dealings.
Once again, I like McKenzie; he's a good guy with honor & scruples. I liked the story, although I was able to figure much of it out.
Both the Foundation that owns the violin and the Insurance company have stated that they will not pay the criminals for its return and they will prosecute anyone who tries to claim a reward for theft and possession of stolen property.
McKenzie is given $250,000 in reward by the Maestro with instructions to buy back the violin.
The people in the Maestro's hometown are all suspects, as the violin case w/ GPS attached was found empty in front of the home of the Maestro's H.S. girlfriend. Affairs come to light as does dirty dealings.
Once again, I like McKenzie; he's a good guy with honor & scruples. I liked the story, although I was able to figure much of it out.
December 6, 2024
Paul Duclos is distraught at best. A four-million-dollar Stradivarius entrusted to his care is gone. Someone stole it from a bed and breakfast where he stayed while performing a concert in a small Wisconsin town. The insurance company won’t negotiate with whoever took it, and the foundation that owns the instrument doesn’t want it back if it must negotiate with thieves. But Duclos desperately wants it back, and he’ll pay a quarter of a million bucks to get it back.
Mac McKenzie learns of the violin heist, and he agrees to get involved in its resolution. Soon, he’s in deeper than he thought he would be.
This was a quick, easy read, and Housewright’s writing style means you get lots of entertainment and enjoyable reading in a relatively small package. I’ve vacillated between three and four stars for this; I could go either way.
Mac McKenzie learns of the violin heist, and he agrees to get involved in its resolution. Soon, he’s in deeper than he thought he would be.
This was a quick, easy read, and Housewright’s writing style means you get lots of entertainment and enjoyable reading in a relatively small package. I’ve vacillated between three and four stars for this; I could go either way.
December 29, 2019
A stolen Stradivarius. An offer of a quarter million dollars for its safe return by the famous violinist who lost it. McKenzie is asked to act as go-between to get one of the most valuable musical instruments safely returned ... no questions asked.
The biggest problem he initially runs into is that nobody comes forward. So, who took it and why aren't they coming forward? It isn't as though the violin can be pawned or sold on the open market. It is too well-known.
His efforts take him from the Twin Cities to Wisconsin where the violin was stolen. Then, to Duluth and Philadelphia. One woman is shot. Three men are killed. Still no Stradivarius. As expected, though, McKenzie's got it under control.
The biggest problem he initially runs into is that nobody comes forward. So, who took it and why aren't they coming forward? It isn't as though the violin can be pawned or sold on the open market. It is too well-known.
His efforts take him from the Twin Cities to Wisconsin where the violin was stolen. Then, to Duluth and Philadelphia. One woman is shot. Three men are killed. Still no Stradivarius. As expected, though, McKenzie's got it under control.
August 19, 2019
This did not start with the same impact that #15 did, BUT its ending has zingers! MacKenzie is an Everyman character except for that fine timing on capturing a criminal and retiring in time to claim the massive reward. And each installment displays his fine timing! Bayfield, Wisconsin is the setting this time--up North, but luckily it's still summer and warm and with Lake Superior playing part of the plot.
December 24, 2019
The chase was pretty good, full of rich & interesting characters but the ending was a little to neat & tidy. I would have liked it better a little messy like real life. Heavenly is an interesting character. It's amazing that every woman that McKenzie encounters however casually happens to be beautiful. I can almost hear him introducing himself, "McKensie, Rushmore McKensie" with appropriately cheesy music playing in the background.
April 17, 2023
The Countess is a $4 million Stradivarius which was stolen from the Maestro, whose wife's foundation loaned it to him. McKenzie is doing the Maestro a 'favor' by acting as the go between with $250,000 for the return of the violin, no questions asked. The plot has its twists and turns with lots of characters but neatly wrapps up in the final chapter with McKenzie discovering the secret and the thief. Good writing and an enjoyable read.
January 20, 2020
Great title (the countess is a Stradivarius violin), and lots of local color in Bayfield WI and Duluth MN. Some major mayhem in accurately described places I’ve actually been. Vivid characters,but finally a plot so complex that all its aspects have to be explained over the course several scenes at the end. And for me that was just a little too much to be believable.
March 31, 2020
McKenzie is on the hunt for a stolen Stradivarius violin - known as the Countess Borromeo - valued at over $4 million dollars. There seems to be more characters involved in the mystery than necessary, but it keeps you guessing until the end. The action scenes were a little anticlimactic. An enjoyable read nonetheless.
September 25, 2017
This book could have easily been called "Stealing the Macguffin", but that doesn't matter. It was a fun read--extra fun because I live in Minneapolis, and the author either lives here, or did his homework.
Reading a heist story instead of a murder mystery was a nice change of pace, too.
Reading a heist story instead of a murder mystery was a nice change of pace, too.
July 20, 2021
A really good addition to this series. Housewright manages to keep it fresh and the relationships between the established characters interesting while bringing in new locations and characters and adding enough plot twists to keep you guessing.
September 24, 2021
I just couldn't get into this book. A complicated mystery type book that seemed to drag on. Nothing special or to me even very interesting. Perhaps if I was more into classical Violin I might have been more interested. Oh Well!
August 10, 2023
Really liked this book! Not sure if I should go back and start the series from the beginning or just move on to number 14. Probably go to the next one. It was fast paced and had a good mystery and good characters.
April 28, 2024
The author keeps getting better. This book revolves around a 4 M Stradivarius being stolen from a famous violinist. Goes around a bit and seems to be getting nowhere. Good use of twists and finally figuring it all out in the last chapter. Enjoyable.
January 18, 2018
A stolen Stradivarius and eventually a murder...again, all set in MN and WI.
April 16, 2018
A McKenzie mystery set in Minneapolis that involves recovery of an expensive, historic violin.
July 17, 2019
Wow, this one was great. I did not know who did it until the end. I loved the setting and the story line. Great work and I cannot wait for the next one!
July 13, 2020
Rote
Like all his other ones according to a formula
Liked the local references but very light reading there are better mysteries out there
Like all his other ones according to a formula
Liked the local references but very light reading there are better mysteries out there
May 5, 2021
Another great book by David Housewright. Interesting plot and what the Countess was (a priceless violin).
December 6, 2021
McKenzie deserves better. TL;DR: Privileged people unable to solve personal issues without involving others, getting people shot and killed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2023
Loved the setting! I was surprised by who did it. Another enjoyable read.
April 25, 2023
i always like McKenzie! And Bayfield...so fun!
December 26, 2023
This was another good adventure. This one, I kind of had it figured out before the end. Too bad people got shot over what happened. Yikes!
Read
April 18, 2024Another good Housewright. This one started Bayfield WS but had a nod to Northfield MN.
September 24, 2024
Prob 3.5 ~ just enjoy the characters & familiar Midwest stuff
October 30, 2024
"'Bullshit,' he said.
"'Real shit,' I told him" (271).
"'Real shit,' I told him" (271).
December 29, 2024
Not his usual kind of case and not as good as some of the others. Loved the setting of the book up in Bayfield
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews