Mon 21 Mar 2022
A PI Mystery Review by LJ Roberts: DAVID HOUSEWRIGHT – What Doesn’t Kill Us.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[5] Comments
Reviews by L. J. Roberts
DAVID HOUSEWRIGHT – What Doesn’t Kill Us. Rushmore MacKenzie #18. Minotaur Books, hardcover, May 2021.
First Sentence: I was shot in the back at close range by a .32-caliber handgun yet did not die, at least not permanently.
Rushmore “Mac” MacKenzie is a former cop now spending his time doing unofficial private investigations for his friends, some more law-abiding than others. It all starts when his friend Deese takes a genealogy-site DNA test and learns his father is not his father. But is that what led to Mac being shot in the back? Now lying in a medically-induced coma, it is up to Mac’s friends to do a favor for him to track down his would-be killer.
What a unique premise. While the solving of the crime is left up to his diverse and fascinating assortment of friends with incidents shown from their perspective, the story is told, by post coma, by Mac. This gives a somewhat out-of-body feel to the narration. The book does mention COVID-19, although it was clearly written at the very beginning of the pandemic.
Housewright has compiled a fascinating collection of characters. Many are recurring characters that add to the overall series. Some, such as Detective Shipman, are new and add a touch of vinegar to the story. That Nina, Mac’s wife, confesses being jealous of Shelby, the wife of Mac’s best friend, is perfectly written and exemplifies how women almost never realize their own worth or successes.
The story segues into various relevant topics are insightful and add a layer to the story beyond the basic investigation. Rather than being intrusive or slowing the pace, they add a layer of significance.
Housewright is an eminently quotable author. Whether talking about emotional pain— “It reminds me of that old Skeeter Davis song. I wake up in the morning and I wonder why everything’s the same as it was.” —or referencing Shakespeare to impart a facial expression— “I need you to do something for me,” she said. The way Smith and Jones glanced at each other yet again somehow reminded Shipman of Shakespeare’s Richard III – I am not in the giving vein today. “—or a t-shirt meme— “YOU MATTER unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared…then you energy.” —his words are relatable.
Unconventional twists are sometimes so cleverly done as to make one smile. The story of Deese and the unintended result of taking the DNA test is one that could serve as a caution. But there is also a well-done twist that circles the plot back to the motive.
What Doesn’t Kill Us is a well-done, non-stop read. This may not be Housewright’s best book, only due to the plethora of characters which can be confusing, but it is certainly an entertaining one.
Rating: Good Plus.
March 21st, 2022 at 7:00 pm
I posted my review of A HARD TICKET HOME, the first in the series here on this blog not so long ago:
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=77210
Number nineteen in the series will be published in May. That’s a very impressive run. (And I will then have only 18 more to go.)
March 21st, 2022 at 8:06 pm
Sounds worth checking out though the premise, or one very like it of the detective’s friends solving the crime while he was in the hospital, was used by Ed McBain in one of his Matthew Hope books if I recall.
March 21st, 2022 at 8:23 pm
Yes. LJ thought the premise was unique, and so of course I tried to come up with another one. I can’t confirm that it was a Matthew Hope book, though. I’ve read only one, and it wasn’t it.
March 25th, 2022 at 10:00 am
The Matthew Hope book, regarding the plot premise discussed above, is THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL.
I think 1970s TV cop shows had already made this an “old chestnut” — typically when a show was slipping in ratings, e.g. STARSKY & HUTCH — the hero would be bed-bound and his allies would track down the baddy that put him there. Paul Michael Glaser was especially good at being in a coma.
March 25th, 2022 at 4:35 pm
Thanks for the help on the Matthew Hope book, Bill. I’d have never come up with the answer on my own.
And while I’ve never seen many S&H episodes, I can see Glazer’s buddies tracking down bad guys for him, including Huggie Bear.