Stealing the Countess

By: David Housewright

Narrated by: Brent Hinkley

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

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 four-million dollars 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 12 years, is desperate to get it back and will pay out of his own pocket to do so.

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.

©2016 David Housewright (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

My "Prayer Review" Happy to add a new guy to it.

Dear God: Please let this man write another book soon and please let me be here to listen to it. I can't say something like 'even his worst book is good' because I can't think of anything he's done that is worse than anything else.

Before I post this list I have to say that Sandford, Parker and MacDonald are EXTRA special. And Richard Ferrone as John Sandford's voice is an amazing match. Like George Guidall with Craig Johnson and pretty much anything George reads.

Robert B. Parker lived in this space for me as did John D. MacDonald, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, John Hart, Craig Johnson, John Lescroart, William Kent Krueger Ridley Pearson ,and Jonathan Kellerman. Some others are really good but these guys have something special. If you are into mystery-thrillers I just gave you a back catalog I wish I could have...but I HAVE had it and it is an incredible treasure. I stopped going to libraries and swap places just so I can encourage these guys by sending them money. Please enjoy.

I need to make a list of all the characters to keep up 

As usual, I love to revisit places I know from the stories of McKenzie. I liked some of the reoccurring characters and their personalities like Heavenly.  I always learn something new about my Twin Cities, and enjoy the mysteries which are not too gruesome for my taste. 

Loses its way for a bit, but still good

I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of this book as Mackenzie explores the small town and its characters. But I thought the narrative lost its momentum when he makes the side trip to Duluth. I was pleased with the ending though, and glad that Heavenly's back story was explored a bit more. I like her better now.

I do wish the narrator would better anticipate where to place the emphasis when reading; often his sentences are delivered flatly, with equal weight on all the words, when understanding would be enhanced if only a given word were stressed over the others. "I liked HER" sounds different from "I LIKED her." I sometimes wonder if he's reading the book for the first time as he narrates. That can be done well, of course, but it takes a certain skill to read ahead a few words so you know where the narrative is going and can make the needed tonal adjustments. He has improved, but he still has a way to go.

Ok not one of the best in the series tho

I found this one somewhat slow and it never seemed to pick up and grab me like the previous one in the series did. That won’t stop me from continuing tho. I’m pretty much hooked on following through to the end of the series.