"Rushmore McKenzie is pulled into the investigation of a stolen gem that's cursed."
Reviewed by Tanzey Cutter
Posted May 7, 2012
Mystery Private Eye | Mystery Hard Boiled
After becoming a millionaire following a large insurance
company settlement several years ago, Rushmore McKenzie
doesn't do any more investigating. Then the same company
that made him rich shows up again asking for a favor. A
very unique item has been stolen from a local museum just
before it was to go on display. The item is a large piece
of carved jade that dates back to the Qing Dynasty -- and is
said to be cursed. It seems that anyone who has ever
possessed it ends up either penniless or dead. McKenzie reluctantly agrees to help when he learns that the
thieves have specifically asked for him to be the go-
between for exchange of the ransom money for the Jade Lily.
But nothing is as simple as it first seems when more and
more people become involved in wanting the money and/or the
gem. And the curse seems to be true when dead bodies start
showing up all over town. Will McKenzie be able to pull off
another miraculous solution? This action-packed thriller moves at a frenetic pace with a
great cast of characters in a fascinating storyline. I was
thoroughly entertained and am anxious to read more of the
series.
SUMMARY
A stolen gem with a tragic history, a curse and a million
dollar ransom is McKenzie’s latest case. Several years ago, Rushmore McKenzie became an unexpected
millionaire and set about doing not much of anything. Now,
showing up at his doorstep is the insurance company that
paid the settlement that made him rich—and they want a
favor. Someone has stolen a very expensive gem from a
local art museum and is willing to ransom it back. The
only condition is that McKenzie has to be the go between.
And this is no ordinary gem—it is a jade with a history
going back to the Qing Dynasty and a reputed curse that
stories claim has ruined or killed everyone who has ever
owned it. McKenzie agrees to help but what starts out as a
simple ransom quickly becomes complicated.
Suddenly other parties—including the State Department and
a mysterious woman named Heavenly—start showing up,
wanting McKenzie to turn over the gem to them. When the
murdered body of on of the thieves turns up in a snow
drift, it looks like the cursed Jade Lily has claimed its
latest victim. And there may well be more to follow…
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