Former homicide detective, Rushmore McKenzie, is a sometimes Private Investigator who takes on cases referred by friends and relatives who need favors. He doesn’t need the money, but the chase is what keeps him going, especially in the case of his current client who lives her life IN A HARD WIND. This twentieth book in the Twin Cities P.I. Mac Mckenzie series by David Housewright packs a punch with several surprising twists.

Jeanette Carrell is in trouble after a body is found buried at the edge of her property. Jeanette has always been protective of an area of land called The Circle. Neighboring residents constructed it as a gathering place which took on significant meaning during COVID. Now a developer has tricked a resident with dementia to sell the piece of land for further development. Jeanette threatened the developer and days later his body was found in a shallow grave on the edge of her property. Another neighbor saw her by the grave with a shovel on the night in question. Jeanette is now under house arrest and facing a murder charge. She says she didn’t do it, but Jeanette is a complicated woman whose husband went missing twenty-seven years ago. Is she a dangerous killer? When McKenzie starts unraveling the clues, he finds a multi-layered mystery that spans many years with several questionable suspects.

IN A HARD WIND by David Housewright flows effortlessly with a clever, well-plotted mystery that twists and turns. The characters are complex and multi-faceted. Everyone has their secrets, whether in the past or the current day. McKenzie is a seasoned P.I. and knows where to look for the elusive clues. He’s one step ahead of law enforcement and he has the advantage. The main suspect, Jeanette Carrell, is a character that is hard to like or dislike. She is who she is and how she lives was determined by circumstances long ago. As McKenzie works the case, he uncovers what people hide behind closed doors and what they get away with right under other people’s noses. McKenzie’s demeanor is engaging--he’s tough when warranted and reserved when the situation calls for it. The mystery plays out nicely with many detours and a satisfying conclusion. As a first-time reader of the series, I will definitely seek out previous titles in the series.