This was the first book I've read by this author and it was an enjoyable read. The mystery to be solved is who stole a dinosaur head and where was it? There is an interesting mix of characters, breadcrumbs spread throughout to nudge Rushmore along the path of discovering who was behind the theft, and a twisty path to the resolution. I loved how McKenzie, while not exactly a PI, did help out friends in solving mysteries. Overall the story was good and well-written but it did feel a little slow paced to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I feel like I say “This was a fun read” too often, but how could a book about excavating an Ankylosaurus be anything but? Especially when said Ankylosaurus had his noggin heisted away.

Them Bones is told in the voice of Rushmore McKenzie, a former homicide cop who now does “favors” for friends or those who need him. To get an idea of who McKenzie is, imagine if Sam Spade cleaned up his act and went to therapy. What’s left is first-class detective skills and rakish charm, without the baggage.

If I hadn’t read a pre-pubbed edition of Them Bones, I would quote several passages that I highlighted along the way. Suffice it to say, the writing is sharp and witty.

I was happy to learn that Them Bones is Number 22 in the McKenzie Novel series, which means two things: I have a bunch more books to read, and it works just fine as a standalone book.

I received this advance reader copy of Them Bones from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book. I thought it was fun and entertaining. Maybe I'm a sucker for Minnesota references and dinosaurs, but I enjoyed the premise. I liked the set-up and I felt everything was believable. I enjoyed McKenzie, and while I'm not sure how much creative liberty was taken regarding the dinosaur plot, it worked for me. I might have to go and pick up some previous McKenzie novels now.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC!

⭐⭐.5

Pre-Read Notes:

This is another time when I picked a book by its title and cover, so color me surprised that this is a dinosaur story of sorts!

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) I never like when authors are preoccupied with food in their books. One detailed description of characters eating goes a long way. Also the book is primary composed of dialog. For me dialog feels like marshmallow fluff when I want the meal of a story. Something needs to carry all those characters' words, story scaffolding, if you will.

It wasn't that I didn't like the story, because I did like it. A mystery involving dinosaur bones? That's my kind of mystery, not a cozy one but a science one. But I just do not get along with the style here. I really couldn't connect, I usually can't when I find the style inaccessible.

So it was only okay for me. But I do think other readers will really enjoy it. I recommend this one to readers who love mysteries and archeology.

My Favorite Thing:

✔️ The mystery in this book surrounds the theft of an invaluable dinosaur bone. I really enjoyed this mashup, dinosaurs and mystery, like Jurassic Park meets Indiana Jones.

Thank you to the author David Housewright, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THEM BONES. All views are mine.

How does a dinosaur skull go missing?

Former cop turned sort-of PI Mac McKenzie can't resist when a young woman who once saved his life comes to him looking for help. Angela Bjork is now a doctoral student who also does some teaching in her chosen field of paleontology and has been working on a dig in southeastern Montana, quite literally in the middle of nowhere. There she made an amazing discovery, the apparently intact skeleton of an Ankylosaurus which would not only make her career but also do wonders for the other professors and students working on the dig with her. When the skull was readied for transport it (and the truck it was on) disappeared, and Angela suspects it was at least in part an inside job. She wants McKenzie to look into it and hopefully both recover the skull and identify who was behind its theft. On the black market it would fetch millions of dollars so money is a likely motive, but there are plenty of professional and sexual jealousies swirling around that might factor into the matter. Deciding that the best way to flush out the guilty parties is to stage an online auction, McKenzie brings in con artist Heaven Petryk and a well known fence Louis Bergeron to help pull it off. Who amongst the scholarly group helped in organizing the heist? Will McKenzie's gambit work? With that much money at stake, there could be more to lose than some old bones.
In this, the twenty second installment in the Mac McKenzie series, author David Housewright introduces all manner of information about the field of paleontology in general as well as some pop culture facts, which I found quite interesting. Full disclaimer, this is the first book in the series that I have read, so I can both assure people that it can be read as a standalone BUT also suggest that it is more likely to be fully enjoyed by those who have read at least some of the others. There was a lot of data in the first part of the book which resulted in a slow start, but once McKenzie started digging in the pace picked up. He's a character who wields a lot of humorous asides, which brought to mind Parker's Spenser (without a Hawk), and reminded me in other ways of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport and J, A. Jance's J. P Beaumont. For me, it seemed character-wise like ground I had already visited with other characters/authors (having grown up in the Boston area I've been a huge Parker fan for decades and therefore likely prejudiced in that direction)...the novel is solidly written but not groundbreaking, a 3 -3.5 ⭐️ which I'll round up to a 4 because I enjoyed the dinosaur lore (Nicholas Cage in a bidding war with Leonardo di Caprio...who knew?). In reading other reviews, many who are fans of the series thoroughly enjoyed it, so readers should factor that in to their decision. Overall, it is a good if not great book, an enjoyable read, and I thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to Them Bones in exchange for my honest review.

Them Bones by David Housewright is a highly recommended investigative mystery and the 22nd novel featuring unofficial P.I. Rushmore McKenzie. This outing is a search for a stolen dinosaur skull.

Angela Bjork saved McKenzie's life seven years ago and now she needs his help. Angela, who is now a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota, was working at a dig site near Powderville, Montana when she found skeleton of an Ankylosaurus. At the end of the season the skull was stabilized and loaded on a truck to move to the university, but that night the camp was attacked and the skull, valued at $6 million, was stolen. When it appears the police investigation is going nowhere, Angela turns to McKenzie for help in finding the skull.

The first quarter of the book involves Angela relating the actions, people, and dynamics at the dig site. It is engaging if you are interested in the finer details at a dig site and does serve to introduce all the characters. Once McKenzie is contacted the investigation takes off. He has plenty of contacts through official and unofficial sources to assist with his inquiries. His initial suspect list consisting of 10 professors, graduate students, and undergraduate interns involved with the dig.

Them Bones can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. You won't have the background information and insight into previous cases and interpersonal relationships, but you will be able to follow the current investigation. The even paced novel provides plenty of clues to follow along the way and the plot takes an interesting turn in the effort to recover the skull. There is some humor along the way and the interaction between all the characters is interesting.

Them Bones would be a good choice for those who enjoy low-tension mysteries and for everyone following the McKenzie series. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced mystery novel. It has a likable, intelligent male protagonist, engaging secondary characters, wit, a touch of humor, paleontology, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. This is the twenty-second novel in this series, and it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. The mention of other cases which McKenzie has solved has piqued my interest in reading these stories. Many thanks to
St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, who provided me with an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.

Following a former detective/investigator names Rushmore McKenzie, was the key in this book. But McKenzie, as he mostly called has lots of help and uses all of his wiles including, at one point, a nefarious alias persona. Makes for an intriguing read.

The story begins with the discovery of a Cretaceous dinosaur called Ankylosaurs in the wilds of Montana by a doctoral student Angela Bjork.. There is a paleontology unit there representing three partners: University of Minnesota, Macalester College, and the Science Museum of Minnesota. The dig is being funded through several grant and is found on the land of Andrew Cooke, a very wealthy patron.

Being on a dig in the middle of nowhere Montana, there is a tendency to do lots of "hookups" among the young scientists and graduates and undergraduate students. All harmless fun, right? Well maybe not. Typical University politics rear its ugly head and rumors are rampant about several of the characters!

After the complete skull of the Ankylosaurus is unearthed and mostly cleaned, the decision to ship it back to Minnesota is made. Here is where the story takes on twists and turns that only McKenzie working with a number of confederated will be able to unravel. The packaged-for-shipping skull is taken late one night and just disappears. Shots have been fired and heads have been bashed. Who would have done this?

This is the crux of the rest of the book--read to find out and see the lengths that PI McKenzie to find the guilty party or parties!! Fun read. for sure. The only criticism is the introduction of too many characters too rapidly and have them be sort of shallow. It was had to keep up with this many minor characters!!

Them Bones by David Housewright this was a new author for me, in general for me this was just a so-so read. In my opinion the story line was just to way out there. Yet I am sure many will enjoy this book, even when I am not crazy about a book I still recommend to others because I know not everyone enjoys the same thing.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St Martin's Publishing, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

When I saw "a stolen dinosaur skull" in the blurb for this book, I was intrigued. This one of those books that the description of the story, not the cover or the author, pulled me into it.

Former homicide detective Rushmore McKenzie never saw a mystery he did not want to solve. So, when a friend asks for his help in locating a valuable dinosaur skull, he is up for the challenge.

Rushmore is an interesting character. As I learned more about his background, he became even more interesting. This is book 22 in a long-standing series. I have not read books 1 through 21, but the author does a great job of bringing you up to date. However, after reading this book, it makes me want to go back and binge from the beginning of this series.

The book starts out a little slow, but the pace picks up. It was a good mystery on an interesting subject. The author does a good job of making you feel as if you are living in the book, so to speak. There was a little humor mixed in with a fascinating cast of characters. Science geeks will love it, as well as though who just love a good mystery.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mystery, science, and a theft are combined in David Housewright’s Them Bones, the twenty-second book in the Mac McKenzie series. When Angela Bjork shows up in McKenzie’s wife Nina’s jazz nightclub and asks for his help, he can’t turn her down. Angela, a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota, was on a dig in Southeastern Montana when she found a rare dinosaur skull. Near the end of August, they have it removed, protected, and loaded on a truck when they are attacked and the skull was stolen. Worried that the police aren’t doing anything to find it, she’s come to McKenzie for help.

McKenzie was a detective with the St. Paul, Minnesota police department until events made him a millionaire and he retired. However, he continues to take on unofficial private investigations for family, friends, and others. McKenzie exudes wit, charm, and the occasional sarcastic remark while investigating crimes. He has a code of ethics that he abides by and is a good investigator and listener. He tries to make the world a better place, but sometimes his actions can be considered more gray than white.

This book starts with a somewhat slow pace as Angela recounts her story for the first 24 per cent of the novel. However, I am interested in archaeology and paleontology so I enjoyed the science part of it as well as gaining an understanding of the various characters. What follows is then interviews with the various participants on the dig and discussions with the FBI and others as well as some action and the pace increased significantly in the last quarter of the book. I found it interesting that McKenzie’s internal dialogue is shown in italics so that the reader gets insight into his questions and thoughts.

The author weaves a tale involving science, friendship, relationships, theft, and much more that pulls readers in and keeps one engaged, especially during the last half of the story. Great world-building details add to the depth of the story. The plot is solid, absorbing, and intriguing and the information on paleontology added a layer of interest to it. There are clues along the way. Will you find them? The last chapter tied up the loose ends, but was all telling versus showing.

Overall, this is an engaging mystery with some suspense that has a few twists and turns, some humor, and great worldbuilding. I am looking forward to finding out what happens in McKenzie’s next investigation. This novel works as a standalone novel, but readers will get more background and backstories if they start with book one.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and David Housewright provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for June 24, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

The main failing of this story are:
1. The info dump for the first 25% of the book. It isn't even in the main character's POV. It would have made for much more of a mystery if that information had come out through interviews or conversations.

2. Except that dialogue was another main failing of the book. Every single character spoke in exactly the same way. Almost every line of dialogue included McKenzie's name in one way or another. It made the characters seem flat and uninteresting.

3. Nothing happened. There were no twists. No unexpected reveals.

Would I recommend this book? Probably not.

The only reason I rounded this up to three stars? The first 25% of the book was quite interesting. Perhaps even the best part of the book. I'm a sucker for dinosaurs and archaeology.

This was my first McKenzie novel, and it's a little more of a 3.5 for me. Everyone was set up well enough that it can be read as a standalone. I liked the characters and the premise of the story. There was a lot of calling in favors to get information and a fair amount of action, but it seemed more like a cozy mystery trying to be a thriller. Also lovecd the descriptions of sights to see throughout, I would like to go to many of these places.

David Housewright's Them Bones is an absolutely delightful addition to the mystery genre. From the first page, I was captivated by the intricate plot that kept me guessing until the very end. The twists and turns are masterfully woven, creating a story that's both thrilling and thought-provoking.

What truly sets this novel apart are the interesting characters. Housewright has a knack for crafting individuals who feel relatable, each with their own distinct voices and motivations. Their depth adds so much to the narrative, making you invested in not just the mystery but also their personal journeys.

The pacing is spot-on, with every chapter leaving you eager to uncover what happens next. The blend of suspense, clever dialogue, and vivid descriptions makes Them Bones a standout read.

One would think after 21 books a series could hold no surprises, but David Housewright’s latest story about Rush McKenzie, the retired police officer turned unofficial private investigator, is full of them. Them Bones (Minotaur, June 24, 2025) is all about the black market in dinosaur bones, something I didn’t know existed.

Angela Bjork, someone McKenzie met during the seventh book in the series (The Taking of Libbie, SD, Minotaur, 2010), visits St. Paul to ask for his help. Angela is working on a paleontology dig in southeastern Montana, and she discovered the rare complete skeleton of a dinosaur there. Before the site team could excavate it and transport it safely back to the University of Minnesota where the group works, the skull was stolen. There is considerable interest in owning dinosaur bones and the skull was in good enough condition to command top dollar in the black market. Angela’s academic career hinges on the work she does in the field and the research papers she produces about that work, just as the university competes for grants and other funding based on the research performed by its staff. Her entire department was desperate to recover the skull before it was taken out of the country, and she asked McKenzie if he could do anything to assist.

The entire dig knew the risks to their find, and they were all enjoined to complete secrecy. Someone talked somewhere, somehow, and that’s where McKenzie focuses his energy. The cutthroat academic environment with its backstabbing and “publish or perish” demands, as well as male professors who exploit the young female students, gets plenty of side swipes from Housewright throughout the narrative. As usual, nothing McKenzie undertakes is simple and things get complicated before the plot wraps up in a satisfying and rewarding finale.

Rushmore McKenzie, created by David Housewright, is one of my favorite fictional characters. This series is one of the few on my must-read list these days and I was not disappointed in this latest adventure. Recommended.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with McKenzie being left in a location that is way out with nothing close by. He walks for a few days and isn't locating anything. All of a sudden he spots a woman on a white horse who saves him. Go forward in time and that person is on a dig where she discovers dinosaur reminants. This turns into a major find and after several months of taking measures to preserve it, they are ready to move it to the museum where continuation of recovery will be done. Two trucks have been hired to move the skull and the remainder of the skeleton. They are attacked and the skull is stolen.

In a short while, McKenzie receives a call from Angela, the woman who saved him, requesting his help to locate the stolen skull and find the people responsible. McKenzie agrees and begins his investigation by talking to the people that were at the dig. He eventually meets Andrew Cooke, the property owner, who asks him to locate the skull. Andrew was quite old and dying and would like to have it found before he died.

Follow along and watch McKenzie as he follows the clues that are available and obtains help from his friends. Learn where the skull was finally located and how it was eventually returned. Discover who was responsible for the theft and why they did it.

The story lays out in detail how an investigation is conducted and wwhat steps are taken to bring it to conclusion.

The story ending will answer all questions, so don't miss out!

McKenzie has appeared 21 times before, but this is the first I've heard of him or read of his exploits. Therefore, I don't know if the earlier episodes dealt with conventional thriller mechanisms or if he uses his platform to illuminate as well as entertain usually. I found myself immersed in the world of paleontology, taking internet sidetrips to learn about the fascinating Ankylosaurus, whose missing skull is at the center of the mystery here. Great fun, and I intend to look up his earlier work.

David Housewright's "Them Bones" offers a fresh twist on the crime novel, sending unofficial investigator Rushmore McKenzie on a hunt not for a killer, but for a stolen Ankylosaurus skull stolen from a dig site in Montana

We follow Rushmore as he is pulled into the case by Angela Bjork, a friend who once saved his life. Suspicious that the thief is someone on the team of academics, McKenzie bypasses a standard investigation and instead dives into a high-stakes scheme involving a dying millionaire, a con artist, and an online auction.The story starts out a bit slow, but eventually picks up the pace with clever twists and deceptions. McKenzie's partnership with the unpredictable Heavenly Petryk adds humor, and their plan to recover the fossil through a staged ransom keeps up the suspense.

Housewright builds an unusual but compelling mystery, using his protagonist’s dry wit and resourcefulness to full effect. While the stakes feel more cerebral than heart-pounding, "Them Bones" is full of entertainment, intellect, and charm.

My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Minotaur for allowing me to review this arc. Unfortunately I just couldn't get into it .

David Housewright’s *Them Bones*, the 22nd book in his well-established series. It is a mystery that blends science, mystery and suspense. One of the highlights for me was the inclusion of scientific facts such as the bidding war between Nicholas Cage and Leonardo Di Caprio for a Tyrannosaurus skull, and how the T-Rex Sue came to reside at the Field Museum. These details not only added authenticity but also made the reading experience more engaging, especially for someone like me who enjoys it when authors base their plots in real-world knowledge.

Despite being the 22nd installment in a long-running series, I managed to read it with no prior knowledge of Housewright’s work, and I had no trouble following the plot or connecting with the characters. It is possible that the novel can be read as a standalone. However, I couldn’t help but feel that my enjoyment was tempered by my lack of familiarity with the long-standing characters. I felt that I was missing some context on everyone's relationship and I suspect I’d have gotten more out of the book if I’d known their backstories going in.

The pacing, moved along at a steady clip with just enough “breadcrumbs”—cleverly placed clues and plot points—to keep me going. However, I did find myself wishing for more excitement and drama -- a characteristic that I often crave for in a mystery/suspense novel. While the story unfolded smoothly, it lacked the high stakes or gripping twists that might have pushed it into more thrilling territory.

In the end, *Them Bones* is a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys a clue-driven mystery with a scientific edge. Its standalone readability makes it approachable for new readers, though series fans will likely appreciate it more with their built-in context. Three stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review is my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.