Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Them Bones by David Housewright

 

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. 

·         Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 24, 2025)

·         Language: ‎English

·         Hardcover: ‎320 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎125036051X

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-1250360519

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3FB1Buc

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025 

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.