Jelly's Gold by David Housewright

This book is the 6th book in the Rushmore McKenzie series - and the first that I have read. McKenzie is independently wealthy but spends his time solving mysteries (very similar to the Charles Finch series about amateur detective Charles Lenox!) The story of Jelly's Gold starts back in 1933. Back in the 1930s, St. Paul, Minnesota was the sheltered home for many gangsters and other corrupt people, including the "upper crust" of society and the police force. There was an understanding that as long as no crime was committed in St. Paul, the St. Paul police force and others in authority would turn a blind eye to crimes committed outside the city of St. Paul. So, St. Paul was a gangster "safe haven".

This is the story of Frank "Jelly" Nash who steals cash and gold bars from a bank in 1933 and then stashes the gold bars in an unknown location. The gold was never found. (By the way, Frank Nash was a real person, but he didn't commit this particular bank robbery. He had an alibi.) Anyway, McKenzie is made aware of this undiscovered gold and asked to help find it. McKenzie finds out promptly that there are several people who are trying to find the gold (worth $8,000,000 now). It's difficult to know who to trust and who to work with (for McKenzie and the reader!) McKenzie cuts lots of "deals" trying to get information and track down the details of what Nash and his fellow criminal friends were doing in the 1930s.

Since I live in Minnesota, the history of St. Paul, and the criminals that sheltered there, was fascinating. I didn't actually know that St. Paul was so corrupt back then. Housewright describes the lifestyles and crimes of a lot of well-know gangsters, like John Dillinger and and Baby Face Nelson. While researching what everyone was doing in 1933 - where they lived, who they associated with, etc. - McKenzie was being followed by people, warned off, asked to partner-up with various people. All of this, and no one really even knew if the gold bar stash still existed. I certainly didn't know myself how it would all end!

I won't spoil the end, but it was an entertaining read. Housewright has a writing style that I am not 100% fond of, but to each their own I guess. (He uses an inner voice in addition to dialogue between people.)

Wendy's Rating: ****