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The sixth book in the next great detective series.

Mackenzie August returns from Italy, battered, bruised, and unbroken.
Also married. Mostly.

A new client waits for him--Ulysses Steinbeck, a man who's lost his dog and wants it back. What makes this case so compelling for Mackenzie? Two things.
1) Steinbeck has anterograde amnesia and can't remember owning the dog; in fact, he hates them.
2) The dog holds the key to a fortune.

Read the next book from Alan Lee today.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2019

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About the author

Alan Lee

39 books286 followers
Your favorite mystery author for the next twenty years.

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5 stars
886 (69%)
4 stars
313 (24%)
3 stars
61 (4%)
2 stars
5 (<1%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
Profile Image for Jim E..
358 reviews8 followers
December 14, 2022
Finally back to a normal mystery and this was a good one. The epilogue was a surprise and a lead in to book 7. I am leaving the series for a short time to catch up on my other favorite authors.
Profile Image for Charlene.
1,216 reviews69 followers
June 1, 2020
Here's another entry in the series I'm reading, and all of them are in the wonderful category (at present) of being on Kindle Unlimited and being a very good quality of writing and story. This one features a missing/found dog -- how can you go wrong if you like the genre overall?

Being a nitpicker -- there are some grammatical/word choice errors in the second half of the book. They should be caught by a human proofreader. Here are just two examples:
1) It's [= it is, always!] for its [=possessive case, never interchangeable with it's].
2) Someone (the vet?) asks about the dog's "bowl" movements; this, of course, should be "bowel," as the context insists!
Profile Image for Melissa Dinwiddie.
Author 4 books18 followers
September 29, 2019
So glad to get back to a regular, old mystery!

After Mackenzie’s over the top adventures in Naples (book 5), I was glad to have him back in Roanoke, getting to play the part of a private eye, solving a mystery again.

And what a mystery!

Find the dog of a man who doesn’t like dogs... who has amnesia, and doesn’t even remember having the dog, or *why* he had the dog!

As always, Mack manages to not only follow a trail that seems impossible, but does so with verve, wit, snark, and of course, a few fight scenes for good measure (he is an MMA fighter, after all).

Meanwhile, we get to watch the evolution of Mack and Ronnie’s relationship—never a forgone conclusion, given the baggage she brings from her years of forced prostitution—and the gymnastics the two of them have to pull off in relationship to the mob.

All while raising a toddler!

Never a dull moment.

Perhaps the most satisfying element of Good Girl, though, was Mack’s evolving relationship with dogs. Clearly *not* a dog person at the start (shocking! how could Mack not be a dog person?!), it was fun to see him come around.

As long as Alan Lee keeps cranking this series out, I’ll keep reading it.
Profile Image for Tamara.
1,163 reviews4 followers
March 14, 2020
Oh Gosh

This was light and happy and it had little with the darkness the villainy underworld brought to Mack and Ronnie’s lives. I adored this story. The. It ends on a cliffhanger. I hate Darren Robbins the dastardly character he needs to die.

Allan Lee don’t leave a reader hanging... I need more of the Mackenzie August mystery series. I will read Manny’s thrillers in the mean time.
Profile Image for Megan Janney.
111 reviews13 followers
March 5, 2019
Welcome back Kix! We missed you.

It's all my favorite characters back together again. This time they brought along a dog with its intriguing owner. I did not see this ending coming. But then again I rarely do. Another great novel.
645 reviews10 followers
August 10, 2020
The witty tone and intriguing characters of Alan Lee's Mackenzie August series were not enough to salvage the series' 5th entry, Only the Details from the clunky, preachy house it built on the hackneyed "fighting tournament of death" central concept. Binge readers who hoped book 6 would bounce back were well rewarded with what might be the series' best entry so far, Good Girl.

After some time recuperating from his Naples ordeal, Mack takes on what looks to be a puzzler of a case: A reclusive man named Ulysses Steinbeck wants the private investigator to find a dog he brought home briefly about three years ago but no longer has. The problem is that he can't remember anything about the dog and in fact can't create any short-term memories anymore because of injuries he suffered in an auto accident at about the same time. And another problem is that Steinbeck retains enough of his own character to know that he doesn't like dogs and never wanted one.

Mack soon finds that almost everyone involved in the case, even Steinbeck's ex-wife, is more or less cooperative and wants to help him find what he can about the dog. The ex-wife's new husband is an exception, but fortunately he thinks he's a tough guy so Mack can indulge himself in the smart-alecky bully-baiting both he and fans of the series enjoy. But as he learns more, Mack finds that some questions seem to be off-limits -- which would be no problem except that their answers could hold the key to why Steinbeck bought the dog and other shrouded details of the accident.

Good Girl is an actual mystery with clues and everything, but added together they only form part of the picture. Enough of the details are left inside Mack's head that we can uncover the full story only when he shares it with us. We can say, "I knew it was something like that!" but not know every detail, which is is sometimes a much more satisfying kind of mystery than one that's completely deduced before it's revealed. And Lee has lost no steps in keeping Mack's black belt in smart-assery while also allowing the rest of the cast the wit necessary to keep him trimmed down to size. The relationships among the principals as he investigates offer him the chance to think about his own relationships to his wife Ronnie, his son and even his own father, so they usually don't feel forced or artificial. Good Girl is indeed a good rebound and the kind of thing a reader often hopes for but doesn't always get when a favorite author or series monumentally whiffs in a particular volume.

Someone reading this far might wonder why a book so highly praised in its review holds only three stars from the reviewer. Although Goodreads casts its star ratings in the format of the reader's liking or appreciation of the book, many if not most site users tend to see them as quality ratings and this review does as well. Gone Girl really is one of the best books of this series and earns every bit of its fifth star until the tacked-on unnecessary cliff-hanger epilogue (minus one star) and Lee's chortling over it in his closing author's note (minus second star). Protagonists who are too cute by far sometimes make for fun reads. Authors who are that way, on the other hand, don't.
152 reviews2 followers
November 26, 2021
This is an unusual story with an unusual group of characters, including the good girl, a dog named, well, you'll discover her name and all about her when you read "Good Girl." She is central to the story in a creative, unusual way.

It takes Mack a while to sort through all of the puzzle pieces, partially because his new client doesn't really know what he wants Mack to do. He knows, or at least thinks he knows, that he wants to find a dog he used to have. The dog needed to be re-homed when Mac's client's medical/mental condition made it too difficult to care for her.

Speaking of Mack's new client's medical/mental condition, it's anterograde amnesia. There's a point in his past, before a serious injury, which is clear as a bell, but nothing since then sticks in his memory. He forgets what happened yesterday, and even a few hours ago, and he's developed a unique process of note taking/keeping to keep him on track.

By the way, anterograde amnesia is a real condition, and the client's symptoms are more or less consistent with it. In simple terms, anterograde amnesia refers to a decreased ability to retain new information. In our story, the author uses it well as a significant aspect of the plot.

Of course, Mack sorts all of the issues, learns all the secrets, and sets the good guys on the path to love an happiness, even if not all of them can remember all of it. That's what Mack does, he's really good at it, and it's always fun to go along for the ride. Along the way, one of the central characters decides to stick around with Mack and company.

Good girl. Good story.
Profile Image for Jacqueline.
686 reviews22 followers
March 18, 2024
I so love Alan Lee's writing, from the first book of his that I read, The Supremacy Licence - actually a spin off from this, the main McKenzie August series about Macenzie's best friend. I can't believe I'd had it in my kindle library for a few years after being given it free. MacKenzie is an ex Los Angeles cop, SWAT member and homicide detective until he decides to go home to Roanoke with his accidental son (read book 1 to find out!) to live with his father, Timothy, an elementary school head. Manny, his friend soon followed, became a US Marshal and MacKenzie a private detective. Having gone through many dangerous cases and situations he finds himself a full member of the local chapter of a national crime organisation - also accidentally. After the events in book 5, some of the gang lords want to kill him, the rest love him. He solves a mystery, gains a dog - accidentally - and finally gets engaged to the love of his life. BUT... This book, like some of the others, and on a non ending, a real cliff hanger. I don't mind - Alan Lee's dialogue - MacKenzie 's speech and thoughts, and imaginary thoughts of and conversations with his one year old, and now the dog have me laughing out loud, however dark the storyline is. These books just wrap themselves around me and don't want to let go from the first page of the first book I read.
386 reviews6 followers
November 6, 2019
You've got to love a story that involves a dog, right? Mack is hired to help a man who has short-term amnesia, find a dog he had just brought home, shortly before the vehicle accident that affects his memory. He doesn't know why he needs to find the dog, he just knows it is important. His ex-wife and her crazy new husband are entitled to half of his fortune, but before the acccident, Mr. Steinbeck (the amnesiac) had gone to Monte Carlo and gambled all the money away. Gordon, the steroid taking husband of the ex-wife, thinks there is more to the story and Mr. Steinbeck is hiding money from them. Mr. Tough Guy tries to take on Mack and Manny and basically gets his clock cleaned, which is always entertaining in a Mackenzie August story. Mack's determination to get to the bottom of the story, not only where the dog is, but why it is so important, always leads to a positive result. And then the epilogue comes along...
76 reviews3 followers
July 30, 2019
Lovin' this series

I'm lovin' being injected into a world I could never imagine. I'm lovin' Mackenzie's English teacher quirkiness, his appropriate use of words you find only on the SATs. I'm lovin' his dedicated stick-to-itiveness. I'm lovin' the family dynamics in this household--except I can't figure out how they keep the place immaculate. I'm not lovin' the super human good looks and physical perfection of these characters and how it wins them an automatic in--but it works for them and it works for these stories. I'm lovin' having fun with a little escape literature.
Profile Image for Art.
1,013 reviews8 followers
April 22, 2020
Mackenzie August has a new client. The man wants to find a dog he thinks he once owned. He doesn't really remember the dog because he has amnesia. But he knows the dog is important for some reason.

It sounds like just the quest for Mackenzie, who is still recovering from his ordeal in Italy and trying to make peace with the fact he is kind of married.

The only bad thing about this book is I am now caught up and will have to wait to see what happens next. Did I mention there's a cliffhanger involved?

Write quickly, Alan Lee.
2,670 reviews23 followers
January 7, 2021
Good Good Stuff!

We ate in the midst of one of the best mysteries in such a long time. Mackenzie finds himself in the employ of a man who has no memory and he has to investigate, who he was before. This was some good reading time ,and there are moments when you say I think I have it figured out and you are all wrong. There are laugh out loud moments and you are so going to enjoy all of them. There's a part in the story where you get peak on the inside of Mackenzie and Ronnie and its such a sweet and sexy treat. Take a moment and enjoy this really good story.
94 reviews2 followers
March 28, 2019
Love these books........

I have five or six books backed up waiting to be read and then Good Girl came along and having read all of the series it just had to read, leaving the other books sitting. I love Mackenzie, Manny and the whole August family. But now having finished the book and being left with such a cliff hanger, I can hardly wait for the next one. Mack manages to get himself into the best adventures. More please............
85 reviews1 follower
July 25, 2019
Just gets better

Mackenzie August is a fun and unique private investigator. He has a cast of characters at his home including his infant son, strangely acquired wife, his dad and his one of a kind house mate. This story doesn't involve violence, just a quirky mystery and enjoyable banter. Nice to take a breath from the law book, and wait for the next one that is set up for a roller coaster ride.
477 reviews4 followers
September 4, 2019
Another great one. Liked it better than the last - more of August's philosophizing. As I noted before, these books are addictive. If you are a fan of Spenser, you'll love August. I also know that Mr. Janney, whoops Lee, reads these, so a bit of advice. MacKenzie speaks so well and is so erudite. I KNOW he would use the nominative after the verb to be. A "me" instead of "I" about 80% through the book rankled me.

Keep 'em coming Mr. Lee/Janney
75 reviews
December 22, 2019
Wonderful! Heartwarming! Fabulous! Read this!

I laughed and cried, I cheered, I related and I want more. I feel as if I could actually "see" these people, I use the word people as they are so much more than characters in a book. Mr. Lee is an outstanding observer of humankind. He breathes life into his people. I want to sit at the August table and watch and learn and get to know the clan. I want them to know they have made a friend.
Profile Image for Ricki.
1,496 reviews14 followers
December 8, 2021
Not sure if Mackenzie & Ronnie are going to make it. She is very damaged and may be unable to fight the urge to go back to her previous "life". The main story is a strange one, helping a reclusive amnesiac and his family figure out why a lost dog is important is time consuming but of course he does figure it out but not without a bit of fist fighting with a real jerk.

Still hard to follow all the "banter"



79 reviews
September 17, 2019
Headline Required

This author is very original. Besides the fact that he writes in a voice very similar to the Spencer character, his plot lines and mysteries are like no other. The ending of this one is like the start of the next volume. Frustrating! Now I have to fine the 6th I have read in a row!
3 reviews
December 26, 2019
Six books of Mackenzie August

Light reading at its best. Good characters from the series start. The good guys in very white hats and the bad guys worthy of black hats from the get go. Bad weather outside, curl up in your favorite easy chair and let the entertainment begin. Can’t wait for Book 7 to see what happens to Darren.
220 reviews
February 5, 2020
Another 5 Star

Alan Lee has a way with words, and mysteries. This one was a bit unusual for the series, with much less violence and lots more humor, and makes a great change after the intensity of Only The Details (Book 5 in the series). Of course, the Epilogue leaves us hanging, anxious for Book 7. Love this series
19 reviews
March 15, 2020
Just read it again!

While waiting impatiently for the next book in this series, I decided to remind myself of where we had left off. I started reading and didn't stop until the end, loving it, laughing and being delighted just as I was the first time. Alan Lee Janney is the ultimate creator of entertaining reading! Love his style!! Can't wait for the next one.
227 reviews
July 14, 2020
My binge read continues......

Rarely have I found a series of thrillers as compelling as Alan Lee's MacKenzie August books.
Good Girl is just another reason why.
Lee's ability to vary the tone and pace of each novel is half of what makes these books a joy to read.
The other half is how his characters continue to evolve with each new work.
On to volume 7.
Profile Image for David Sjolander .
74 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2021
Why is this note important?

Mackenzie August, Private Investigator, strives to unravel a mystery with seemingly nothing to go on. A doctor with amnesia, whose ex-wife's new husband is a bully, has a notation in his journal which puzzles him daily. His housekeeper contacts August to help the doctor. Two thumbs up!
10 reviews
July 11, 2021
Simply Outstanding

I can’t say enough about the Mackenzie August series. It’s been a roller coaster ride since reading the first book and now I’ve read all six books in record time, for me anyway. Thank you Mr Alan Lee for your suspenseful stories that have captivated me and given me such joy. Keep them coming. Thanks again.
3 reviews
Read
May 4, 2024
Another great McKenzie August book!

I have read all of the McKenzie August books, along with the Sinatra and Sheriff Stackhouse books at least twice each. I love Alan Lee's humor and catchy phrases throughout his books. I have to look up words all the time, and it's kinda fun. I have also recommended the series to friends. Hope there are more coming soon.
182 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2025
Oh Yea! PI August is back!!!

Once again Mr.Lee captures the reader and won’t let go! If you have read my other reviews, all but Book 5 excellent 5 stars and this one would get 105 stars if it were possible. Do NOT miss this one…puzzling, intriguing and pure delight . Love the characters, the mystery and the humor!
47 reviews
March 23, 2019
Excellent, and funny! I missed the book before this one, so now I have to go back and read that one, too. A lot of references to what came before, and some shocking changes in Mac's world in this book.
1 review3 followers
August 23, 2019
Extremely enjoyable book. I highly recommend this and the entire series. Read all 6 and the stand alone in less than a week! Starting on his next series now! Don't miss these, you will be disappointed.
Profile Image for Cody .
510 reviews5 followers
December 22, 2019
I love this series

I just discovered these books last week and I've read the whole series in as many days. And holy smokes, the ending of this one. WTH Alan, get this next one out ASAP
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews