Michael McGarrity Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of Kevin Kerney Books
| Tularosa | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Mexican Hat | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Serpent Gate | (1998) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Hermit's Peak | (1999) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Judas Judge | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Under the Color of Law | (2001) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Big Gamble | (2002) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Everyone Dies | (2003) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Slow Kill | (2004) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Nothing But Trouble | (2005) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Death Song | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Dead or Alive | (2008) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Residue | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Head Wounds | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of American West Trilogy Books
| Hard Country | (2012) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Backlands | (2014) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Last Ranch | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| The Long Ago | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
One of the most renowned writers of our times is Michael McGarrity. Born in 1939, Michael is master when it comes to weaving crime-suspense novels. This could be attributed the fact that he was a deputy sheriff in Santa Fe County with quite a number of accolades under his belt. One of his legacies is founding a Sex Crimes unit that has out seen his time. The New Mexican writer holds honors in English and psychology and a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of New Mexico and the University of Iowa respectively. He also graduated from the New Mexico law Enforcement Academy. Michael McGarrity has also worked alongside the New Mexico Public defender’s office as an investigator and case worker. One of the impacts that he has had is the rehabilitation of prisoners through various programs especially after the riot at the New Mexico State penitentiary in 1980. Michael has also played part in passing on law enforcement education to students in a number of universities including the New Mexico law Enforcement Academy. He is known to have published a number of articles concerning therapy for children, drug intervention treatments and programming assessment and evaluation in counseling programs.
He was awarded the Santa Fe’s Police Officer of the year’ award in 1987. One of his great attributes was the ability to work in high risk areas including the mentally ill, drug abusers, gang bangers, juvenile delinquents, neglected and abused children among others. He has helped rehabilitate many mentally ill patients as well as set up programmes for the same in New Mexico. This has immensely contributed to his crime suspense novels. Michael McGarrity turned to writing fulltime after the release of Tularosa’. He had maintained family based therapy for a while before this for a number of years. McGarrity still lives in Santa Fe New Mexico with Emily Beth, his college sweetheart. Some of his greatest achievements include the establishment of McGarrity Creative Writing Scholarship based at the University of New Mexico, the establishment of the N. Scott Momaday Creative Writing Scholarship based at the Institute of American Indian Arts and the establishment of the Richard Bradford Memorial Creative Writing Scholarship based at the Santa Fe Community college. This has also made him a favorite in New Mexico when it comes to law enforcement.
His books
Michael McGarrity has authored a number of books since Tularosa including Mexican hat in 1997, Serpent gate in 1998, hermit’s peak in 1999 and the Judas judge in 2000. One of his latest works is Backlands’ in 2014 among many others. Most of his books are based on the New Mexico area deriving from his vast knowledge form working with crime in the area. His work is fused with a real life set up that can only be derived from a one on one encounter with some of the most twisted minds from the criminal justice world. This is what probably makes his work riveting.
Serpent gate
Serpent Gate’ is a powerful suspense novel involving a retired law enforcer known as Kevin Kerney. Kevin is hired by the New Mexico State place chief to help in an investigation involving the murder of a patrolman. Paul Gillespie is murdered in Mountainair town. Kerney is a man of brilliance and intuition which leads him to Robert Cordova, a homeless schizophrenic. The unfortunate thing about all this is that this is all he has as a lead in his case at this point. He must use heis persistence to open more possibilities of the case and bring in more suspects for the case to be cracked wide open. The case soon spirals to rape and a place known as Serpent Gate. All this leads to one difficult conclusion of the case. Baca appoints Kevin deputy chief after the offices of the governor are robbed of $8 million worth of art piece. Enrique DeLeon, the Mexican drug lord well know from Tularosa and Mexican Hat’ is behind the theft alongside a businessman in Santa Fe. He helps the Drug lord launder the money via real estate and various investments so as to kill the trail. In a twist of events the governor’s nephew is discovered to be part of the plot alongside his law partner. The suspense novel mangles politics and law enforcement brilliantly bringing Kevin Kerney at logger heads with Deleon’s thugs. The now missing Cordova strings his suspicions about the involvement of all the suspects all the way to Serpent Gate where Cordova went missing. McGarrity manages to combine the theft and the murders into one compelling story that rivets the reader through and through. His work of art flows through the lives of police enforcers in New Mexico never disconnecting for the sequels.
The Judas Judge
In this compelling sequel, Kevin Kerney the now deputy chef of police is considering retirement to work in a ranch. Weeks away from his retirement, six murders occur in New Mexico at a remote camping area. The evidence leads to a spree killer but with a few glitches. The murder includes five people shot at random and judge. The only explanation through Kevin’s insight and the evidence on the murder scene is that the 5 were murdered to cover the judge’s murder. The judge is also a wealthy business man which widens the circle of perpetrators that would have w wanted to get at him. Kevin then embarks on a search for the ruthless spree killer while probing into the judge’s life. Vernon Langsford life reveals quite a number of possible suspects through a number of possible motives. It also brings a new twist with Langsford son calling his father The Judas Judge without any remorse. As Kerney gets closer to the truth, he is stalked and harassed by an unknown man bringing his to a deadly gunfight with a dirty cop. Kerney is also left in a dilemma about quitting the police job thanks to the happenings. The on goings would go on to help him make a decision whether to switch his police hat for a rancher’s one. The killer is not only brilliant but aware of Kevin’s ability matching him move for move. Michael McGarrity delivers yet another twister of crime suspense to his reader with amicable preciseness. His ability to bring it all together to the end is nothing but impressive.
Book Series In Order » Authors »
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
I thoroughly enjoy this series. But why was there a 10year hiatus (2008-18)?
He wrote the American West Trilogy which consisted of “Hard Country” (2012), “Backlands” (2014) and “The Last Ranch” (2016).
Just finished reading “The last Ranch” and enjoyed it immensely. This is the first book by Mr. McGarrity I have read. He explains the New Mexico area very well, and i have RV-lived in Deming and City Of Rocks State park near Silver City, and visited many NM places as well, including Palomas, Mexico. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, and will look to find some more. Thank you, sir, for your writings.
When will the next Kevin Kearney novel be published. Just finished ‘Head
Wounds’ and am anxious for a follow up
Have read all of them over time. Am now reading them in order again, One the advantages of getting older. Its like reading them for the first time.
I am 76 and I totally understand what you are saying. I just started reading books by Mr. McGarrity. I loved Hard Country. I kept saying to myself “I am reading a Western and I like it!”
Have enjoyed reading all of your books. Your character description so good you can picture them in your mind. Same with the area and mountains. Your are there.
Thankyou mr mcgarrity. Just finished the first two in the kevin Kearney series. I love your books plan to read them all.. it’s mighty cold up here in Duluth mn. And winter is just beginning.you will make a cozy fire,hot coffee warm blanket and your fast paced books enjoyable. Love it
Sincerely,
Kathie boniface
Very hard to put your books down. I just finished your ranch series now I will reread the Kevin series. Back in the early eighties we live in New Mexico while a new highway was being built and loved. The character “All Jennings” was interesting to me because Jennings is my maiden name a d the story of All Jennings in our family he was known as a horse their that we t to California from Ks. And became a Minister. Thank. You for your talent with wordx.
absolutelly love reading your books. when will the
next one be on the market? Please, please soon I
hope.
My husband has never been a “big” fan of reading books. A few weeks ago, he discovered that he had a copy of “Hard Country” by Michael McGarrity…probably a gift that he simply set aside. He sat down, and read that book from cover to cover in nothing flat! He LOVED it! He’s getting another from that same series for Father’s Day…but he doesn’t know it! Thank you Mr. McGarrity!!!
Is there a book from Michael McGarrity titled “The Rule of Law” published in approximately 2007? I just finished “Nothing But Trouble”, which at the end features a preview of The Rule of Law. Do not see it on list of McGarrity titles. Thanks.
From research, I believe that one ended up being titled Death Song.
I believe the book you refer to is “Under the Color of Law”.
Just read Tularosa. I don’t know how I missed Michael McGarrity. I will read all of them!
Found “Tularosa” audible in NM Public Library.
Now finishing the last book in the trilogy series which I purchased on Audible. Wonderful books, I will cry when the series ends. Withdrawal will be painful.
Just “discovered” him with Hard County. Have the rest of the Trilogy on my Audible Wish List. Love that the narrator is the same as the Longmire series. Will check out the rest of the books also. Very talented, can weave a story that keeps your interest …
Read the first nine of the Kevin Kerney series and am ordering the five left. McGarrity is one of my favorite writers, he never disappoints.
Awesome to hear Larry 🙂
Read all of the books. Brilliant! With none left to read, I’m suffering from withdrawal.
Hard to put down any book in the Kevin Kerney series! McGarrity delivers the action!