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Michael McGarrity holds a BA with distinction in psychology
and a master's degree in clinical social work. As an
undergraduate, he held a Ford Foundation Scholarship at
the University of New Mexico. Additionally, he is an honor
graduate of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.
His career in criminal justice includes work in corrections,
law enforcement, security, police officer training, and
serving as an expert witness to the court. As a deputy
sheriff for Santa Fe County he worked as a patrol officer,
community relations officer, training and planning
supervisor, and lead investigator for the sex crimes unit,
which he established. He also has served as an instructor
at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy, an
investigator and caseworker for the Public Defender's
Office, and an investigator for a state government agency.
In 1987, he was honored as Santa Fe's Police Officer of
the Year.
As a trained psychotherapist, McGarrity specialized in the
treatment of high-risk and at-risk populations including
drug abusers, chronically mentally ill patients, juvenile
delinquents, adult felons, and abused and neglected
children. He was responsible for reestablishing mental
health services for the New Mexico Corrections
Department after the infamous prison riot of 1980, creating
school-based counseling services for children and youth,
setting-up intensive therapy programs for patients with
serious mental disorders, and developing halfway houses
and residential treatment programs for drug abusers and
felons released to the community. In 1980 he was
recognized by his peers as the New Mexico Social Worker
of the Year.
He has been on the faculty of several colleges and
universities, teaching courses in psychology and
counseling, functioning as a field supervisor for
undergraduate and graduate clinical social work students,
and as a college instructor within the New Mexico prison
system.
Prior to turning his attention to the writing of fiction, he
published a number of professional journal articles on a
wide range of topics, including therapy programs for
children, program assessment and evaluation, staff
development, and drug treatment interventions. For a
number of years, he maintained a private practice
specializing in the family therapy and consultation services
to community-based treatment agencies.
With the publication of "Tularosa" in 1996, McGarrity
turned to writing full time. He lives in Santa Fe New Mexico
with his wife and college sweetheart, Emily Beth (Mimi). His
son, Sean Eli, who creates the maps for the books and
takes the author's photographs, also lives in Santa Fe.
Michael's debut novel,Tularosa" was nominated for an
Anthony Award, a Dilys Award and a Spur Award from the
Western Writers of America, and was selected as one of
the best books of the year by "Publishers Weekly".
"Serpent Gate", the third novel in the Kevin Kerney series,
was a "Booklist" top-ten crime novel of 1998-1999.
"Under the Color of Law" garnered kudos as a Top 10
bestseller list for 2001 of the Independent Mystery
Booksellers Association. It was also judged as one of the
best books of 2001 by Deadly Pleasures Magazine.
Deadly Pleasures also gave a nod to the cover art as a top
book cover of 2001. In 2003, Michael was nominated for
two awards, the New Mexico Governor's Award for
Excellence in the Arts, and the Western Writers of America
Spur Award for Best Western Novel, his second Spur
nomination and in 2004, Michael was not only nominated
but was awarded the New Mexico Governor's Award for
Excellence in the Arts -- Literature.
and a master's degree in clinical social work. As an
undergraduate, he held a Ford Foundation Scholarship at
the University of New Mexico. Additionally, he is an honor
graduate of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.
His career in criminal justice includes work in corrections,
law enforcement, security, police officer training, and
serving as an expert witness to the court. As a deputy
sheriff for Santa Fe County he worked as a patrol officer,
community relations officer, training and planning
supervisor, and lead investigator for the sex crimes unit,
which he established. He also has served as an instructor
at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy, an
investigator and caseworker for the Public Defender's
Office, and an investigator for a state government agency.
In 1987, he was honored as Santa Fe's Police Officer of
the Year.
As a trained psychotherapist, McGarrity specialized in the
treatment of high-risk and at-risk populations including
drug abusers, chronically mentally ill patients, juvenile
delinquents, adult felons, and abused and neglected
children. He was responsible for reestablishing mental
health services for the New Mexico Corrections
Department after the infamous prison riot of 1980, creating
school-based counseling services for children and youth,
setting-up intensive therapy programs for patients with
serious mental disorders, and developing halfway houses
and residential treatment programs for drug abusers and
felons released to the community. In 1980 he was
recognized by his peers as the New Mexico Social Worker
of the Year.
He has been on the faculty of several colleges and
universities, teaching courses in psychology and
counseling, functioning as a field supervisor for
undergraduate and graduate clinical social work students,
and as a college instructor within the New Mexico prison
system.
Prior to turning his attention to the writing of fiction, he
published a number of professional journal articles on a
wide range of topics, including therapy programs for
children, program assessment and evaluation, staff
development, and drug treatment interventions. For a
number of years, he maintained a private practice
specializing in the family therapy and consultation services
to community-based treatment agencies.
With the publication of "Tularosa" in 1996, McGarrity
turned to writing full time. He lives in Santa Fe New Mexico
with his wife and college sweetheart, Emily Beth (Mimi). His
son, Sean Eli, who creates the maps for the books and
takes the author's photographs, also lives in Santa Fe.
Michael's debut novel,Tularosa" was nominated for an
Anthony Award, a Dilys Award and a Spur Award from the
Western Writers of America, and was selected as one of
the best books of the year by "Publishers Weekly".
"Serpent Gate", the third novel in the Kevin Kerney series,
was a "Booklist" top-ten crime novel of 1998-1999.
"Under the Color of Law" garnered kudos as a Top 10
bestseller list for 2001 of the Independent Mystery
Booksellers Association. It was also judged as one of the
best books of 2001 by Deadly Pleasures Magazine.
Deadly Pleasures also gave a nod to the cover art as a top
book cover of 2001. In 2003, Michael was nominated for
two awards, the New Mexico Governor's Award for
Excellence in the Arts, and the Western Writers of America
Spur Award for Best Western Novel, his second Spur
nomination and in 2004, Michael was not only nominated
but was awarded the New Mexico Governor's Award for
Excellence in the Arts -- Literature.
Tularosa -- the place of reddish willows in Spanish -- holds
the key to Kevin Kerney's past and his future. Ex-chief of
detectives in the Santa Fe Police department, retired by a
shot-up leg, Kerney is drawn back into action when Navajo
Indian Terry Yazzi, his ex-partner and the man responsible
for his injuries, asks him to locate his son, reported missing
from the high-security White Sands Missile Range in
southern New Mexico.
To find Sammy Yazzi, Kerney must track clues that lead
deep into the histories of the region -- Native American,
Hispanic, and Anglo -- and surprisingly, into his own
family's ranching past. And he must deal with the
complicated feelings triggered by the army's investigator,
Captain Sara Brannon, a fiery young officer as formidable
as she is attractive. As Sammy Yazzi's trail spirals into a
web of murder, treason, and the smuggling of priceless
artifacts, Kerney and Sara travel an accelerating arc across
the New Mexico scene -- from the boutique-ridden plaza of
Santa Fe, through the sharp-edged beauty of the high
desert, to bordertown gambling dens -- to a final
confrontation in which, both wounded and at risk, they must
fight for their lives and for each other against opponent who
hold all the odds.
the key to Kevin Kerney's past and his future. Ex-chief of
detectives in the Santa Fe Police department, retired by a
shot-up leg, Kerney is drawn back into action when Navajo
Indian Terry Yazzi, his ex-partner and the man responsible
for his injuries, asks him to locate his son, reported missing
from the high-security White Sands Missile Range in
southern New Mexico.
To find Sammy Yazzi, Kerney must track clues that lead
deep into the histories of the region -- Native American,
Hispanic, and Anglo -- and surprisingly, into his own
family's ranching past. And he must deal with the
complicated feelings triggered by the army's investigator,
Captain Sara Brannon, a fiery young officer as formidable
as she is attractive. As Sammy Yazzi's trail spirals into a
web of murder, treason, and the smuggling of priceless
artifacts, Kerney and Sara travel an accelerating arc across
the New Mexico scene -- from the boutique-ridden plaza of
Santa Fe, through the sharp-edged beauty of the high
desert, to bordertown gambling dens -- to a final
confrontation in which, both wounded and at risk, they must
fight for their lives and for each other against opponent who
hold all the odds.
"Tularosa" introduced Kevin Kerney, ex-Santa Fe chief of
detectives and ex-rancher, as he followed the trail of his
missing godson into a web of murder, treason, and the
smuggling of historical artifacts. A year later, Kerney is
working as a seasonal forest ranger in the Gila Wilderness
and banking his pay toward the down payment on a small
ranch. Despite the county militia's planting pipe bombs on
hiking trails, Kerney looks forward to a quiet summer in
the high mountains.
But the poaching of wildlife, the murder of a Mexican
tourist, and the discovery of a disoriented old man in the
wilderness thrust Kerney into an investigation that
accelerates dangerously to a heart-stopping final
confrontation.
Frustrated by the ineptness of the local sheriff and
bureaucratic roadblocks within the forest service, Kerney
teams up with Jim Stiles, a young, energetic game and fish
officer. Together Kerney and Stiles begin an investigation
that takes them back in time to a sixty-year-old feud
between two land-rich brothers, Edgar and Eugene Cox, and
its possible connection with the death of an Hispanic
rancher, and into the present-day intrigue of the
paramilitary militia movement sweeping the country.
The investigation leads Kerney to question the motives of
the new assistant district attorney, Karen Cox, Edgar's
daughter, who may be more interested in shielding her
father than in solving the crimes.
As the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, someone
keeps trying to kill Kerney. And soon Karen must choose
between protecting her father's long-buried secret or joining
Kerney in a battle for their lives and the truth.
detectives and ex-rancher, as he followed the trail of his
missing godson into a web of murder, treason, and the
smuggling of historical artifacts. A year later, Kerney is
working as a seasonal forest ranger in the Gila Wilderness
and banking his pay toward the down payment on a small
ranch. Despite the county militia's planting pipe bombs on
hiking trails, Kerney looks forward to a quiet summer in
the high mountains.
But the poaching of wildlife, the murder of a Mexican
tourist, and the discovery of a disoriented old man in the
wilderness thrust Kerney into an investigation that
accelerates dangerously to a heart-stopping final
confrontation.
Frustrated by the ineptness of the local sheriff and
bureaucratic roadblocks within the forest service, Kerney
teams up with Jim Stiles, a young, energetic game and fish
officer. Together Kerney and Stiles begin an investigation
that takes them back in time to a sixty-year-old feud
between two land-rich brothers, Edgar and Eugene Cox, and
its possible connection with the death of an Hispanic
rancher, and into the present-day intrigue of the
paramilitary militia movement sweeping the country.
The investigation leads Kerney to question the motives of
the new assistant district attorney, Karen Cox, Edgar's
daughter, who may be more interested in shielding her
father than in solving the crimes.
As the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, someone
keeps trying to kill Kerney. And soon Karen must choose
between protecting her father's long-buried secret or joining
Kerney in a battle for their lives and the truth.
Mountainair, New Mexico. The very name conjures up the
clean air, the foothills, the gorgeous mountains of the
Southwest. Some would say this is God's country. It's also
Kevin Kerney's, especially when crimes like rape and cop
murder intrude on the outwardly idyllic setting.
It was opening night of the annual town rodeo six months
ago when Patrolman Paul Gillespie left the calf-roping
finals, headed toward the police station, and was killed by
person or persons unknown. Nobody much is talking, at
least not to Kerney, but Kerney suspects that one man,
Robert Cordova, a schizophrenic, saw something that
memorable night. Why, for instance, does Cordova seem
obsessed with rape, and what about his ramblings on the
subject of Serpent Gate? And what roles, if any, should the
possibly imaginary Addie and veterinarian Nita Lassiter play
in Kerney's investigation?
Murder and its aftermath, which are reflected on a small
scale in Mountainair, play themselves out against a much
glitzier backdrop in upmarket Santa Fe, where priceless art
disappears from the governor's office and a beautiful young
woman dies a quick and violent death in a millionaire's
mansion. While monitoring Mountainair, Kerney, now
deputy chief of the State Police, returns to Santa Fe to take
on an old nemesis.
Restless, thinking perhaps too often of a woman who is, for
him, off-limits, Kerney accepts the challenge. With his love
of the land, his knowledge of police tactics and the criminal
mind, his raw courage and tenaciousness, Kerney heads
toward a showdown with his enemy.
clean air, the foothills, the gorgeous mountains of the
Southwest. Some would say this is God's country. It's also
Kevin Kerney's, especially when crimes like rape and cop
murder intrude on the outwardly idyllic setting.
It was opening night of the annual town rodeo six months
ago when Patrolman Paul Gillespie left the calf-roping
finals, headed toward the police station, and was killed by
person or persons unknown. Nobody much is talking, at
least not to Kerney, but Kerney suspects that one man,
Robert Cordova, a schizophrenic, saw something that
memorable night. Why, for instance, does Cordova seem
obsessed with rape, and what about his ramblings on the
subject of Serpent Gate? And what roles, if any, should the
possibly imaginary Addie and veterinarian Nita Lassiter play
in Kerney's investigation?
Murder and its aftermath, which are reflected on a small
scale in Mountainair, play themselves out against a much
glitzier backdrop in upmarket Santa Fe, where priceless art
disappears from the governor's office and a beautiful young
woman dies a quick and violent death in a millionaire's
mansion. While monitoring Mountainair, Kerney, now
deputy chief of the State Police, returns to Santa Fe to take
on an old nemesis.
Restless, thinking perhaps too often of a woman who is, for
him, off-limits, Kerney accepts the challenge. With his love
of the land, his knowledge of police tactics and the criminal
mind, his raw courage and tenaciousness, Kerney heads
toward a showdown with his enemy.
When an old family friend unexpectedly leaves Kevin
Kerney 6400 acres of high country land outside Las Vegas,
New Mexico, the last thing Kerney wants to think about is
police work. Taking a rare weekend off from his job as
deputy chief of the New Mexico State Police, Kerney sets
out to explore the land, a rugged mesa in the shadow of
Hermit's Peak.
Before Kerney can get very far, he comes upon an ailing
stray dog with a woman's running shoe in its mouth. The
dog leads him to the butchered bones of a murder victim,
and Kerney finds he's inherited a homicide along with a
ranch.
Determined not to see his weekend ruined, Kerney turns
the investigation over to the state police district office and
continues his survey of his windfall inheritance, only to find
that timber thieves have clear-cut a great swath of woodland
in a remote canyon.
Unsure of whether he can pay the inheritance taxes, hold on
to the land, and realize his dream to ranch again, Kerney
returns to Santa Fe. There he finds that Sara Brannon -- a
woman he cares deeply about -- has arrived to visit him. As
Kerney and Sara begin trying to sort out a relationship that
means more to both of them either is willing to admit,
Kerney is called back to Hermit's Peak. Another murder
victim has been found at a remote cabin next to Kerney's
property.
Kerney is soon directing a multipronged investigation into
crimes that may or may not be connected. Step by step, he
assembles facts that cast suspicion on some unlikely
suspects. As he races against time to solve to murders and
avert another, Kerney must also grapple with what the
truth may mean for a man he has grown to respect and
trust.
Kerney 6400 acres of high country land outside Las Vegas,
New Mexico, the last thing Kerney wants to think about is
police work. Taking a rare weekend off from his job as
deputy chief of the New Mexico State Police, Kerney sets
out to explore the land, a rugged mesa in the shadow of
Hermit's Peak.
Before Kerney can get very far, he comes upon an ailing
stray dog with a woman's running shoe in its mouth. The
dog leads him to the butchered bones of a murder victim,
and Kerney finds he's inherited a homicide along with a
ranch.
Determined not to see his weekend ruined, Kerney turns
the investigation over to the state police district office and
continues his survey of his windfall inheritance, only to find
that timber thieves have clear-cut a great swath of woodland
in a remote canyon.
Unsure of whether he can pay the inheritance taxes, hold on
to the land, and realize his dream to ranch again, Kerney
returns to Santa Fe. There he finds that Sara Brannon -- a
woman he cares deeply about -- has arrived to visit him. As
Kerney and Sara begin trying to sort out a relationship that
means more to both of them either is willing to admit,
Kerney is called back to Hermit's Peak. Another murder
victim has been found at a remote cabin next to Kerney's
property.
Kerney is soon directing a multipronged investigation into
crimes that may or may not be connected. Step by step, he
assembles facts that cast suspicion on some unlikely
suspects. As he races against time to solve to murders and
avert another, Kerney must also grapple with what the
truth may mean for a man he has grown to respect and
trust.
Deputy state police chief Kevin Kerney is weeks away from
trading in his badge for a rancher's hat, when six murders
are committed late one night at remote campgrounds in
south central New Mexico. Most of the evidence points to
the work of a spree killer, but peculiarities at one crime
scene suggest another grisly possibility, that five random
people have been shot to death to cover the premeditated
murder of the sixth victim, Vernon Langsford, a retired
judge and wealthy businessman.
Ruling out neither scenario, Kerney uses all the available
resources of the New Mexico State Police to mount a
high-profile search for a possible spree killer and conduct a
deep probe into the life of Vernon Langsford. Quickly, the
investigation reveals a number of motives for Langsford's
murder, including money, revenge, sexual indiscretions, and
the six-year-old unsolved killing of Langsford's wife by a
letter bomb meant for the judge. But Kerney has no clear
suspects, nor does he know why Langsford's son scornfully
refers to his murdered father as "the Judas judge".
Under pressure to make an arrest, Kerney struggles to
keep a team of investigators moving forward. As he pieces
together a shocking history of family betrayal, he is
harassed by a stalker with an unknown agenda, forced into
a gunfight with a crooked cop that may taint his entire
career, and shaken by new doubts about his plan to give up
police work. Most troubling of all, he is reacquainted with a
proud Apace woman from his past. who discloses a secret of
her own which could easily disrupt his recent marriage to a
wife he rarely sees, career army officer Sara Brannon.
Challenged by the most sensational case of his career,
Kerney must use all his skill to track down and bring to
justice a brilliant and ruthless killer.
trading in his badge for a rancher's hat, when six murders
are committed late one night at remote campgrounds in
south central New Mexico. Most of the evidence points to
the work of a spree killer, but peculiarities at one crime
scene suggest another grisly possibility, that five random
people have been shot to death to cover the premeditated
murder of the sixth victim, Vernon Langsford, a retired
judge and wealthy businessman.
Ruling out neither scenario, Kerney uses all the available
resources of the New Mexico State Police to mount a
high-profile search for a possible spree killer and conduct a
deep probe into the life of Vernon Langsford. Quickly, the
investigation reveals a number of motives for Langsford's
murder, including money, revenge, sexual indiscretions, and
the six-year-old unsolved killing of Langsford's wife by a
letter bomb meant for the judge. But Kerney has no clear
suspects, nor does he know why Langsford's son scornfully
refers to his murdered father as "the Judas judge".
Under pressure to make an arrest, Kerney struggles to
keep a team of investigators moving forward. As he pieces
together a shocking history of family betrayal, he is
harassed by a stalker with an unknown agenda, forced into
a gunfight with a crooked cop that may taint his entire
career, and shaken by new doubts about his plan to give up
police work. Most troubling of all, he is reacquainted with a
proud Apace woman from his past. who discloses a secret of
her own which could easily disrupt his recent marriage to a
wife he rarely sees, career army officer Sara Brannon.
Challenged by the most sensational case of his career,
Kerney must use all his skill to track down and bring to
justice a brilliant and ruthless killer.
Kevin Kerney is back in Santa Fe, newly installed as police
chief, when a U.S. ambassador's estranged wife is found
murdered in her multi-million-dollar home. Before he can
mount a proper investigation, an FBI anti-terrorism team
arrives, takes control of the inquiry, and forces Kerney to
watch from the sidelines as the crime scene is sanitized,
potential witnesses disappear, and the case is cleared with
trumped-up evidence. Warned off, put under surveillance,
and threatened with reprisals under the rubric of national
security, Kerney balks at accepting the whitewash and
begins a soft probe that points to a covert intelligence
coverup with tendrils stretching from every known
government spy shop to the South American jungles.
Convinced that unscrupulous government agents are acting
outside the law, Kerney begins his own clandestine hunt for
a hard target that will lead him to the truth about the
Terrell homicide, knowing full well he might not survive the
chase.
chief, when a U.S. ambassador's estranged wife is found
murdered in her multi-million-dollar home. Before he can
mount a proper investigation, an FBI anti-terrorism team
arrives, takes control of the inquiry, and forces Kerney to
watch from the sidelines as the crime scene is sanitized,
potential witnesses disappear, and the case is cleared with
trumped-up evidence. Warned off, put under surveillance,
and threatened with reprisals under the rubric of national
security, Kerney balks at accepting the whitewash and
begins a soft probe that points to a covert intelligence
coverup with tendrils stretching from every known
government spy shop to the South American jungles.
Convinced that unscrupulous government agents are acting
outside the law, Kerney begins his own clandestine hunt for
a hard target that will lead him to the truth about the
Terrell homicide, knowing full well he might not survive the
chase.
When a structure fire in an abandoned fruit stand in rural
Lincoln County reveals the murdered body of a woman gone
missing from Santa Fe years ago, Police Chief Kevin
Kerney finds himself cooperating with his estranged son, a
man he hardly knows, Deputy Sheriff Clayton Istee. While
Kerney digs into the woman's past hoping to find clues that
will lead to a credible suspect, Clayton must unravel two
more homicides which seen on the surface totally unrelated.
As Kerney chases down clues that raise questions about the
legitimacy of a highly-regarded modeling and talent agency,
Clayton works to discover the identity of a murder suspect
alleged to have ties to prostitution and illegal gambling.
Set against the backdrop of the high mountains of southern
New Mexico where gambling is big business and private
sexual encounters for VIPs can discreetly be arranged,
Kerney and Clayton must go up against rich and politically
powerful opponents who are willing to protect their
reputations at all costs.
Lincoln County reveals the murdered body of a woman gone
missing from Santa Fe years ago, Police Chief Kevin
Kerney finds himself cooperating with his estranged son, a
man he hardly knows, Deputy Sheriff Clayton Istee. While
Kerney digs into the woman's past hoping to find clues that
will lead to a credible suspect, Clayton must unravel two
more homicides which seen on the surface totally unrelated.
As Kerney chases down clues that raise questions about the
legitimacy of a highly-regarded modeling and talent agency,
Clayton works to discover the identity of a murder suspect
alleged to have ties to prostitution and illegal gambling.
Set against the backdrop of the high mountains of southern
New Mexico where gambling is big business and private
sexual encounters for VIPs can discreetly be arranged,
Kerney and Clayton must go up against rich and politically
powerful opponents who are willing to protect their
reputations at all costs.
Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney and his wife, Lt.
Colonel Sara Brannon, are on leave and eagerly awaiting
the birth of their son when a prominent gay attorney is
gunned down outside his office by an unknown assailant.
Called to the crime scene and faced with scanty evidence
and no apparent motive, Kerney directs his chief of
detectives to delve into the victim's personal and
professional life, a decision which ultimately leads to a
SWAT team screw-up and the death of two innocent people.
But the killer has just begun. Kerney's horse, a mustang
he'd gentled and trained, is viciously and senselessly
destroyed, a dead rat is left on his doorstep, and a second
victim with ties to the criminal justice system is found in
bed with her throat cut along with a warning, EVERYONE
DIES.
As a time of joy turns into a nightmare, Kerney and Sara
search desperately for a seemingly unstoppable chameleon
killer who promises to murder them and their unborn son.
Colonel Sara Brannon, are on leave and eagerly awaiting
the birth of their son when a prominent gay attorney is
gunned down outside his office by an unknown assailant.
Called to the crime scene and faced with scanty evidence
and no apparent motive, Kerney directs his chief of
detectives to delve into the victim's personal and
professional life, a decision which ultimately leads to a
SWAT team screw-up and the death of two innocent people.
But the killer has just begun. Kerney's horse, a mustang
he'd gentled and trained, is viciously and senselessly
destroyed, a dead rat is left on his doorstep, and a second
victim with ties to the criminal justice system is found in
bed with her throat cut along with a warning, EVERYONE
DIES.
As a time of joy turns into a nightmare, Kerney and Sara
search desperately for a seemingly unstoppable chameleon
killer who promises to murder them and their unborn son.
Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney travels to a California
ranch looking to buy some prime quarter horse breeding
stock; instead, he finds himself the prime suspect in a
possible homicide when a guest at the ranch, Clifford
Spalding, is found dead. Confronted by a determined cop
unwilling to let him off the hook, Kerney decides to conduct
his own investigation. As he digs into the victim's
background, he learns that Spalding's ex-wife refuses to
believe that her son, a soldier killed in Vietnam some thirty
years ago, is dead.
Kerney soon finds himself sharing the woman's doubts. Did
Spalding's current wife, a much younger woman,
orchestrate his murder with the help of a lover? Did a
California cop collude with Spalding to keep his ex-wife
from learning the truth about her son?
Slow Kill races from West coast to East coast, as Kerney
tries to find the answers to a thirty-year old mystery and
extricate himself from a situation that could ruin his career.
ranch looking to buy some prime quarter horse breeding
stock; instead, he finds himself the prime suspect in a
possible homicide when a guest at the ranch, Clifford
Spalding, is found dead. Confronted by a determined cop
unwilling to let him off the hook, Kerney decides to conduct
his own investigation. As he digs into the victim's
background, he learns that Spalding's ex-wife refuses to
believe that her son, a soldier killed in Vietnam some thirty
years ago, is dead.
Kerney soon finds himself sharing the woman's doubts. Did
Spalding's current wife, a much younger woman,
orchestrate his murder with the help of a lover? Did a
California cop collude with Spalding to keep his ex-wife
from learning the truth about her son?
Slow Kill races from West coast to East coast, as Kerney
tries to find the answers to a thirty-year old mystery and
extricate himself from a situation that could ruin his career.
After years away on the pro rodeo circuit, Johnny Jordan
struts into Santa Fe to ask his boyhood friend, Santa Fe
Police Chief Kevin Kerney, to serve as a technical advisor
on a contemporary Western movie to be filmed along the
Mexican border. Kerney agrees and plans a working
vacation on location in a remote area of the state known as
the Bootheel with his wife, Lt. Colonel Sara Brannon, and
their three year old son, Patrick. But a dead man on a road
near an isolated border crossing, a federal undercover
investigation into immigrant smuggling, the search for a
fugitive from military justice hiding somewhere in Europe,
and Johnny Jordan’s troublesome behavior ensure that
nothing goes as planned.
As separate investigations embroil Kerney and Sara in
circumstances that will forever changes their lives, Kerney
must care for Patrick while Sara plays a dangerous game of
Pentagon politics. Packed with family secrets, international
intrigue, and memorable characters, this is McGarrity’s
most ambitious and involving novel to date, traveling an
accelerating arc from Santa Fe to the desert grasslands and
mountains of the Bootheel, the most secret levels of the
Pentagon, a resort town on the coast of Ireland, and back to
an adrenaline-charged climax on a desolate landing strip a
few miles north of the Mexican border.
struts into Santa Fe to ask his boyhood friend, Santa Fe
Police Chief Kevin Kerney, to serve as a technical advisor
on a contemporary Western movie to be filmed along the
Mexican border. Kerney agrees and plans a working
vacation on location in a remote area of the state known as
the Bootheel with his wife, Lt. Colonel Sara Brannon, and
their three year old son, Patrick. But a dead man on a road
near an isolated border crossing, a federal undercover
investigation into immigrant smuggling, the search for a
fugitive from military justice hiding somewhere in Europe,
and Johnny Jordan’s troublesome behavior ensure that
nothing goes as planned.
As separate investigations embroil Kerney and Sara in
circumstances that will forever changes their lives, Kerney
must care for Patrick while Sara plays a dangerous game of
Pentagon politics. Packed with family secrets, international
intrigue, and memorable characters, this is McGarrity’s
most ambitious and involving novel to date, traveling an
accelerating arc from Santa Fe to the desert grasslands and
mountains of the Bootheel, the most secret levels of the
Pentagon, a resort town on the coast of Ireland, and back to
an adrenaline-charged climax on a desolate landing strip a
few miles north of the Mexican border.
The bushwhack killing of a deputy sheriff in Lincoln
County and the brutal murder of the deputy’s wife in Santa
Fe, bring Police Chief Kevin Kerney and his Mescalero
Apache son, Sergeant Clayton Istee, back together in a
double homicide investigation that is soon linked to a major
drug trafficking scheme and the cold blooded slaughter of
two women in Albuquerque. With few clues, no known
motives, and no suspects, the investigation turns into a
search for the son of the slain officer, eighteen year-old
Brian Riley, who left Santa Fe before his father’s death
under suspicious circumstances.
Due to retire at the end of the month, Kevin Kerney isn’t
about to let the murder of a police officer’s wife go unsolved
on his watch, especially since the dead woman was the sister
of a dear friend, and crime scene facts strongly suggest that
the killer may have also ambushed the deputy sheriff.
Kerney assumes command of the combined investigation
and calls upon Clayton to find Brian Riley, discover what
triggered the murders, and give him the ammunition he
needs to bring a multiple murderer to justice.
County and the brutal murder of the deputy’s wife in Santa
Fe, bring Police Chief Kevin Kerney and his Mescalero
Apache son, Sergeant Clayton Istee, back together in a
double homicide investigation that is soon linked to a major
drug trafficking scheme and the cold blooded slaughter of
two women in Albuquerque. With few clues, no known
motives, and no suspects, the investigation turns into a
search for the son of the slain officer, eighteen year-old
Brian Riley, who left Santa Fe before his father’s death
under suspicious circumstances.
Due to retire at the end of the month, Kevin Kerney isn’t
about to let the murder of a police officer’s wife go unsolved
on his watch, especially since the dead woman was the sister
of a dear friend, and crime scene facts strongly suggest that
the killer may have also ambushed the deputy sheriff.
Kerney assumes command of the combined investigation
and calls upon Clayton to find Brian Riley, discover what
triggered the murders, and give him the ammunition he
needs to bring a multiple murderer to justice.
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| Police Authors Personal Websites |
Police Author
Michael McGarrity
Michael McGarrity