Rating: 
Summary: Let The Killings Begin: Everyone Dies!
Review: "Today he'd argued with a woman he adored, seen the murdered body of a man he liked, and found a horse he loved maliciously destroyed. It was a crummy way to start a vacation." (Page 19)Being a police officer and a target of a smart killer with a score to settle has long been a hallmark of police oriented mystery fiction. However, rarely has it been done so well as in this novel, latest in the series featuring Kevin Kerney. With Lieutenant Colonel Sara Brannon, his wife, home on maternity leave from the Army, Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin' Kerney's thoughts involve the construction of their new home and the pending arrival almost any day of his son. He is supposed to be on an often delayed and much needed vacation. That is until the killings begin. First it is a prominent attorney, Jack Potter who is shot in the chest and left to die on the sidewalk in front of the county court house. Then Kerney finds his beloved horse, Soldier, dead after being shot three times in the stomach. Then the dead rats and the notes threatening Kerney and his family begin to appear. Killing Kerney fast wouldn't bring the pleasure of making him suffer, as he will while the killer circles closer and closer killing innocent victims. As the killer moves closer, targeting his family and the body count climbs, Kerney and his investigative team lag far behind until the final inevitable violent confrontation. As in most novels of this type the reader is quickly introduced to the killer. The action and the viewpoint move constantly back and forth between the killer, Kerney and other characters. As such there is zero suspense as to who the killer is. What is unknown are the reasons why and whether or not he can be stopped in time. Why this novel works and works so well is the fact that as he has done in his other novels the author once again continues to build on the complex characters already established while creating a complicated mystery with multiple storylines. That coupled with his usual strong sense of pacing, action, and the occasional twist creates another page tuner in the best sense of the concept. This simply may be his best book yet in the series, which just keeps getting better and better.
Rating: 
Summary: Formula Writing
Review: After about one fourth of the way into this book I began skimming pages and still easily followed the plot. The author has written some fairly decent books but this is not one of them. This book is evidence of formula writing at its worst. The plot is too ambitious with gratitious carnage - cumbersome transition - characters not well developed.
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Summary: First day of vacation for Santa Fe police chief Kevin Kerney
Review: and his wife, Lt. Colonel Sara Brannon who is very pregnant with their first child. They intend to spend these six weeks in solitude, watching the building of their new home; planning the furnishings and joyfully awaiting the birth. And there goes the phone! A prominent gay attorney is gunned down; shortly after another muder and soon we are on the trail of a serial killer. The killer, however, is on his own trail which he believes will ultimately lead back to the Chief. He leaves notes wherever and whenever he kills saying that he will wipe out Kerney's entire blood line...but before he kills him, he will make him watch his wife and newborn son die before his very eyes. Then, and only then; once EVERYONE DIES, as he states in a note left on a murder victim, will it be Kerney's turn to die, and this he promises will be in a most unpleasnt way. Not words said in jest by the killer! For once he starts, there seems to be no end but the one he has predicted. He is a man of many disguises and many wily ways. How interesting that he should talk to a young man in a laundramat about a murder that happened there long ago. And in his mind he is gleeful beacause it was a murder he himself committed. Who is this man? Why is he seeking revenge on Kerney and his family? The investigation continues but is thrown off track by many things...not the least being his many disguises. You will find this case thrilling, surprising and very readable as the veil of mystery is slowly lifted. You will feel Kerney's terror as he tries to be everywhere at once in order to protect his family against almost insurmountable odds. The characters are sharp; the reading fast-paced and the story line exciting. Pick this one up and try to prepare yourself for the many turns along this crooked road.
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Summary: Series in full stride
Review: Being familiar with the genre of serial mysteries and having read a number of novels in this series, I think this work is pretty much at the apex of what a series can do. McGarrity knows his characters and where they fit in a complex relationship pattern. But then so must his readers. In this novel we see events that are rooted in a complex past.(For example, coming cold to the novel, a reader would be unfamiliar with Kearney's son, Clayton Istee, whose mother and Kearney were lovers in college. Born while an unsuspecting Kearney was serving in Vietnam, Clayton is resolving feelings of abandonment.)McGarrity handles this as well as possible which is why I consider this his best presentation so far, but extra-textal information is a limitation. The novel is primarily a police procedural novel, although the writer uses a sort of fractured narrative - not quite "meanwhile back at the ranch"- as he advances the plot scattered over three or four sites. (NO UNITY OF PLACE HERE) As his characters cell-phone, radio and fax each other, the culprit lurks and listens. He is a shadowy presence, without deep psychological development. Nor does one find the kind of powerful descriptive passages of a writer like James Lee Burke, after all this is a similar but slightly different approach having a continuing character like Robicheaux but with emphasis on procedure. Some aspects of this novel suggest a couple directions the writer may consider. Certainly Clayton Istee may be one path. We have seen how Hillerman moved from Leaphorn to Chee. Kearney's M.P. wife, Sara, now mother but still Lt Colonel (due for promotion) is a possible developmental chain. And Kearney's new ranch - with its nearby wild country - might be a scene of a reprise with the south of the border drug lords he has tangled with before. How long McGarrity can sustain this level and these characters is anyone's guess, but if you are not on board yet, come on.
Rating:
Summary: Best 'who-done-it' in the series
Review: Even though this novel is a stand alone book within the Kevin Kerney series of novels, it would probably help to read a few of the others first, only to flesh out some background history on some of the characters. I think that's beneficial only because the murders that plague Santa Fe, NM and Kevin Kerney's department hits close to home. First a seemingly random, yet planned murder of a gay attorney in town has the community and the police baffled. As the story progresses and the body count increases, it soon becomes evident that the murderer is singling out and sending a very private yet cryptic message to Kerney. Kerney then realizes that his pregnant wife, and his estranged son may also be targets, and the clues are vague at best. This is no ordinary killer, this one has spent a lot of time crafting his trade and will have the reader guessing for quite sometime on who's next and where we are going. That's the testament to this novel. You can really empathize with Kerney as he begins to feel helpless for not only himself but those few remaining close to him. The novel does a great job in pacing the action and guesswork, and you'd be surprised how fluid it moves along, all the while the bodies start stacking up. The only issue I had that prevented me from assigning 5 stars was the very last chapter. After the climax, which was a little short after such a wonderful buildup, the last chapter jumped the reader a few weeks forward and everything was back to normal...too quickly and done within only a few brief pages.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Everyone dies is an excellent police procedural novel--well-written and compelling, and (for me at least), had the fresh twist of being set in Santa Fe, instead of the usual gritty New York/LA/Boston/Chicago setting that you so very often see. Police Chief Kevin Kerney thinks he is about to take a well-deserved vacation with his very pregnant wife, when a series of murders and other horrors draw him back to the job. Kerney begins to suspect, and rightly so, that he and his loved ones may be the ultimate target, because, as the assailant keeps telling him "everyone dies." This novel is intricate and well-plotted, a very enjoyable read.
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Summary: A thriller I couldn't put down.
Review: Everyone Dies is my first Michael McGarrity book and the start of a new series I will be reading. I don't know how this guy has stayed below the radar but this book is as good as any I've read in this genre.
Everyone Dies is the latest Kevin Kearney novel, Kearney being the main figure of the book and the series. In this book, killings in Santa Fe ruin a good vacation for Kearney, the Police Chief. At first, the killings don't seemed link but Kearney finally finds out that he, his pregnant wife and his son's family are on the death list. What ensues is a mad dash to find the killer and save his family from their destruction.
I think what makes the story so good is that Kearney isn't some daring, dashing hero but just a guy who is looking forward to retirement and moving to his little ranch. He has a rather bizarre marriage as his wife is in the military and stationed in another location, he has a son he only recently learned about and has a down-home quality that makes him the guy you invite over to dinner so he doesn't have to eat alone in some greasy diner.
The action in the story is always moving. The characters are added on the fly and he doesn't bog you down in mundane details. However, when he describes locations and settings in the book, you can easily picture them, especially if you've visited the parts of the country he is describing.
The only thing I didn't understand in the book was the need to address a gay character and gay community. It doesn't add to the book so I question why McGarrity would find the need to address it.
That said, I have begun my quest to go back to Tularosa and catch up with Kevin Kearney and his travels, pitfalls and career up to Everybody Dies. Pick this book up and you'll have travel putting it down until you are done.
Rating:
Summary: Another book worth reading from a great series
Review: Everyone Dies is the newest in a great series, but not the best of the series. We get the continuation of Chief Kerney's relationship with his often absent wife, his recently discovered son and other characters who have grown familiar as the series has developed. There are a lot of violent murders and the gradual introduction to the murderer as he pursues his agenda. It is the good police work and quick analysis of the evidence as the case takes unexpected twists and turns that keeps the reader's attention. It is a exciting, quick read that I would recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery. Skip some of the poorly written "best sellers" that everyone is reading and dig into one of the better written mystery series and you will be rewarded. I would recommend reading the earlier books in the series first to get the background on these characters. I have been a fan of the series since Tularosa and will continue to read any books by Michael McGarrity since they are well written and take place in areas of the Southwest with which I am very familiar.
Rating:
Summary: Another book worth reading from a great series
Review: Everyone Dies is the newest in a great series, but not the best of the series. We get the continuation of Chief Kerney's relationship with his often absent wife, his recently discovered son and other characters who have grown familiar as the series has developed. There are a lot of violent murders and the gradual introduction to the murderer as he pursues his agenda. It is the good police work and quick analysis of the evidence as the case takes unexpected twists and turns that keeps the reader's attention. It is a exciting, quick read that I would recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery. Skip some of the poorly written "best sellers" that everyone is reading and dig into one of the better written mystery series and you will be rewarded. I would recommend reading the earlier books in the series first to get the background on these characters. I have been a fan of the series since Tularosa and will continue to read any books by Michael McGarrity since they are well written and take place in areas of the Southwest with which I am very familiar.
Rating:
Summary: Not everyone dies
Review: Having never read Michael McGarrity fiction, I am unable to compare this novel with previous works in what is apparently a series. I actually did not know it was a series until I read it somewhere, so that certainly says something.
I like crime fiction, and the challenge of figuring out "who done it". It's disappointing when it's too easy. That didn't happen here. The story begins with the murder of a prominent gay attorney. There are several angles to be explored, but nothing stands out that makes the victim an obvious target. Our protaganist, Kevin Kerney, is pulled off his vacation to try to solve the crime. He is then yanked smack dab into the middle of the mystery when his beloved horse is killed in a cruel way. It all becomes very personal when a dead rat is delivered to his doorstep along with threats toward his pregnant wife and the rest of his family.
I won't go into the details, you should read them for yourself! There are plot twists, interesting characters, real personalities. The Santa Fe setting is a refreshing departure from the usual gritty New York crime novels. The fact that the author is a former detective adds authenticity.
Now that I know it's a series, I will definitely look for the others and catch up with these characters. Overall, a fine book that I recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery and/or crime fiction.
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