Rating: 
Summary: COWBOY COPS,POACHERS,CRAZED MILITIAMEN
Review: Kevin Kerney is a former chief of detectives of in a major southwest city. He was seriously wounded and retired with a bad knee. He has taken a summer job as a park ranger in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness. A rancher finds a poached black bear,a Mexican man is killed, and an elderly man found in a cave. Kevin Kerney is pushed aside by his superiors in the investigations. He keeps investigating with the help of other intelligent rangers and a divorced district attorney,Karen Cox. More people are wounded,a couger is killed, and Kevin's home is blown up. Karen Cox's family is part of the mystery, many family secrets abound. The pace is fast,the action believable and the characters engrossing. The scenic descriptions are vivid. The plot plausible. I enjoyed the story and now must read the other books by Mr. Mc Garrity.
Rating:
Summary: MEXICAN HAT DANCE
Review: Kevin Kerney is back in McGarrity's second novel in this well-written series. Kerney is now a seasonal forest ranger in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness. A Mexican tourist is murdered, and his senile grandfather wandering around the area; seems, too, like there are some poachers in the area. Add to this a sixty-year old family feud, a lovely ADA, and a great partner (Jim Stiles), and Kerney is off and running in trying to find murderers, poacheers, and the harvesting of rare animals for illegal sales. As in TULAROSA, the plot is thick and juicy, and Kerney once again the penultimate hero. A great read in this wonderfully engaging series.
Rating:
Summary: MEXICAN HAT DANCE
Review: Kevin Kerney is back in McGarrity's second novel in this well-written series. Kerney is now a seasonal forest ranger in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness. A Mexican tourist is murdered, and his senile grandfather wandering around the area; seems, too, like there are some poachers in the area. Add to this a sixty-year old family feud, a lovely ADA, and a great partner (Jim Stiles), and Kerney is off and running in trying to find murderers, poacheers, and the harvesting of rare animals for illegal sales. As in TULAROSA, the plot is thick and juicy, and Kerney once again the penultimate hero. A great read in this wonderfully engaging series.
Rating: 
Summary: A solid Southwestern mystery
Review: Kevin Kerney, once a well-regarded police detective, has retired from police after a serious injury. Now, he works a seasonal ranger saving up for his dream-buying and running a small ranch.However, his investigating days are far from over. A series of big-game poaching put him in conflict with more senior Park Service staff, until a murder of a Mexican tourist take precedence in the investigation. This is a colorful mystery, full of likable characters and the New Mexican nature; with the taste of conflict between ranching and environmentalism, as well as old greed; and even some unobtrusive romance. Kerney and his friends are well-described, although the villains are rather shallow. The old mysteries are somewhat predictable, but the investigation holds much suspense and danger. The resolution is satisfying, and the only (minor) flaw one finds in this enjoyable book is the switching between multiple viewpoints.
--inotherworlds.com
Rating:
Summary: Multiple plotlines in the southwest? No Hillerman here.
Review: Many readers will make the error, just as I did, in thinking all southwestern mysteries were Hillerman copies, chock full of Native American lore, spirituality, and culture. Author Michael McGarrity has now proven me wrong, twice over, but in a pleasing way that will be having me read future installments of our hero Kevin Kerney. Similar in style to Tularosa, the reader will find themselves involved in numerous, major plotlines, all seemingly unique from each other, but finally converging in the end into an explosive climax that does not let the reader feel cheated. On the contrary, the multiple story threads are well paced between each other so as one does not get lost in the overall story direction and forget about certain characters or situations like other novels are known to do. Here we find ex-cop Kerney just months after his role in 'Tularosa' just making ends meet as a temp park ranger for the forest service investigating a recent string of animal poaching. It just so happens that two Mexicans (a grandson and grandfather) find themselves in the wrong place and the wrong time, and one of them gets murdered, Kerney finds himself as part of the investigations. Enter his new pseudo partner, a young Jim Stiles, all too eager to impress Kerney and his superiors and ends up getting shot at, but by who? Kerney is impressed by this young mans detective skills, but realizes that he himself was the target. Omar Gatewood, the local sheriff is more a politician than a cop, and proves to be inept at the worst times, or does he have a master plan? A family feud between ranchers Edgar and Eugene Cox has kept the twin brothers from speaking to each other in over sixty years, but when a note is delivered to Edgar he breaks the silence to confront his oppressive and abusive crippled brother. Why did Eugene's wife disapear all those years ago? Karen Cox returns to her roots as the new local ADA, and takes notice of the strong and silent Kerney. She likes him, but has to work with him, and how does she deal with her fathers lie, and ensuing family feud. And how does her current case and the assassination attempt on Kerney fit into all this? The positive aspect of introducing a new female interest for Kerney is that the author really does not push it. In Tularosa, Kerney was smitten by Sara who left at the end, and the author realizes that a new woman can't pick up the pieces immediately, but develops Karen for future novels. The only problems I had with this novel, keeping it from five stars, was the authors constant, almost unending reminders that Kerney has a bad knee suffered from an injury years back. Okay, I got it...knee hurt. Also Jim Stiles girlfriend Molly's dialogue seemed a bit...fake. I believed in all the characters in this novel except Molly...she seemed to stick out like a displaced soap star...thank God she was only a minor part of the novel and does not detract from any one else. Other than those two quirks, I believe that Mexican Hat was an excellent adventure that had me guessing for quite a bit on how all these threads would weave together and I was happy with the end result. I will be reading future installments.
Rating:
Summary: Multiple plotlines in the southwest? No Hillerman here.
Review: Many readers will make the error, just as I did, in thinking all southwestern mysteries were Hillerman copies, chock full of Native American lore, spirituality, and culture. Author Michael McGarrity has now proven me wrong, twice over, but in a pleasing way that will be having me read future installments of our hero Kevin Kerney. Similar in style to Tularosa, the reader will find themselves involved in numerous, major plotlines, all seemingly unique from each other, but finally converging in the end into an explosive climax that does not let the reader feel cheated. On the contrary, the multiple story threads are well paced between each other so as one does not get lost in the overall story direction and forget about certain characters or situations like other novels are known to do. Here we find ex-cop Kerney just months after his role in 'Tularosa' just making ends meet as a temp park ranger for the forest service investigating a recent string of animal poaching. It just so happens that two Mexicans (a grandson and grandfather) find themselves in the wrong place and the wrong time, and one of them gets murdered, Kerney finds himself as part of the investigations. Enter his new pseudo partner, a young Jim Stiles, all too eager to impress Kerney and his superiors and ends up getting shot at, but by who? Kerney is impressed by this young mans detective skills, but realizes that he himself was the target. Omar Gatewood, the local sheriff is more a politician than a cop, and proves to be inept at the worst times, or does he have a master plan? A family feud between ranchers Edgar and Eugene Cox has kept the twin brothers from speaking to each other in over sixty years, but when a note is delivered to Edgar he breaks the silence to confront his oppressive and abusive crippled brother. Why did Eugene's wife disapear all those years ago? Karen Cox returns to her roots as the new local ADA, and takes notice of the strong and silent Kerney. She likes him, but has to work with him, and how does she deal with her fathers lie, and ensuing family feud. And how does her current case and the assassination attempt on Kerney fit into all this? The positive aspect of introducing a new female interest for Kerney is that the author really does not push it. In Tularosa, Kerney was smitten by Sara who left at the end, and the author realizes that a new woman can't pick up the pieces immediately, but develops Karen for future novels. The only problems I had with this novel, keeping it from five stars, was the authors constant, almost unending reminders that Kerney has a bad knee suffered from an injury years back. Okay, I got it...knee hurt. Also Jim Stiles girlfriend Molly's dialogue seemed a bit...fake. I believed in all the characters in this novel except Molly...she seemed to stick out like a displaced soap star...thank God she was only a minor part of the novel and does not detract from any one else. Other than those two quirks, I believe that Mexican Hat was an excellent adventure that had me guessing for quite a bit on how all these threads would weave together and I was happy with the end result. I will be reading future installments.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best new voices in detective fiction
Review: The extremely likable Kevin Kerney, former Santa Fe Chief of Detectives, was a rising star in the police force until a bullet shattered his knee & put him out to pasture. But Kerney's not going quiet into that good night; after clearing up the disappearance of his godson in the outstanding debut novel Tullarosa, he's back & working as a seasonal park ranger in the Gila Wilderness when he gets pulled into a case that involves wildlife poaching, militiamen & a 60 year old Mexican-American feud. Michael McGarrity is one of the best new voices in detective fiction & one hopes that there are many Kevin Kerney adventures to come. GRADE: B+
Rating:
Summary: one of the best new voices in detective fiction
Review: The extremely likable Kevin Kerney, former Santa Fe Chief of Detectives, was a rising star in the police force until a bullet shattered his knee & put him out to pasture. But Kerney's not going quiet into that good night; after clearing up the disappearance of his godson in the outstanding debut novel Tullarosa, he's back & working as a seasonal park ranger in the Gila Wilderness when he gets pulled into a case that involves wildlife poaching, militiamen & a 60 year old Mexican-American feud. Michael McGarrity is one of the best new voices in detective fiction & one hopes that there are many Kevin Kerney adventures to come. GRADE: B+
Rating:
Summary: How to rope a reader
Review: The second entry in this series shows that intimate knowledge of your subject, skillful writing, and a fine sense of place and history, can hook and entertain a reader. A hero, tough and competent, let's us follow the murderous plot to an old fashioned shoot out conclusion. Keep em coming.
Rating:
Summary: SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO
Review: What we have here is one heck of a plot, one that is populated by a few really good "good guys" and a whole bunch of really bad "bad guys." In the middle are an even greater number of folks who are question marks. You don't know just where they stand until late in the book. The plot is really two plots that mesh neatly at several points. Plot A involves a gang of poachers of exotic animals who harvest various animal organs to sell in the Oriental marketplace as aphrodisiacs and curatives. One young man who fits neatly into plot B (described next), is murdered when he accidentally comes across a poacher from plot A harvesting organs from an illegally killed animal. Plot B is the more complex of the two. It traces its beginnings to a murder that took place over 50 years ago. The murder victim from out of the past was a Hispanic landowner and the young man killed by the poacher is a present generation relative of this landowner. Somehow this old death and a feud between two brothers, dating back to the same time frame, are related. Now, let's talk about good guys, bad guys, and question marks. Good guys: Our first good guy is Kevin Kerney, a former Santa Fe Detective who has been retired because of crippling wounds received on his last Santa Fe case. He is now working as a part time employee of the Forest Service and has been dispatched to investigate reports of an illegally killed bear. On this investigation, he teams up with our second good guy, Jim Stiles, a young New Mexico Game and Fish Officer. During this investigation, they find the body of the young man murdered by the poacher. In the ensuing investigation of the murder thay team up with the third good guy. (Can you call a woman a good guy?) She is Karen Cox, an Assistant District Attorney who is also the daughter of Edgar Cox, one of the feuding brothers. Now let's take a look at the bad guys: First there's Eugene Cox, the other feuding brother, paralyzed from the waist down, he's one really nasty bad guy. All of the poachers are bad guys who are willing to murder at any time. Then there are the members of a particularly violent paramilitary militia group who consider all federal agents, Forestry Service Department Personnel, and all environmentalists to be fair game. They don't mind killing either. Now for the guys in the grey area. For starters we have Sheriff Omar Gatewood who is either incredibly stupid, or incredibly evil, or both. Now we have Karen's father, Edgar Cox, the other feuding brother who is hiding some very old secret that might make him a member of either camp. Then there's Phillip Cox, Eugene's son and Karen's cousin. He's not a very nice person, but he, too, could be in either camp. There are a number of construction workers, ranchers, Sheriff's Deputies and a Judge who might be good and might not. Playing "Who can you trust?" is part of Kerney's dilemna. During Kerney's investigations there are two serious attempts made to kill him. He is not sure by whom, or why. Okay, you get the picture. A trio of white hats against a whole bunch of black hats with no knowledge of who else might be friend or foe. There's a lot of suspense here, a lot of heroics, and, I'm afraid, a few too many lucky coincidences. All in all, I think that MEXICAN HAT is well written with a trio of protagonists that I can really care about. It provides several hours of pleasant escape reading.
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