Rating: 
Summary: AUSPICIOUS DEBUT
Review: In this debut novel in the Kevin Kerney series, Michael McGarrity introduces us to a retired Santa Fe police detective who wants nothing more to own his own ranch and live peacefully. Of course, if that happened, there'd be no novels! At any rate, Kerney who was critically wounded during a drug bust is faced with a request for assistance from the partner who let him down. Reservation sheriff Terry Yazzi asks Kerney to help locate his son, who has been reported AWOL from his army base. Kerney is young Sammy's godfather, and this is what induces him to take up the search.
Nothing is as it seems in this search, however; Sammy may have stumbled upon something that led to his disappearance. Rare artifacts are being stolen and shipped out, and Sammy may have discovered this. Kerney teams up with tough Sara Brannon, the army's investigator, and becomes embroiled in a plot as thick as molasses.
McGarrity has a way of introducing you to his settings and characters that is primal and informative, without bogging down his plot. Kerney is a tough, likeable hero, and you root for him against the inumerable bad guys.
Gutsy and down to earth; well written and involving. A good series.
Rating: 
Summary: Finding a treasure
Review: It's always fun to find an author, who makes you want to read the rest of his books. With so much dreck on the market, McGarrity delivers a highly readable first novel, that makes you start looking for the rest of the series. Hooray.
Rating:
Summary: McGarrity Gives It His All
Review: Michael, who was my Cub Scout Leader about 25 years ago, and continues to be a good friend today, gives it his all in his first novel. Michael knows his stuff and certainly delivers the goods in "Tularosa". Any fan of mystery or the Southwest will be hooked from the start. Good job, Michael!!!! Your friend, Leon Duran
Rating: 
Summary: Promising First Effort
Review: Somwhat contrived plot, but excellent sense of place and the beginnings of good dialogue. Most notable is the absence of any tough-guy nonsense in McGarrity's main character who also has an uncommonly enlightened attitude toward women and others. A solid first book with promise for later efforts.
Rating:
Summary: Patches of great writing
Review: The first page contained a fantastic description of a sky. Whenever he describes clouds and sky he's great, and when he describes scenery he's very good - better than James Lee Burke but James Lee Burke does better characters. I can understand why a lover of the Southwest would love the book. But then there are passages such as " 'I've got to improvise' he whispered to himself" (That's a villain planning to kill the hero). Unlike the Hillermans I've read he does admit that some native Americans have alcohol problems and shows respect without over-idealisation. Basically it lacked enough originality to go on my great list, although I read it and will buy more of McGarrity. There are too many tough embittered ex-cops already in book form. The good guys were too good and the bad guys too bad. Terry Yazzi came alive best because he was ambivalent. I like villains with a touch of humor I can half-way root for. I think a previous reviewer said it well;Good hamburger but not great steak.
Rating: 
Summary: I Wish I'd Skipped This One
Review: The plot of this book seemed promising at first but it soon turned into just a mildly interesting story. Only one character, Captain Sara Brannon, had any real spark. Several errors throughout the book were distracting and annoying. For example. How could a handcuffed woman kick a man in the thigh when her jeans have just been pulled down to her knees? An average story, poorly written.
Rating:
Summary: Not expecting anything left me not expecting anything
Review: This book has a lot of potential, but I was disappointed overall with the plot and the characters. The descriptions of landscapes made them real and inviting, and the addition of watercolor paintings made it that much more vivid. The offbeat coloquialisms made it interesting, in some repects, but I still think this novel falls short of the people and places described within its pages.The plot seemed dull, and there wasn't any real who-dunit story that weaves a reader into a web. I thought this was more like an episode of "Columbo" where you already knew who did it, and it was just a matter of catching the bad guys. The clues found by the detectives seemed haphazard and that they just happened to bump into things by chance. The dialogue seemed natural for a TV show, but not all bad. All in all, I'd like to see more of McGarrity as he hones his technique, but it's decent for a first try.
Rating:
Summary: Not half bad
Review: This is a fairly predictable, well paced average kinda mystery. Worth reading if you don't mind not being surprised or astounded. I had heard a lot of good things about this book, and was perhaps expecting a little more (this ain't no Dave Robicheaux) but I didn't feel like I wasted my time reading it. The characters to me were kinda flat, except for Eddie, the guy who goes undercover as a hunchback, but the scenery and settings were well done. A food analogy? Well, how about this: Like ordering steak, and being served a good hamburger. It'll satisfy your hunger, but it's not what you really wanted.
Rating:
Summary: I really wanted to love this book....
Review: Through out this book, I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not. There is good action and the description of the southwest was good. I just couldn't figure out where it was headed. There were too many characters to keep track of. And in some parts, you weren't sure where Kerney was or what he was doing.
I'm not giving up on this though, I'm going to read more. I'm sure he gets better.
Rating:
Summary: I really wanted to love this book....
Review: Through out this book, I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not. There is good action and the description of the southwest was good. I just couldn't figure out where it was headed. There were too many characters to keep track of. And in some parts, you weren't sure where Kerney was or what he was doing.
I'm not giving up on this though, I'm going to read more. I'm sure he gets better.
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