Residue: A Kevin Kerney Novel

Kevin Kerney #13

by Michael McGarrity, John McLain (Reading)

A long-unsolved mystery gets a grim new break when the bones of Kim Ward are unearthed in Las Cruces, New Mexico, forty-five years after her disappearance. Suspicion swiftly falls on her old college boyfriend: none other than retired police chief Kevin Kerney. The chief's hopes of clearing his name look bleak in the face of damning evidence compiled against him by State Police Lieutenant Clayton Istee--Kerney's own son. Left grasping for clues, with no alibi and not a single witness to speak for him, Kerney and his wife must race to reconstruct long-past events to identify the one person who can clear his name and expose the killer before it's too late. As their investigation unfolds, they'll discover that Kim Ward's murder isn't the only crime they'll have to solve before they can put danger behind them.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Procedural, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

1 pages, Audio CD

First published October 30, 2018

About the author

With the publication of Tularosa in 1996, Michael McGarrity turned to writing full time. Many of his novels have been national best sellers. He 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 spanned over twenty-five years and included creating treatment programs for drug offenders, supervising outreach services for at-risk juveniles, and re-establishing mental health services for the Department of Corrections after the infamous 1980 riot at the New Mexico Penitentiary. As a Santa Fe County deputy sheriff, he worked as a patrol officer, training and planning supervisor, community relations officer, and was the lead investigator of the sex crimes unit, which he established. Additionally, he taught courses at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy, served as a caseworker and investigator for the Public Defender's District Office, and conducted investigations for a state government agency. In 1980 he was named New Mexico Social Worker of the Year and in 1987 was recognized by the American Legion as Police Officer of the Year.

In 2004 he received the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts -- Literature. He is also the 2015 recipient of the Frank Waters Exemplary Literary Achievement Award and the 2015 Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts – Literature. He has been instrumental in establishing the Hillerman-McGarrity Creative Writing Scholarship at the University of New Mexico, the Richard Bradford Memorial Creative Writing Scholarship at the Santa Fe Community College, and the N. Scott Momaday Creative Writing Scholarship at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife Emily Beth (Mimi).

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book in this long running series but the author did a great job of creating the scene so I never felt like I was missing anything. Kevin Kerney, a retired policeman, is celebrating his wife's retirement as Brigadier General in the Army when he is arrested for the cold case murder of his high school sweetheart by his illegitimate son, a police officer. I was unclear why he had to be arrested at his wife's party on this decades old murder but it certainly added to the dramatic effect.

This book is set in New Mexico and it provides a sweeping backdrop to the search for the real killer and leads to a DEA agent who absconded with $5 million in drug money, an incestuous relationship, and numerous gun fights. The action was nonstop and took a lot of interesting turns.

It was a certainly interesting mystery where the minor characters were much more interesting than the major ones. It kept the pages turning to find out what was going to happen next.

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing story. State Police Lieutenant Clayton Istee is ready to go on vacation with his wife when he is called to duty. Spanish ambassador to the United States and Governor Javier Alejandro Vigil are coming to New Mexico for a groundbreaking ceremony for New Mexico State University's Erma Fergurson Artist-in-Residence Center.

Clayton is not to happy about this, but cancels his vacation and calls in two other officers to do a search of the area to make sure everything looks safe.

When the ambassador, governor and all the guest arrive a ground breaking ceremony begins unearthing the ground with a front end loader. While doing so Clayton spots the remains of a skull and multiple body parts. Everything comes to a halt and an investigation begins. A gun was found that once belong to his father and remains are identified as his father's old college girlfriend. This is where all the trouble begins. Clayton gets demoted after he asks his commander in chief to authorize an arrest warrant for his father. He is told he should have turned the case over to someone else since the case involves a family member. It is a long story, but Clayton is not overly fond of his father. He really relieves his father committed this murder. After some time Clayton has a talk with his mother who convinces her son that his father is not a murderer and he decides to assist his father and his step mother Sara in investigating the crime on there on time. This leads to a lot of danger. Traveling miles of rough terrain searching for suspects with a lot of death ends. There are shoot outs involved, officers killed, hidden secrets, murders and fires set. The ending is very surprising and mysterious. A must read. I highly recommend.

[Linda Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book via a goodreads giveaway (ARC).

The book is set in the desert and high mountain area of southern New Mexico. Although I have not been in the area for over 0 years, the descriptions sparked memories of the times we traveled through the area; one moment suffering from the summer heat of the desert and the next traveling up great mountains where plants were green and the air was fresh instead of stifling.

When New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Clayton Itsee is instructed to set up security for a visiting diplomat at the groundbreaking for an addition to a local artists community associated with a local college; Itsee goes through the movements to assure proper security with no possibility of breaches is in place. When the backhoe digs the first scoop of dirt to complete the ceremony, a skeleton is encased in the dirt. After an examination, Itsee realizes he now has a murder investigation to complete.

That investigation turns sour when Itsee realizes that the bones belong to a 5 year-old missing person case and that his biological father, former Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney is the number one person of interest in the murder.

When this is learned, Itsee is fired for not recusing himself from the case. Needing to see the case to the end and to know for certain whether or not his father is a murderer; Itsee turns to searching for the answers with a team enacted to learn the truth and free Kerney from murder charges.

[Kevintipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

The past has always been a major part of the Kevin Kerney series and is a major piece if not the main theme of the latest, Residue. A novel that serves to tie up several different story arcs that have been present most of the series.

As the thirteenth novel in the series begins, after twenty-eight years of distinguished service Brigadier General Sara Brannon is finally retiring from the U. S. Army. After her latest posting as Commandant of the U. S Army Military Police School and commander of the MP regiment, Sara is finally coming home to Santa Fe and her husband, Kevin Kerrey, and their son, Patrick. Patrick is already on the way back with his grandparents. Once the last formal dinner honoring her is done, Sara and Kevin plan on a few days of fun across the Deep South. The highlight of the trip will be some time in New Orleans before returning to their ranch outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. For the former Santa Fe Police Chief and Sara it is to be a second honeymoon.

That is until seconds after a warning call from Clayton’s mother, Isabel Istee, when Kevin Kerney is arrested. Placed into custody by military police and local sheriff deputies he faces a charge of murder in the death of Kimberly Ann Ward.

A cold case from 45 years ago, back in the days of Vietnam, Kimberly Anna Ward was a very special woman and a major part of Kevin’s Kerney’s life. College lovers, Kerry had gone to war in Vietnam and come home damaged and self-medicating by way of alcohol. Ward had her own war at home and eventually reconnected with Kerney. That is until one night she ran out from the place he was renting and vanished never to be seen again.

Not only has her body been found, the probable murder weapon was found near her body. A gun that was Kevin Kerney’s long ago and one that he had reported missing at the time. Why the gun he reported missing was found with her is just one of many things he can’t explain all these years later.

While Kerney’s estranged son, Clayton Istee, a Lieutenant on the New Mexico State Police force leads an investigation into the past, everything he turns up seems to indicate Kerney is a killer. Once social media gets ahold of the case, things get worse for all involved rapidly as the 24 hour news cycle unleashes a fury that has Kevin Kerney at the center.

Building off of various plot points and story arcs of previous books, Residue: A Kevin Kerney Novel is a book that not only ties up the past, it implies a way forward as the series will again evolve in a new direction While there are a couple of hints as to what that might be, long time readers know that author Michael McGarrity always comes up with more than a few surprises in his books. Such was the aim in Residue: A Kevin Kerney Novel and the result was a complex and multi-layered read that was also very good.

Residue: A Kevin Kerney Novel
Michael McGarrity
http://michaelmcgarrity.com/
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
http://www.wwnorton.com
October 2018
ISBN# 978-0-393-63435-8
Hardback (also available in audio and eBook formats)
377 Pages
25.95


Material supplied by the good people of the Dallas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2018
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a goodread giveaway (ARC).
When the bones of Kim Ward are unearthed, forty-five years after her disappearance, retired police chief Kevin Kerney suddenly finds himself as the prime suspect. He, his son, and his wife work endlessly, in hope to clear his name.
If you enjoy crime or mystery books, you definitely will enjoy this book. I highly recommend reading it.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could this be the last book in the series? Time to transition to Kerney’s son, Clayton? I only ask these questions as Kerney’s wife has finally retired from the Army as a brigadier general. She actually turned down a second star. So it’s time to focus on family and enjoy life.

However, in one of the most memorable retirement ceremonies ever Kerney is arrested for a cold case murder from back when he had just returned from Vietnam. The body is found in Las Cruces and the investigation is conducted by his son Clayton. Talk about a conflict of interest. But this is New Mexico. The victim was Kerney’s first true love.

I found the premise of Kerney being arrested for the crime as far fetched. But stranger things have happened in New Mexico. What ensues is a pretty good yarn with perhaps too many secrets from the past. It got a little confusing with the family genealogy of the victim. There’s an entire plot line that could have been omitted. It was collateral damage in the pursuit of the killer.

Naturally Kerney gets involved trying to find the real killer as the police aren’t interested in pursuing any other avenues. The body count starts to increase. One wonders how many more gunshots Kerney’s aging body can absorb. He’s a bullet magnet. Which makes me think at long last it’s time for him to turn over the duty to his son Clayton.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had just about given up hope of ever seeing another Kevin Kerney mystery, but after far too long a wait, Michael McGarrity brought an end to the drought with “Residue”.

Excellent read, pleasantly convoluted, and for me, an easy 5 stars.

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book from an author whose work I've previously liked has to be a special kind of bad to get one star. This is that book.

The book begins with "shocking developments", then immediately goes into a flashback to explain how these came to pass. When done particularly well, this can be an effective technique, but because you're spoiling surprises, it has to be executed immaculately. This was not the case here.

There was an eight-year gap between the last Kevin Kerney book and this one and a similar amount of time passed in the lives of the characters. That gap shows badly in that previously established character relationships were completely different (and less interesting) in this book, and that was exhibited in the flashback.

There is a trend in police procedural/suspense novels for the protagonist to find himself being framed. This wasn't quite that, but it was closely related. This device is hackneyed and lazy and it annoys me every time I see it.

The reactions of the police to the "shocking developments" were entirely unreasonable. There was at no point sufficient evidence against Kerney to do more than investigate him. There was no legal reason for the actions that they took and there was no political reason either. Since this was the core of the plot, that alone is nearly fatal. And that's without mentioning their use of a transparently illegal search.

And the actions of the protagonists and their allies were similarly silly. They did things that made very little investigative sense and took risks with little prospect of payoff. These characters have previously made sensible investigative choices, but apparently have forgotten everything they previously knew in the time since the last book.

There are two, mostly unconnected, storylines that "coincidentally" share some characters, whose knowledge is necessary to run the deus ex machina at the end.

And then there is the place where some characters are literally struck by lightning, apparently so that something interesting will happen.

And this doesn't even touch any of the abandoned threads from previous books.

This is, unfortunately, an incoherent mess, lacking almost all of the virtues of any of the previous books, and with its own set of fatal vices. There is no reason to read this, even if you're a Kerney fan.

[Dick Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is McGarrity’s thirteenth novel with Keven Kerney as the protagonist, most of which I’ve read before. In this one Kerney, who had been the Santa Fe Police chief, is now retired.
The story kicks off with the discovery of a female skull. It turns out to be Kim Ward who had been Kerney’s girlfriend dozens of years ago. Forensic and anecdotal evidence points to Kerney as the guilty person.
Clayton Istee, Kerney’s son by a Native American woman, is now a lieutenant in the New Mexico State Police. Clayton gets the job of gathering evidence and quickly becomes convinced that his dad was Kim Ward’s killer.
While all this is going on Kerney’s wife Sara, a retired U. S. Army general and attorney, is away from home on a military assignment. She soon returns to Santa Fe and joins Kerney’s team to hunt for evidence that will prove his innocence.
The novel’s plot not only includes Kerney’s family members but other Native Americans, law enforcement officials and DEA agents. The reader is also treated to “armchair travels” around various parts of New Mexico that are fascinating, picturesque and educational.
I met Mr. McGarrity once when I attended a book publicity meeting that his publisher sponsored. (I lived in Santa Fe for twenty-two years.) In this book, he makes a passing reference to a Santa Fe restaurant with such a good description that I recognized it instantly. He even makes a snide remark about geriatric seniors limping into it from the parking lot. Anyway, it’s called Harry’s Roadhouse — My wife Bernadette and I ate there many times. Good grub but we didn’t limp to the entrance.
The book was an enjoyable read with interesting characters. I look forward to the author’s next one.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retired police chief Kevin Kerney prepares for a party to celebrate his wife Sara's retirement from the military when he is arrested for a murder that occurred 45 years ago. Here's what happened a few days ago to bring this about: Kerney's son from an early relationship, Clayton Itsee, is assigned by the New Mexico State Police to provide security for a Spanish ambassador to attend a local event. The event is taking place at the former home of Kerney's aunt. A skull is found and the investigation leads to the identification of Kerney's first girlfriend and his gun as the murder weapon. Since Clayton and Kerney have a contentious relationship, Clayton is not so sure of his father's guilt or innocence. Clayton's involvement with the case leads to his forced resignation. Kerney, Sara, and Clayton lead the charge to prove Kerney's innocence.

I've never visited Las Cruses, New Mexico but the scenery sounds beautiful. I've been reading this series for years and all of the main characters are strong and capable. Part Apache Clayton plays a major role in this book. The plot expands into a complex story that is filled with action. I had such a good feeling of the story while reading this book that I would rate it 4.5 stars.

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a long wait for fans to get this in their hands. I really hope that next installment will come soon. This is one of my favorite series of all time. The only problem I can find is that the books are too short. I am really hooked on the saga of the Kerney family. I must recommend that you try this and also the series that tells the beginning.

[Joshua Ramirez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a more forgettable Kerney story, despite its ambitious storyline. Really enjoyed the Clayton journey and loved the evolution into a grittier, betrayal-laced mystery, but overall rather meh.

[Cybercrone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really only a 2.5 (We really don't have enough stars here to do justice to a review) since there came to be so many law enforcement groups chasing the bad guys at the end that I completely lost track of who was who and why they were there.
Otherwise, likeable characters, fast-moving action and a pretty good read.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading to refresh my memory before his newest one, Head Wounds, is released in November 2020.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael McGarrity has too many agendas for his novels. He usually has a good story to tell but weighs the story down with needless and long-winded details and asides. The soap opera aspect of this novel had me considering whether to just put it down. I finished it but I struggled to do so. In other words, he needs to streamline his storytelling. If he was a good enough writer to give a sense of place so that the reader feels he or she is in that place the asides would be tolerable in moderation. McGarrity's not that good. It's a passable story that helps to pass the time. Read it if you've nothing better to read.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decades old murder to be solved with interesting twists set in my neck of the woods: Las Cruces, Deming, Alamogordo NM

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surfeit of characters and leads that never fully griped me .

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

How have I never read a Michael McGarrity novel?? This was my first Kevin Kerney experience, but not my last. The story flows. Even though it is part of a series with recurring characters, I didn't need to know the back story or have read the previous books. Loved the red herrings and the way Mr. McGarrity pays attention to the small details, ties up loose threads, which were pleasant surprises - in some cases, I didn't realize they were loose threads. Definitely, if you haven't read a Kevin Kerney book, this is a good place to start. You won't be disappointed!👍👍

[Atomicmass1969 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book. There have been better. I didn't like that Kerney was barely part of the story. I sense a new direction for future books.

[Suzanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway from Goodreads. The story line was excellant and and kept me engaged through the entire book. I will be looking for more titles in the Kevin Kerney series and will seek out the American West trilogy that Mr. McGarrity has written also.

[GW · Rating 2 out of 5]

Residue

I liked this author's style and was enjoying this book until about 80% way into it. It then got stupid. How do you have a multi million dollar ranch operation in a small community that no one knows anything about? Then the small plane crash was really lame. A C172 that losses it's motor is basically a slightly heavy glider. It doesn't drop out of the sky if the motor dies. A thunder storm doesn't develop quick enough to catch a pilot unaware and an "in flight" lightening strike isn't really a concern. The end of the book is so improbable and stupid that I almost was unable to get through the last few pages.

Also, there are simply too many characters to keep track of and in the end I really didn't care about any of them.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing makes me happier then to see the return of a favorite series character who has been on hiatus for too long. That was the way I felt when I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of the new Kevin Kerney novel that is due for publication in October 2018.

I love this character, I love the setting (New Mexico), and I loved the twisting, turning plot in which the whole family takes a part in to solve a long ago murder. Please add this one to your to-read list. You won't be disappointed.

Highly recommended!

[Hazel · Rating 2 out of 5]

the plot was fun to follow but i felt there were too many sub-plots to follow, like how everyone and everything was connected to 1 person and thus there were actually 2 mysteries being solved. I think it would have been sufficient to just focus on the main mystery since that was intriguing enough - it could have been explored more

[Kathy Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael McGarrity’s RESIDUE is a murder mystery that builds slowly. This isn’t an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but rather a character study set in beautiful Las Cruses, New Mexico. The plot revolves around the decades-old murder of 23-year-old Kim Wood in Las Cruses. When her bones are suddenly unearthed, all signs point to retired police chief Kevin Kerney, who was once the dead woman’s boyfriend. Adding to the developing intrigue, the investigating officer on the case is Kerney’s son, Clayton Istee, who has mixed feelings about his father. While the murder case itself isn’t all that gripping, I did enjoy getting to know these characters, and spending time in a beautiful setting.

The novel begins with Kerney’s arrest, and then jumps back eight days to track how the bones were discovered and why the trail led to Kerney. The one thing that’s clear from the outset is that Kerney is not guilty. Part of the reason we know that is that McGarrity has written twelve other Kevin Kerney books (he’s McGarrity’s Harry Bosch). So it’s pretty unlikely that Kerney is the murderer. And while the focus of the plot is on who killed Kim Ward, the most interesting aspects of the novel are more about Kerney and Clayton and their family relationship. We don’t know Kim Ward (or any of the people who may have been involved in her death forty years ago). But we do come to know Kerney, Clayton, their wives, and the people who work with them. They are the focus of this book.

Bottom line, I enjoyed reading RESIDUE, but I have to admit it was never a page-turner for me. If you like mysteries with break-neck action and non-stop thrills, this probably isn’t the book for you. But if you’re open to spending time with some very interesting and believable characters as they sort their way through very difficult times, give this one a try. It was a good read.

[Please note: I was provided an Advance Reading Copy of this novel free of charge; the opinions expressed here are my own.]

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

#13 in the Kevin Kerney series. This 2018 series entry comes after a 9 year hiatus. He is attending the retirement ceremony for his wife, Army Brigadier General Sara Brannon, when his is arrested for a 45 year old murder. Flash back to the discovery of the body eight days earlier and the subsequent investigation that names him as a person of interest. The eight days take 100 pages before we rejoin Kerney and get on with him proving his innocence. The flashback was interesting but the material could have been covered in a chapter or two and cut some 75 pages from the book. For that matter, the climactic search for a possible witness dragged on though one dead end after another; the investigation of a witness that caused him to surrender a vital clue could have been done a lot earlier, bypassing some dead ends. The book has 32 interesting chapters but they seem more like interesting well written vignettes instead of a compelling narrative. Recommended for series fans only.

Kevin is looking forward to celebrating his wife Sara Brannon's retirement from the U.S. Army when he gets a call from Isabel Istee - the mother of his New Mexico state policeman son, Clayton-who informs him that he's about to be arrested for murder. Flash back eight days to a groundbreaking ceremony for an artist-in-residence center, whose attendees include Clayton, the Spanish ambassador to the U.S., and the New Mexico governor. To the horror of those assembled, the backhoe unearths a human skeleton, subsequently identified as belonging to Kim Ward, a college friend of Kevin's who spent the night with him on the property back in 1973. The discovery of a gun near the remains matching one that Kevin reported missing two days after he spent time with Kim strengthens the case against him.

[Edwin Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

RESIDUE, by Michael McGarrity, focuses on Kevin Kerney, who is accused of a murdering Kim Ward forty-five years ago. His son and State Police Lieutenant, Clayton Istee, first suspects his father might have done it, but soon realizes that the murder has little to do with Kevin Kerney and a lot to do with several other shady characters and the truth about the murder is buried under many layers of lies, deaths, and father time.
This book is one in a long running series and I have to give McGarrity credit that I didn't feel lost or deprived having not read any other books in the series. The setup and hook of the story worked well within the confines of this book, and McGarrity does a good of intertwining exposition without letting the story momentum lag. As far as character development, though, I didn't really connect to the most of the main characters and found myself enjoying many of the minor colorful characters much more than the major characters, who seemed a bit wooden, even though I wanted them not to be. Momentum builds to an action packed finale and McGarrity does do a nifty job of tying together all loose ends at the end of the book and I felt a satisfying sense of completion.
Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company, Michael McGarrity, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Woodstock Pickett · Rating 3 out of 5]

At a fancy gathering, with political bigwigs present to celebrate the opening of a newly expanded artist's study center, a bulldozer uncovers some human remains.
Investigation into what is obviously a very cold case brings the unsettling conclusion that the young woman was murdered by a long ago lover, who is now the protagonist in McGarrity's series featuring Kevin Kerny.
Kerny is the former head of New Mexico's state police, and the accusation prompts a tidal wave of headlines.
The story eventually involves drug money gone missing decades ago, three sets of investigating teams, only one of them officially sanctioned. Gun battles, a plane crash, at least one ambush, dishonest cops, honest cops, and a luxurious, but secretive, ranch in an isolated New Mexico location.
Maybe a little too much mayhem for one book.
Kerny himself is one of several people injured in one of the attacks, and takes a back seat in the investigation. His wife Sarah and son Clayton Istee carry on with the help of their lawyer.
I haven't read a book in the Kerny series for while, it was fun to return!

[J.J. Rusz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Residue” is a welcome return of Michael McGarrity’s long-running Kevin Kerney series after his more recent (and excellent) Kerney Family Trilogy. I’m not ordinarily a fan of police procedurals, but McGarrity has always been my exception, in no small part because of the characters he creates and the rugged southwestern environments they inhabit.

“Residue” opens quickly enough with Clayton Istee suspecting that his retired police chief father Kevin Kerney may have, in his youth, murdered a woman. Good stuff. But the ensuing plot becomes so crowded with suspects and investigators that the story drags, coming to life mostly when Clayton, Kevin, or his wife, Sara, are on stage—and they’re there less than you might expect.

McGarrity writes with as much skill and power as ever, and the novel details the ingenious ways police gather evidence and track suspects. But for me, “Residue” was an easy book to put down.

Still, it’s great to have Kerney back.

[Fred Rayworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Residue is the first Kevin Kerney novel I’ve read and it was a fun read. It was written in solid third-person limited and past-tense, which is all I’ll read. The chapters and scenes were relatively short which made for fast story movement, and the characters and setting were interesting.

There were plenty of plot twists and turns before the satisfying conclusion. My only issue was the fact that as far as the action went, most of it wasn’t carried out by the main protagonist, Kevin Kerney! It’s called a Kevin Kerney novel, and that was the main plot of the novel, but as a participant, Kevin only played a secondary role as the “supporting cast” did most of the heavy lifting. I can’t say this was necessarily a bad thing, it was just weird.

Despite that one thing, I had a great time and given a substantial body count, I was able to close the book with a smile on my face. Part of that was due to the fact that the writing didn’t get in the way of the story. Highly recommended.

[Andrew Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a long time since Michael McGarrity has added a new book to the Kevin Kerney series. Almost 20 years to be exact. Now, the internet is no longer a novelty but a necessity. The cell phones have proliferated throughout the New Mexico desert and fobs are replacing keys in cars. Yet, murder is still just that, the loss of a life by violent means. Kerney is now arrested for the murder of Kim Ward who was killed 45 years ago shortly after Kerney returned from Vietnam. The evidence points to him but with the help of his family and his Apache son, Clayton Istee, he sets out to prove himself innocent and find the real killer. Exposed is a half century plot by a rogue DEA agent to take money from a cartel and escape to a new land to form a new life. The plot continues to thicken as more people get involved. McGarrity has not lost his touch even though he will soon hit the 80th birthday mark. Another good read.