Slow Kill

Kevin Kerney #9

by Michael McGarrity

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 the ranch owner, 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 digs deeper and soon finds himself sharing the woman's 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 extricate himself from a situation that could ruin his career by finding the answers to a thirty-year-old mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Procedural, Westerns, Thriller

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 19, 2004

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

[Kellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another puzzled look on my face after finishing a book. Michael McGarrity , what were you thinking?

I was actually enjoying the book. A wealthy man dies at the same ranch Kerney is visiting and Kerney becomes a suspect. There is an interesting side plot about the murder victim’s son who supposedly died in Vietnam...or did he?
McGarrity always gives the reader a view of the Santa Fe area through his eyes. It makes me want to visit.
Somewhere along the way, the book got off track. Kerney drops everything to go visit his wife and son in Arlington. Pure coincidence the retired chief of Santa Barbara is giving a lecture at the same place Kerney is...And then the author decides to throw in another side plot about an investigation Sara is working on. Really not relevant. I’m still scratching my head.

The ending was so rushed it was pathetic. The author forgot to inform the reader what the motive was for the wife’s involvement in his murder. If he didn’t then I totally missed it. And where is George? Shouldn’t he have been found? Why did you leave that hanging?

I was going to pay $8 to read the next book because I can’t find it in the library, in bookmooch or paperback swap...but not today! I don’t want to be disappointed AGAIN! Ugh

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like McGarrity's stories but they just don't have an ending,,, except that he stops writing.
The characters are engaging (if a little two dimensional) but the crime (in this case anyway) is convoluted and unlikely.
George Guidall is the saving grace. His performance let me give this book more stars than I would have without him.
I think this is my 3rd McGarrity book but there won't be a fourth. I'm truly sorry Mr. McGarrity -- I really did try

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

audio. start with 2 stars given to George Guidall's usual high quality narration. The story wasn't exciting but gave us info on crime solving and government corruption. I personally visited a corpse hanger at Da Nang USMC Air base in January 1967 as part of an Adjudant General inspection team following a complaint of US arms being sold on the black market. Ever hear about the "Cam Rahn Bay Millionaires"?

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4.25

Kevin Kerney has traveled a long way over the course of nine books, but he's really settled in very successfully in as the chief of police in the Santa Fe Police Department. He's also a rancher, and the book opens with him traveling to California to buy some horses for himself and his neighbor. When another buyer sharing his living quarters is found dead, Kerney is briefly considered a suspect. Once he's cleared, he's motivated to conduct an investigation of his own; and his department and the local California police enter into a partnership that goes across both their states, since the victim's wife and prime suspect resides in New Mexico.

While interviewing those who interacted with the dead man, Clifford Spalding, Kerney finds a Spalding family mystery that goes back 30 years. Spalding's son was killed in Vietnam; but his mother refuses to accept that fact and Kerney begins to believe that she may be on to something, that there's something fishy about the whole situation.

Most of the actual police work in the book is done by homicide detectives in New Mexico and California. Although Kerney may direct a lot of the action, he isn't doing much of the nitty gritty work. The focus is less on him and more on secondary characters who are expanding their roles from book to book. The female characters are particularly well developed.

The fact that Kerney is the police chief rather than one of the rank-and-file is what makes this police procedural a bit different from its companions on the shelves. As the chief, Kerney is not the lead investigator for any of the cases that come in to the department, but rather the overseer of those who will work the details. At times, he does some investigation, but that is not his raison d'etre. This approach allows McGarrity to spread the narrative out and show several aspects of several investigations at the same time. That led to one weakness in the book for me, an overly ambitious plot with too many lead characters and threads to follow very well. This slowed the pacing and decreased any sense of suspense about the outcome.

The Kerney series is a solid body of work, and SLOW KILL a solid entry in the series. I do miss the younger, edgier Kerney; but I guess even our fictional characters have to grow older.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horse buying has perils

Very attractive series based on a lawman in New Mexico and his family. This is part of the series called the Kevin Kerney Novels. This paragraph applies to all books in this series. The story’s are great, but what makes this series stand out is how the country is worked into the story, It’s almost as if you are there. The author is a gifted story teller.

Do you need to read this series in order: Yes, it helps a lot. Note that Hard Country and Backlands (and one pending maybe) are the prequels.

Triggers: Cops and police situations, there are rapes, homicides, and crime.

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 digs deeper and 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 attempts to find the answers to a thirty-year-old mystery and extricate himself from a situation that could ruin his career.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Santa Fe police chief Kevin Kerney came to California to buy a few horses for his ranch. He is told he will be sharing the guest bunkhouse with another buyer who has an early morning meeting. He knocks on the guy's bedroom door to wake him but discovers him dead in the bed. The local cop is a tenacious investigator and considers Kerney a suspect at first since the man's wife lives in Santa Fe. Kerney just wants to go home on time so he starts his own investigation and he starts by following the money. Following the dead man's money leads to the first wife, a supposedly dead son, the second wife, the wife's lover, and so on to figure out how a seemingly healthy man dies in his sleep. Kerney's wife who is career Army is able to help the investigation along too.

I like the backdrop of these Santa Fe books and I've really liked Kevin Kerney's character since the start of the series many years ago.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

Travelling to California to purchase horses for his ranch, at the Double J Ranch near Paso Robles puts Kevin Kerney smack in the middle of a murder. Another buyer in the room next door, Clifford Spalding has died of what initially looks like a natural causes. But the investigating officer, Sgt. Elena Lowrey, doesn't take any chances and treats it as suspicious. Kevin becomes her prime suspect when it looks like it could be murder, and Claudia Spalding, the wife, turns out to be a resident of Santa Fe part of the time. After all Kevin's wife isn't around much, and her husband wasn't either. Once the assistance of Kevin and his team determines that Claudia at that moment is on a trip with a single man, in the New Mexico mountains, Kim Dean, the boyfriend of several years who becomes the new suspect. He is a pharmacist, and it appears that the thyroid disease Mr. Spalding suffered from, and the medication he took for it, may have been the means for the murder. Kim Dean is a pharmacist. A search of the pharmacy and his home reveals that not only did he have left over components for making pills that resembled Clifford's medication, he also was in the business of selling drugs to fake patients forged on other doctors' slips. He is arrested, but refuses to implicate Claudia, thinking she will provide a good lawyer for him.

The police in their investigation find other individuals who are suspected of being part of a drug network that the DEA is looking into, through the undercover work of SA Evan Winslow, who is acting the part of a wealth management representative. They arrest Mitch Griffin as part of the network which leads to others, and also puts Det Sgt Ramona Pino in a pickle for testimonies against Claudia. She is arrested but technicalities get her out of jail, after which she returns to her Montecito estate only to be picked up by and disappear in a helicopter. A search of her home reveals a diary that supports her wanting Clifford out of her life. She writes very explicit descriptions of her sexual activity with her lovers, allowed by an addendum to the prenuptial agreement as long as she doesn't reveal it, and has an extensive collection of erotica that helped to move Kim Dean into the position of lover and killer.

During this investigation, Kevin has become involved in the financial setup of the Spalding estate. Clifford had been married to Alice, who has a complex agreement with his as part of their divorce settlement that gets her a third of his estate on death. Part of his discovery is that Alice doesn't believe that her son George was killed in Vietnam as reported. His research reveals that Clifford had been using a variety of people to support his coverup that George is still alive. George had been involved in gemstone smuggling but there had not been enough evidence to convict him. His record with the military was not good. He handled the disposition of the dead. Easily in a position to substitute another body for his own. His smuggling apparently was the basis for his father's start in the hotel business that had grown to a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Clifford involved the previous Chief of police of Sann Luis Obispo, Ed Ramsey, now an instructor at the FBI Academy. When Kevin visits Sara in D.C., he finds Ramsey living large. The current Chief Capt Dick Chase is also part of the conspiracy. Research by Agent Joseph Valzez reveals that each of them had been bribed with a $100,000 each year for 15 years to keep the conspiracy going. While they do not find George before the end of the story, they do find his former girlfriend, Debbie Calderwood. She tells the police that Alice had sexually abused George when he was a child and he hated her, never wanting to see her again. Alice is deep into Alzheimer's at that point.

In the end, Kevine gets his horses, including Comeuppance, a stallion, and two geldings and a mare to start is enterprise. He gets is longed-for visit to Sara and Patrick and turns in Ed Ramsey. When an aha comes to him about where Claudia may have fled to, he remembers the cabin that Dean had in the Canadian River Canyon lands. He and the local sheriff, Lucky Suazo follow her to the cabin and arrest her, but not before she tries to kill Kevin, stepping on his hand as he climbs the mountain after her. She breaks a number of his fingers before the two lawmen capture her and take her back.

During all this for Kevin, Sara is faced with a new project in her position at the Pentagon, to cover up the lack of justice for a large number of women in the military who were sexually assaulted. She is to provide a report, and to propose new procedures for ongoing investigations and prosecution but ignore the past closed cases. She focuses on the cases still open, knowing that her supervisor will not like the outcome in her report. The story ends with her satisfied she has done what she could to bring justice to the women. We don't know the outcome of the report.

[Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories take place in New Mexico. I visited New Mexico and so any author who writes about New Mexico is going to get my attention.
McGarrity is an interesting author in that he spends a lot of time on the detail of investigations. This is not a bad thing because he does tie it into how the paperwork involved in an investigation can really bore the investigator or how reviewing the paperwork can reveal a clue that had not been thought of. McGarrity is about the only author I read who spends this time on detail. Other authors’ Chief Inspectors hardly spend any time in the office. Kevin Kerney is the Chief of the Santa Fe police so he does have to spend time in the office and trust his officers to do their job properly. Kevin does understand the importance of giving good support to his officers and ensure they can move forward in their investigation. He does not need to be involved in every detail of that investigation. This is very different than other authors. Hmm maybe I should think about this difference as a topic for our next Buff AGM.
In this story Kev is in California buying horses for his ranch. Kev in previous books inherited money from a family friend and he purchased a ranch in New Mexico. He got married to a Sara a career military person who works at the Pentagon so they have a long distance relationship and they also have a toddler who lives with mom.
While buying horses a dead body is discovered. While it seems to be a death in California it has ties to New Mexico and so Kevin and his department become involved.
Another story line is about a missing person who supposedly died in Viet Nam but did he? Kevin is drawn into this mystery as well and it also includes his wife Sara because of her role at the Pentagon. She can offer help with the investigation.
I like reading these Kevin Kerney novels because I like the character and I like how Michael McGarrity writes about him. He is a no-nonsense guy and really thinks about how he relates to his staff, his wife and other people. He has also grown in this series.

[Viva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of this series because I like the small town police protocol, the New Mexico setting and the character development. However it seems that the author has experimented with the formula as the series has progressed and veered from the path of the early books.

I've only given this book 3 stars because 1) this book has too many law enforcement characters (a problem with the last 2-3 books), I mean why do you need that many? and 2) because the book ended abruptly. I was very surprised to see the book end where it did because it seemed that there were a lot of loose ends.

Summary: The beginning of the book was pretty good. An elderly man dies in his sleep visiting a stud farm for horses. Kerney happens to be there at the same time. A deep investigation of the man reveals a lot of problems: is his son really dead? Did someone kill him? Where did he get his money from? The initial investigation leads to a lot of questions that reach as far as Canada and Washington, D.C. But the mysteries aren't really solved and I was surprised that the next book doesn't seem to be a sequel.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Goodreads Blurb: 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.

The determined woman cop is a good character, who ends up forming a sisterly bond with Ramona Pino, a Sergeant who works for Kerney in Santa Fe. The search for evidence that will convict the suspected murdered is done partly by California police and partly by the New Mexican authorities, and that leads to some complications.

In the course of investigating the victim's family, a strange anomaly crops up that leads to a parallel investigation.

SLOW KILL was book #31 on our 2022 Read-alouds List and book #34 on our 2022 Read-alouds With Lutrecia List.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerney is in San Luis Obispo to buy horses and his roommate dies. He's a suspect for awhile since the victim's wife lives in Santa Fe.

Joint research determines that the wife has solicited hit men before. They arrest her and her lawyer springs her on the pretext that the crime actually occurred in New Mexico and she needs to be arrested there. While they process the paperwork, she is picked up on her Monicito estate by helicopter and disappears.

Kerney visits Sara and Patrick in DC.

This also involves the dead man's son who was KIA but isn't really dead. The father milked the son's gem smuggling to build up the family fortune and place it in a Canadian Trust to support the son and his co conspirators.

Complex and interesting.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

This chapter in the Kevin Kerney series was disappointing. None of the crimes "felt" solved along with additional questions raised that were either ignored or left for speculation. If this had been the first Michael McGarrity novel I picked up I would not have gone looking for more.

I hope Mr McGarrity is not growing tired of his characters or story lines. I know he is a very capable writer, especially with his old West trilogy written while he was taking a break from the Kerney series. I hope the remaining volumes in this series are not cut short or hurried like this one appears to have been.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading books about places/things I'm familiar with and this book was about 2 places I know. I found the premise interesting, but a bit far-fetched. Santa Fe police chief, on a ranch to buy horses, just happens to think an older man's death in his sleep is suspicious and decides to investigate. Of course it IS murder and the Chief teams up with the San Luis Obispo officer Ellie to unravel a very convoluted mystery. Ellie annoyed me because she kept stepping in where her fellow officers, who were supposed to be in charge, were investigating. Also, the book just ended - done. Obviously there is a sequel to this case in another book, but I think I'll pass.

[Terry Steinborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting entry in the Kerney series, but not one of the best. Kerney is in California to buy some horses from a breeder when another potential buyer is found dead at the ranch. Kerney seems to be a possible suspect, but that problem goes away and he becomes involved in solving the crime, which of course soon leads to Santa Fe. He works closely with his lead deputy and a deputy in California as the test becomes more complicated. This book would have been better in my view if more of it took place in New Mexico. There are lots of people writing mysteries set in Southern California. We don't need another written by a highly competent New Mexico writer.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Santa Fe Police Chief, Kevin Kerney, has traveled to California to by several quarter horses and finds himself a suspect in the murder of Clifford Spalding who he was sharing a cabin with. After all he found the body and was staying nearby. Kerney must now clear himself as a suspect and perhaps solve the murder for the local police who inclined to look no further.

Another good Kevin Kerney story.

[Jennifer Bolton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kerney just can't get a break. On a trip to California to buy horses to start his new ranching enterprise, Kerney stumbles upon a dead body. Looks like a heart attack, but of course it isn't. First he's a suspect, then he isn't, but as Kerney's interest in the death escalates so do the mysteries surrounding the victim. Lots going on in this one and it doesn't get all neatly tied up. Wonder if the answers will come in future books?

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was this supposed to be a mystery? I'm not being facetious here, I just really want to know. There are certain things that one expects from a mystery, and this didn't have many of those elements. It started out promising and was interesting here and there. I enjoyed the ring of authenticity in details about police work, descriptions of places and things, and the bits of personal storyline thrown in, but in a mystery I usually count on these things to counterbalance suspense, tension, and plot twists. But here, these elements had nothing to counterbalance. There were way too many characters to track. Maybe if you'd read the series from the beginning, this would be less of a problem. And there was a subplot that might've been interesting, but it wasn't introduced until fairly late in the book and seemed to be included only as filler. In fact, looking at it from that standpoint, much of the book seemed to be filler. Anyhow, by the time I got to the end, I just really didn't even care.

[JanInHingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the author should have stuck to a more simple story line and about 1/4 of the number of characters. I enjoyed all the adventure and suspense, but I finally lost the sense of the story and who was doing what to whom. Mr. McGarrity seems to vary quite a lot from one book to the next, so I will continue to read and enjoy his books. But I don't think this one was one of his best.

[Stephanie Quesnelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of my .25 mystery novels...this one was pretty awesome. A police chief stumbled onto a murder while on vacation...and became the prime suspect because he found the victim. He chases down the victim's lengthy and complicated past. It all revolves around a son who went missing 30 years before the woman's murder.

[Paul McBride · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow kill is the title but boring story is what it is. The story itself would have been very good in more capable hands. At no point did it seem like a story instead it was just a bunch of facts and plot points being revealed. All of the characters were wooden and one dimensional.
I can’t believe this author is as popular as the reviews led me to believe.

[Rich Buickerood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not care for this book as much as I have the earlier reads in this series. The protagonists were revealed quite early in the story and the plot got a bit draggy. A sub-plot was actually a bit more interesting. Both plot lines were wrapped up in the last 5-10 pages.

[Brent Nofziger · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun read all the way to the end. For the second time, it feels that McGarrity ran into a deadline, so he just finished it. Just jumped ahead, and wiped his hands of it. The ending brought it down from a high 4 or 5 to 3. Boo to the ending

[Karen McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by McGarrity

Fast paced story from so many angles it will make your head spin. A wonderful read with a complex storyline & great characters, lots of action & smart dialog.

[Teri Heyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad to have discovered Michael McGarrity's Kevin Kerney series. I'm also fortunate that my local library here in New Mexico has the whole series. Slow Kill is another great read in this fast paced, high-octane series.

[Rosemary Dreyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 3/4 Stars: This novel was a multi-state mystery that began with a seemingly innocuous death. What I liked: glimpses into Sara’s new life at the Pentagon; seeing the Kerney family together; new characters. What I didn’t like: the greed and coverup of the California family; some of the writing. Overall, I wasn’t that enamored with the plot.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid entry. I admit at first I thought Kerney was going to be railroaded, and was pleasantly surprised at the way the story turned. I wish Sara's issues with her investigation had been wrapped up, but I suspect it will be with the next installment.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining installment of the Kevin Kerney saga. The plot was a little slower, but I put that down to the nature of the crime. I enjoy the characters and was glad that George Guidall was back as the narrator of the Audible edition.

[Dave Delsigne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about the New Mexico countryside and have aged with Kevin Kerney. Kerney has mellowed and matured with age … the wife and baby boy have had their say in that too! I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid police procedural, but light on character development. The action travels from Santa Fe to both California and DC, limiting the amount of atmosphere here, which is normally one of McGarrity's strengths.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me by having locations I’ve lived in be a major part of the story!