Michael McGarrity Books in Order: Kevin Kerney, the Kerney Family Saga, and New Mexico Crime
Michael McGarrity’s crime novels are deeply rooted in New Mexico, particularly Santa Fe and the Tularosa Basin. His experience in law enforcement gives the Kevin Kerney mysteries a strong police-procedural foundation, while the author’s knowledge of the state’s history and landscape gives the books a distinctive sense of place.
The bibliography is slightly unusual because McGarrity later went backward in time to tell the story of the Kerney family. The American West Trilogy is a prequel to the modern Kevin Kerney novels, while The Long Ago is a later spinoff. Night in the City, published in 2025, moves completely away from New Mexico and into New York City noir.
Kevin Kerney Books in Order
The Kevin Kerney series contains 14 novels. Kevin Kerney is a New Mexico law enforcement officer whose career, family, and personal life develop throughout the series, so publication order is the best way to read them.
1. Tularosa
Published in 1996, Tularosa introduces Kevin Kerney, a former Santa Fe chief of detectives who has been forced into early retirement after being wounded in the line of duty. When an old colleague asks him to search for a missing soldier’s son near White Sands Missile Range, Kerney becomes involved in a dangerous investigation involving smuggling and stolen Civil War artifacts.
The novel establishes the New Mexico landscape and the combination of police investigation, regional history, and personal relationships that would become central to the series. It is also McGarrity’s debut novel and the first place to meet Kerney.
2. Mexican Hat
In Mexican Hat, Kerney is working as a seasonal forest ranger in the Gila Wilderness when a murder pulls him back toward investigative work. What initially appears to be an isolated crime leads into a much larger mystery involving the remote New Mexico landscape.
The book expands Kerney’s world beyond Santa Fe and shows how naturally McGarrity combines wilderness, local history, and crime fiction. It also continues Kerney’s personal story from Tularosa.
3. Serpent Gate
Serpent Gate sends Kerney into another complex investigation involving violence and secrets in New Mexico. The story moves between rural communities and Santa Fe, allowing McGarrity to explore both the isolated and urban sides of the state.
As the third book, it continues developing Kerney’s professional and personal relationships rather than treating him as a completely new detective in every novel.
4. Hermit’s Peak
In Hermit’s Peak, Kerney faces another difficult case in northern New Mexico. The investigation takes him into a setting where local history, personal loyalties, and violence are closely intertwined.
The novel further establishes McGarrity’s New Mexico as more than a backdrop. Its communities, mountains, ranches, and history are closely tied to the mysteries Kerney investigates.
5. The Judas Judge
The Judas Judge brings Kerney into a case involving murder and the complicated world surrounding the justice system. The investigation forces him to examine the connections between people who appear respectable and the darker secrets hidden beneath their public lives.
The novel continues the series’ focus on law enforcement while giving Kerney another case that reaches beyond a simple murder investigation.
6. Under the Color of Law
Under the Color of Law places Kerney in a particularly difficult investigation where questions about law enforcement, power, and justice become increasingly important. The case tests the boundaries between legitimate authority and people who use the law for their own purposes.
By this stage of the series, Kerney’s professional experience and personal relationships have become just as important to the story as the individual mystery.
7. The Big Gamble
In The Big Gamble, Kerney investigates a crime that takes him into the complicated world of gambling, money, and political interests. The story moves through New Mexico communities while bringing together several seemingly unrelated threads.
The seventh novel continues McGarrity’s tradition of using a specific aspect of New Mexico life as the setting for a broader crime investigation.
8. Everyone Dies
Everyone Dies presents Kerney with one of the darker investigations in the series. The case forces him to confront a dangerous criminal threat while dealing with the pressures that come from his own position and responsibilities.
The novel was published in 2003 and continues the increasingly mature version of Kerney introduced in the earlier books.
9. Slow Kill
Slow Kill takes Kerney beyond New Mexico, with parts of the story involving California as well as his home state. The investigation develops into a complicated case where the threat is not necessarily obvious at first.
The broader geographic setting gives this installment a slightly different feel from several of the earlier New Mexico-centered mysteries.
10. Nothing But Trouble
In Nothing But Trouble, Kerney agrees to act as a technical adviser on a Western film being shot near the Mexican border. His planned working vacation quickly becomes complicated when a dead man is found near an isolated border crossing and a federal investigation into immigrant smuggling becomes involved.
The novel combines McGarrity’s police-procedural approach with the contemporary Western setting of southwestern New Mexico. Kerney’s family also plays an important role in the story.
11. Death Song
Death Song returns Kerney to another complicated New Mexico investigation involving murder and secrets. The case takes him through communities where family history and personal loyalties make discovering the truth particularly difficult.
Published in 2007, it was the eleventh Kevin Kerney novel and continued the series after a two-year gap following Nothing But Trouble.
12. Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive continues Kerney’s career as he investigates another serious crime in northeastern New Mexico. The case puts him up against dangerous people while also drawing attention to the changing circumstances of his own life.
Published in 2008, it was the final Kevin Kerney novel for several years before McGarrity returned to the character with Residue.
13. Residue
After a long break, McGarrity returned to Kevin Kerney with Residue in 2018. The novel finds Kerney confronting another investigation while the passage of time has changed both his professional world and the people around him.
The return is important for readers who have followed Kerney from the beginning because the character is no longer exactly where readers left him in Dead or Alive.
14. Head Wounds
Head Wounds is the fourteenth and final Kevin Kerney crime novel. The story brings Kerney back into a dangerous investigation in New Mexico while continuing the personal and family threads that have developed across the series.
McGarrity’s official website identifies Head Wounds, together with Residue, as the books that concluded the Kevin Kerney crime novels. It was published in 2020.
American West Trilogy in Order
The American West Trilogy is closely connected to the Kevin Kerney novels but works differently. Rather than following modern-day Kevin Kerney through police investigations, these three books trace the history of the Kerney family in New Mexico from 1875 through the end of the Vietnam War. McGarrity describes them as a prequel trilogy set on the Tularosa Basin.
1. Hard Country
Hard Country begins the family saga in 1875 and follows the Kerney family as they establish their lives in the harsh landscape of New Mexico. The novel is much more historical than the modern Kevin Kerney mysteries, exploring ranching, family survival, violence, and the changing American West.
Although it is a prequel, it provides valuable background for readers interested in the Kerney family history that sits behind the modern crime novels. It was published in 2012.
2. Backlands
Backlands continues the Kerney family story as New Mexico and the American West undergo major social and political changes. The novel follows another generation through a landscape shaped by ranching, conflict, family obligations, and the state’s complicated history.
Published in 2014, it moves the family saga forward toward the twentieth century. It is best read after Hard Country.
3. The Last Ranch
The Last Ranch concludes the American West Trilogy. The story carries the Kerney family into the modern era and toward the end of the Vietnam War, completing the historical arc that began in 1875.
The trilogy therefore spans several generations and provides a much broader history of the Kerney family than the crime novels alone. It was published in 2016.
The Long Ago
The Long Ago
Published in 2023, The Long Ago is a spinoff of the Kevin Kerney novels rather than another numbered Kerney mystery. McGarrity’s official website specifically describes it as a spinoff to the Kerney novels.
The book expands the world and family history surrounding the Kerney stories rather than simply presenting another modern police case. Readers who have completed the Kevin Kerney series will get the most context from its connection to the larger fictional world.
Because it is a spinoff rather than Kevin Kerney Book 15, it is best listed separately on a reading guide.
Night in the City
Night in the City
Night in the City is McGarrity’s most recent novel, published in 2025. Unlike his New Mexico books, this is a crime noir novel set in New York City, making it a clear departure from the Kevin Kerney and Kerney-family stories.
It can be read completely independently and does not require knowledge of the Kevin Kerney series. For readers who know McGarrity mainly for New Mexico crime fiction, it offers an opportunity to see how he handles a very different urban setting.
Michael McGarrity Books in Publication Order
If you want to read every Michael McGarrity novel in the order it was originally published, use this list:
- Tularosa (1996)
- Mexican Hat (1997)
- Serpent Gate (1998)
- Hermit’s Peak (1999)
- The Judas Judge (2000)
- Under the Color of Law (2001)
- The Big Gamble (2002)
- Everyone Dies (2003)
- Slow Kill (2004)
- Nothing But Trouble (2005)
- Death Song (2007)
- Dead or Alive (2008)
- Hard Country (2012)
- Backlands (2014)
- The Last Ranch (2016)
- Residue (2018)
- Head Wounds (2020)
- The Long Ago (2023)
- Night in the City (2025)
This 19-book bibliography matches current bibliography sources, which divide McGarrity’s work into 14 Kevin Kerney novels, three American West Trilogy books, and two later standalone/spinoff titles.
Should You Read the Kevin Kerney Books in Order?
Yes. Each Kevin Kerney novel contains its own crime investigation, so you can technically understand individual mysteries without reading every earlier book.
However, Kerney’s career and personal life develop across the series, and later books assume that readers are familiar with his history. Starting with Tularosa gives the clearest picture of how he develops from a former law enforcement officer into the central figure of the long-running series.
Where Do the American West Trilogy Books Fit?
This is where reading order becomes more interesting.
The American West Trilogy was published after the first 12 Kevin Kerney novels, but it tells the Kerney family’s history from 1875 onward. In other words, it is a prequel by story chronology but not by publication order. McGarrity deliberately used the trilogy to explore the family history behind the modern Kerney stories.
For a first-time reader, I recommend publication order:
Tularosa → Mexican Hat → … → Dead or Alive → Hard Country → Backlands → The Last Ranch → Residue → Head Wounds → The Long Ago.
For readers who specifically want the Kerney family’s historical story first, you can instead begin with Hard Country and continue through Backlands and The Last Ranch before moving into the modern mysteries.
Michael McGarrity Books by Series
| Series / Group | Number of Books | Reading Status |
| Kevin Kerney | 14 | Complete |
| American West Trilogy | 3 | Complete |
| Kerney spinoff | 1 | Standalone spinoff |
| New York crime noir | 1 | Standalone |
| Total | 19 |
McGarrity’s official site says that Residue and Head Wounds concluded the Kevin Kerney crime novels, while The Long Ago continues the fictional world as a spinoff. Night in the City is a separate New York crime noir novel.
What Makes Michael McGarrity’s Books Different?
McGarrity’s background is unusually relevant to his crime fiction. Before becoming a novelist, he worked in New Mexico law enforcement, including as a deputy sheriff in Santa Fe County, and founded the county’s Sex Crimes Unit. His fiction consequently has a strong understanding of law enforcement procedures, criminal investigations, and the communities in which those investigations take place.
But the books are not simply police procedurals. New Mexico itself is an important part of the storytelling, from the Tularosa Basin and Santa Fe to ranch country and the state’s border regions. The American West Trilogy expands that interest into historical fiction by showing how the Kerney family’s roots developed over generations.
FAQ About Michael McGarrity Books
How many Kevin Kerney books are there?
There are 14 Kevin Kerney novels, beginning with Tularosa in 1996 and ending with Head Wounds in 2020.
What is Michael McGarrity’s first book?
- Tularosa* was Michael McGarrity’s first published novel, appearing in 1996. It introduced Kevin Kerney and began the series that became the central part of his career.
What is the latest Michael McGarrity book?
Night in the City, published in 2025, is currently his latest novel. It is a crime noir story set in New York City rather than a Kevin Kerney mystery.
Is The Last Ranch part of the Kevin Kerney series?
Not directly. The Last Ranch is the third book in the American West Trilogy, which explores the history of the Kerney family. It is a prequel to the modern Kevin Kerney novels rather than Kevin Kerney Book 15.
Is The Long Ago a Kevin Kerney book?
The Long Ago is best described as a spinoff of the Kevin Kerney novels. McGarrity’s official website does not number it as another Kevin Kerney crime novel.
What order should I read the Kevin Kerney books?
Read them in publication order, beginning with Tularosa and continuing through Head Wounds. The 14-book order follows Kerney’s career and personal development across the series.
Are the Michael McGarrity books connected?
Many of them are. The 14 Kevin Kerney novels form the main modern crime series, while Hard Country, Backlands, and The Last Ranch explore the Kerney family’s earlier history; The Long Ago is a related spinoff. Night in the City is separate.
Can I read Night in the City without reading the Kevin Kerney books?
Yes. Night in the City is a separate crime noir novel set in New York City, so it does not require familiarity with Kevin Kerney or the Kerney family.
Final Verdict
Michael McGarrity’s bibliography is easiest to understand when you separate the modern Kevin Kerney mysteries from the historical Kerney family saga. The 14 Kevin Kerney novels are the core of his crime fiction, while the American West Trilogy adds several generations of history behind the family.
For most readers, the best starting point is Tularosa, followed by the remaining Kevin Kerney books in order. Once you finish Head Wounds, The Long Ago is a natural next step for exploring the wider Kerney world. If you simply want McGarrity’s newest work, Night in the City can be read independently.
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