Tularosa

by Michael McGarrity

Book Overview

Tularosa--"the place of reddish willows" in Spanish--holds the key to Kevin Kerney's past and his future. Ex-chief of detectives in the Santa Fe Police Department, shoved into early retirement by a shot-up leg, Kerney is fresher in body and mind than he realizes when Navajo Indian Terry Yazzi, his ex-partner and the man responsible for his injuries, asks him to locate his son, reported AWOL from the high-security White Sands Missile Range in southern...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393039226
• ISBN13: 9780393039221
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 1.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Great story, well told

An accomplished man who had such a big life he became a great author while drawing on it for his tales. Enjoy this and get more!

Desert suspense makes for fine debut

In McGarrity's first novel ex-Santa Fe cop Kevin Kerney, derailed by a shot-up knee, takes a break from retirement when Navajo cop Terry Yazzi, his former partner and the man responsible for his injury, asks him to find his son. The younger Yazzi, Sammy, is listed as AWOL from the high-security White Sands Missile Range. But Sammy is conscientious and was content with his work ? not a likely candidate for running off. Kerney's investigation leads him first to army investigator Sara Brannon, a sharp-eyed woman who doesn't miss a trick. After a rocky start, the two join forces on a trek which takes them into the regions' past ? from the recent days of struggle between ranchers like Kerney's family and the military who dispossessed them to more distant days of armies and Indians. McGarrity's characters emerge as real people and the desert landscape is as beguiling as it is harsh while the tangled conspiracy unravels with nail biting, page turning excitement. A fine debut.

AUSPICIOUS DEBUT

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.

Realism in New Mexico

As a former resident of this area of New Mexico, it was a real pleasure reading this and all of the other books by the author. He describes the countryside and the characters to a T. Be sure to read all of his books. We always get the newest ones as soon as they are available.

A great read for fans of the Southwest.

As soon as I saw the title of this book, I had to buy it. I grew up in Alamogordo, only a few miles down the road from Tularosa, NM. It was fun to read a mystery set in that area with familiar landmarks and history playing a big part in the plot. The author has accurately recreated the New Mexican landscape for his readers while keeping you engrossed in his work. If you haven't ever visited New Mexico, this should make you want to! I will definitely read other books by this author.

Entertaining, panoramic read with distinguished cover artist

Had I not been visiting the Santa Fe gallery belonging to the famous Wyeth Family of American painters, I would never have happened upon this delightful book. The cover artist is the grandson of Andrew Wyeth (or a great nephew, perhaps). Serendipitously, at the time of my visit to the gallery, the author and the artist were going over the final camera-ready painting for McGarrity's follow-on book (which is due out in April, according to the author). The book was light enough to read in a day or so. It's prose is rich in local history and geography, and contains action and emotion that will have you adjusting your pacemaker. I'm looking forward to the new book!