Where to Start Reading the Kevin Kerney Series
For most readers, the best starting point is Tularosa (1996), the debut novel in the series. Reading in publication order allows you to follow Kevin Kerney's personal and professional evolution organically. You watch him transition from a retired, injured Santa Fe police chief taking on freelance investigations to a forest ranger, and eventually back into high-level law enforcement. Starting here grounds you in the modern mysteries before you explore his ancestral roots.
Alternatively, if you prefer sweeping historical fiction and family sagas over contemporary police procedurals, you can begin chronologically with the prequel trilogy starting with Hard Country (2012). However, because the prequels reveal the origins of family ranches, feuds, and legacies that directly influence the modern books, starting with the contemporary mysteries first preserves the suspense of the main series.
Kevin Kerney Series in Publication Order
Michael McGarrity published the core Kevin Kerney series across two decades, establishing a rich timeline of modern New Mexican crime-solving. Here is the publication order for the main detective novels:
- 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)
- Residue (2018)
- Head Wounds (2020)
The American West Prequel Trilogy (The Kerney Family Saga)
During a ten-year hiatus from the contemporary Kevin Kerney novels, McGarrity dedicated a decade to researching and writing a historical prequel trilogy. Known as the American West Trilogy (or the Kerney Family Trilogy), these books follow Kevin Kerney's ancestors from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. They should be read in this order:
- Hard Country (2012) — Set between 1875 and 1918, following the early pioneers of the Kerney family.
- Backlands (2014) — Set between 1919 and 1945, focusing on the next generation during the Great Depression and World War II.
- The Last Ranch (2016) — Set between 1946 and 1975, detailing the post-WWII ranching era and the impact of the Vietnam War.
The Spin-Off Novel
In addition to the main series and prequels, McGarrity wrote a thematic spin-off:
- The Long Ago (2023) — Set in the late 1960s, this novel does not star Kevin Kerney. Instead, it follows Raymond Lansdale, a soldier returning from Vietnam to search for his missing sister. While it is not a direct mystery in the main series, it shares the historical backdrop, setting, and themes of the American West Trilogy.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
The chronological order of the entire universe places the prequel trilogy first, followed by the contemporary novels:
- Hard Country (Prequel 1)
- Backlands (Prequel 2)
- The Last Ranch (Prequel 3)
- Tularosa through Dead or Alive (Main series books 1 to 12)
- Residue (Main series book 13)
- Head Wounds (Main series book 14)
While chronological reading provides a seamless historical timeline from 1875 to 2020, most fans advise against starting with the prequels. The writing style of the American West Trilogy is that of an epic historical family saga, which is structurally very different from the fast-paced, procedural style of the mysteries. Reading the prequels first can make the transition to the 1990s setting of Tularosa feel jarring. Reading by publication order allows you to appreciate the ancestral references dropped throughout the early books before finally seeing those ancestors come to life in the prequels.
What to Know Before You Start
Michael McGarrity was a deputy sheriff in Santa Fe County and spent over 25 years in the criminal justice system. This professional background brings an unmatched level of realism and procedural accuracy to the books. The setting is also a character in its own right; the stories span the rugged landscapes of the Tularosa Basin, the Gila Wilderness, and Santa Fe, making the series highly recommended for fans of Southwestern regional fiction. While the mysteries in individual books are usually resolved, the character arcs, relationships, and Kerney's struggle with his physical injuries develop continuously, making sequential reading highly rewarding.