Customer Reviews

The Judas Judge: A Kevin Kerney Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This action packed story, set in New Mexico, is a book I couldn't put down. Michael McGarrity continues to develop his primarary character, the man's man, Kevin Kerney. This is a GREAT READ from the exciting first chapter through the final page.

Buy and read this book and you will, if you are not already a fan, be reading the other four of his books.

I highly recommend this book, without any reservation. I can't wait for the next one to emerge from this author with the background, experience and knowledge of his subject matter. He tells things as they really are in law enforcement and on the street.

I've seen it all, as a lawyer and criminal procecuter, and from my personal view, McGarrity has directness and tells things truthfully and factually as they happen in the "real world" of criminal investigation.

Michael, thank you for another great read. Keep up the good work; my wife and I can't wait until your next book is published and we continue to follow the development of your characters. We and our friends that we have passed our books on to have all enjoyed your work.How about incorporating the Good Friday murders on the walk to Chayamo into a future plot?

Michael McGarrity is a strong writer with a marvelous protagonist in Kevin Kerney.

Set in New Mexico, the reader can experience the landscapes that Mr. McGarrity paints with a wonderful verbal brush.

Kevin Kerney has grown, evolved and developed greatly as a central character as the series has progressed. That is not to say that any in the series is weak. Quite the contrary...it is a powerful series.

It is realistic as the procedural part is most logical. It shows the grunt work necessary, the part luck plays and never to believe in coincidences in solving crimes.

The plot is always in motion and this action is the focus of the book. The personal life of the primary characters weaves thru the narrative, but never gets in the way of the flow of the whodunit.

Mr. McGarrity is high on my "A" list and I recommend this series highly. Start with "Tularosa" and I think you will be hooked.

This is one writer I would really like to meet at a reading and signing.

The pressure for a fast arrest is phenomenal, but New Mexico State Deputy Police Chief Kevin Kerney understands why. Six murders including a judge in a remote section of the southeast desert is fodder for the media and politicians. In turn, they stir the citizens into a frenzy of fear especially since the killings look like the work of a random lunatic.

The brass believes that a maniac aimlessly committed the murders, but Kevin takes a different paradigm. He wonders if the judge was the target and the other five victims a cover. As he digs deeper into the case, an unknown assailant makes attempts to add Kevin to the count.

The fifth Kerney mystery is an excellent entry in an already strong regional series. The why done it is powerfully laid out albeit at a more leisurely pace than usual because Kevin's personal life is more involved. He is now married to a military officer, has a woman from his past help him on the case, and is about to become rich from selling some land. This allows readers a more in depth look at the hero which shows how good Michael McGarrity has become in balancing characterization with plot.

Harriet Klausner

McGarrity is one of my favorite authors, but this story is not one of my favorite stories. It is too full of baffling lies and stone-walling by the people being interviewed. That word 'interviewed' is key here. Most of the book is a series of inconclusive interviews of people who seem only marginally connected to the story, and who consistently tell the cops to get stuffed. The web connecting these interviews, the real meat of the story, is Kearney's life. Even that seems fractured and inconclusive. I enjoyed the little bits of Kearney's life that were included, but they were like an appetiser when I wanted a meal. I wish that the story had been written differently. It was a good story line, but too thinly constructed to hold my interest. Kearney's discovery of the existence of a son and the perfidy of the mother of that son should have been explored in more depth, but that, like the other story elements, left me asking "Is that it? Isn't there more?" Not the best in the series, but at least a link in the chain.

I too am an avid McGarrity fan. As I begin to read this latest installment in the series, I felt the familiar rush of interesting plot building that I have come to appreciate in previous Kevin Kerney novels. Yet this novel doesn't invoke the same excitement and surprises that have been the hallmark of McGarrity's writing. Also, what makes Kerney an interesting character is the fact that he is an everyday man, working hard to materialize his dreams. Something a lot of us can relate to. With Kerney's sudden inheritance and marriage, the entire plot begin to read like a grocery store romance dream novel. The sudden and surprising money does nothing to enhance the character and the marriage line is weak, unrealistic and totally unnecessary. Now with the discovery of a son and a baby on the way with his new wife, I hope that McGarrity will soon retire this series and let Kerney and family live "happily ever after" or free Kerney from his current path and bring back the vibrant hero we fans have come to enjoy.

Michael McGarrity and detective Kevin Kerney return with a vengeance in this superlative addition to this well done series. Kerney is called in when six murders along a single stretch of highway include a well respected judge. Kerney doesn't think it's just a random sweep killer, but the judge was the intended, and the other murders done to confuse authorities. Along with this, Kerney is now a married man, with his wife Sara off doing her thing, and their long distance marriage causing some strain. Add to this, Kerney had to kill a fellow cop who threatened his life and someone out there doesn't like killer cops, no matter what they did. And on a personal note, Kerney finds out he has a son by a previous relationship years ago..this son is also a cop for the Indian Reservation.
As always, McGarrity knows how to write his stuff, once again involving other law enforcers in solving the case. While the murderer's identity is not totally surprising, proving it is worth the effort.

Excellent writing.

I suggest you order all books in the series and get comfortable

with the first book. You are in for a reading treat. Great characters, realistic plots, never boring. I enjoy the interaction between Kevin & his wife, Sara. Both very strong willed people who love each other. However, they find it

is not easy to love each other. Truly enjoyable. Looking forward to the next book.

This entry is like travel on a desert highway. The mountains are in the distance, the ending no surprise, but the changing vistas keep the trip interesting. Relationships and children are the focus of the tale and Kerney continues to grow. Not as much action as earlier books, but well worth the effort. One of the best reasons to get into McGarrity is the strong portrayal of secondary characters. Good job.

I started out with the three earlier books by this author, finished them and couldn't wait to get this, the latest. It is a worthy read if you don't have anything else to read, but I felt it was not up to the story line quality and believability as are the others. "Interview all the gun dealers in the state..." sounds kinda suspect to me as did the racists, hostile attitude of the guess what - the unknown son from an high school days (and nights) affair. Interviews a guy to see what cars passed him when he broke down beside the road several years earlier...

I think the success of first 3 might have given him excess confidence. I will read his next, but not until it comes out in paper or I can get it at the used book store.

This is a Kevin Kerney murder mystery. The book starts off with the investigation of a killing spree, which Kerney immediately assumes is actually a cover-up for a premeditated murder. As Kerney sorts the clues and interviews the subject, he uncovers the disturbing history of a family gone mad.

I picked up this book with the intention of reading a light who-dunnit. I was taken aback however, as the theme of the book began to become clear. The book is about perversion, on many levels, involving both individuals and families, from personal life to professional life. While following the lurid details of a family's dirty laundry can maintain interest, it wasn't exactly what I was in the mood for. McGarrity's style is also a bit uneven at times, with jarring switches of points of view from Kerney to other characters, telling not only what they are doing, but what they are thinking and feeling inside their heads. Kerney himself is not always believable as a character, with his instant recognition of the premeditated murder based solely on one victim of the killing spree receiving two shots in the chest instead of one and his exclusive investigation of only this one victim and his family. If you're looking for a light book to keep you awake and pass the time, this one may do, but it's not for everyone's tastes.