Pillar Guide • NM Police Procedural — Kevin Kerney Series — Santa Fe — 1996–present
Selling Michael McGarrity Books in Albuquerque
Tularosa, Mexican Hat, Serpent Gate, Hermit's Peak, The Big Gamble, Everyone Dies, Slow Kill, Nothing But Trouble, Death Song, Dead or Alive, Hard Country, Backlands, The Last Ranch — the Kevin Kerney series plus the American West trilogy
Michael McGarrity · 1939–
Michael McGarrity is a retired New Mexico lawman — he worked as a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputy and rose to be a New Mexico State Police investigator — who, after retirement in the 1990s, wrote thirteen Kevin Kerney novels starring a Santa Fe-based detective, plus a three-volume American West historical trilogy covering a New Mexico ranching family across three generations. He lives near Santa Fe. His signature pool remains open.
Last verified May 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred
Because McGarrity writes the most procedurally accurate New Mexico police novels ever published — real NMSP procedure, real county-level jurisdictional handoffs, real Santa Fe and Albuquerque geography, and real rancher-versus-state-versus-federal land-use tensions. Current and retired NM law enforcement shelves invariably carry the Kerney series in matched first editions. The 1996 Norton Tularosa first is the key piece; Hard Country 2012 is the tentpole of the historical trilogy.
The Corpus
Michael McGarrity — first editions by year
Tularosa
1996 · W.W. Norton
Book 1 of the Kevin Kerney series. Norton hardcover first. The scarcest and most collectible Kerney first.
Mexican Hat
1997 · W.W. Norton
Book 2. Norton hardcover first.
Serpent Gate
1998 · W.W. Norton
Book 3. Norton hardcover first.
Hermit's Peak
1999 · W.W. Norton
Book 4. Norton hardcover first.
The Judas Judge
2000 · Dutton / Penguin Putnam
Book 5. Publisher change from Norton to Dutton.
Under the Color of Law
2001 · Dutton
Book 6. Dutton hardcover first.
The Big Gamble
2002 · Dutton
Book 7.
Everyone Dies
2003 · Dutton
Book 8.
Slow Kill
2004 · Dutton
Book 9.
Nothing But Trouble
2005 · Dutton
Book 10.
Death Song
2007 · Dutton
Book 11.
Dead or Alive
2008 · Dutton
Book 12.
Residue
2018 · W.W. Norton
Book 13 — Norton-returned late entry.
Hard Country
2012 · Dutton
American West Trilogy volume 1. Dutton hardcover first.
Backlands
2014 · Dutton
American West Trilogy volume 2.
The Last Ranch
2016 · Dutton
American West Trilogy volume 3.
The Estate Shelf
Estate-shelf fingerprint
McGarrity estates are specific. Profile one is current or retired New Mexico law enforcement: Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies, NMSP investigators, Albuquerque Police Department detectives. Profile two is Santa Fe and northern NM ranching-family households — the American West Trilogy speaks directly to their ancestry. Profile three is Santa Fe mystery-readers who buy at Collected Works and Op.Cit. and have signed first editions from local readings. The 1996 Tularosa Norton first in jacket is the rarest and most valuable single piece.
Value Tiers
Pricing & condition notes
1996 Norton Tularosa first editions in sharp jackets land in the mid-three figures signed, upper two figures unsigned. Norton 1997–1999 firsts (Mexican Hat, Serpent Gate, Hermit’s Peak) run upper-double to low-three figures signed. Dutton-era hardcover firsts run mid to upper double digits unsigned. Hard Country 2012 Dutton first in jacket runs low three figures signed; the three-volume American West trilogy matched set in jacket signed on all three is a tentpole mid-tier collectible.
Common Mistakes
What not to do
Do not shelve McGarrity as Tony Hillerman — they are different authors writing different series about overlapping but distinct NM law-enforcement worlds. Do not confuse the publisher change at The Judas Judge 2000 Dutton with an error — the series moved from Norton to Dutton and back to Norton. Norton firsts (1996–1999 and 2018) are the scarcest. Do not discount the American West Trilogy — it’s scarcer than the Kerney series and rising in collector interest.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What's the most collectible Michael McGarrity book?+
The tentpole first editions are: Tularosa (1996, W.W. Norton) and Mexican Hat (1997, W.W. Norton). 1996 Norton Tularosa first editions in sharp jackets land in the mid-three figures signed, upper two figures unsigned.
How do I tell a true first edition from a later printing?+
Check the copyright page for stated first printing language (usually 'First Edition' or a number line starting with 1). Confirm the publisher matches the original publisher listed above — reprint editions often change publishers. Verify the jacket design matches the known first-edition image for that title; reprints are frequently reissued with new jacket art. If any printing language says 'Revised Edition' or 'Second Edition' or 'Anniversary Edition,' it is not a first.
Is Michael McGarrity's signature collectible?+
His signature pool remains open; signed copies continue to arrive in circulation through readings and events. Signed copies carry a premium over unsigned firsts — roughly double at the collector tier. Inscribed copies to a named Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, or regional recipient carry the highest premium because they root the book in its home community. Signatures should always be verified against known exemplars before any high-value transaction.
Who owns the Michael McGarrity shelf in Albuquerque?+
McGarrity estates are specific. Profile one is current or retired New Mexico law enforcement: Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies, NMSP investigators, Albuquerque Police Department detectives. Profile two is Santa Fe and northern NM ranching-family households — the American West Trilogy speaks directly to their ancestry. Profile three is Santa Fe mystery-readers who buy at Collected Works and Op.Cit. and have signed first editions from local readings. The 1996 Tularosa Norton first in jacket is the rarest and most valuable single piece.
How do I sell my Michael McGarrity collection?+
I run two operations. I take complete Albuquerque-area library donations for free pickup — I sort, grade, and handle the entire collection. For individual high-value Michael McGarrity firsts where you already know what you own, I run SellBooksABQ for individual title buy-backs. Either way, I handle Michael McGarrity's corpus regularly and I know the pricing, the condition issues, and the signature-authentication work. Contact me at 702-496-4214 or book a free pickup through the website.
Adjacent Pillars
Related pillars on Michael McGarrity's estate shelf
Free pickup in Albuquerque and the Rio Grande corridor. I come to the house, I sort and grade the collection, I handle every title — the common reading copies, the mid-tier firsts, and the pillar-tier signature pieces. No stress, no donation-center triage, no trip to Goodwill.