Dead or Alive

As usual I always enjoy the Kevin Kerney series. This one was a little bit more gory than his books usually are but I still enjoyed the story. McGarrity had to make you really hate the villian so the end of the story was VERY acceptable.

Dead or Alive is a solid thriller that will keep you turing pages well into the night. But that's not the time you want to read this book - read it in the daylight - but keep looking over your shoulder and don't answer the door!

Yes, there is a lot of violence in this book, but what is interesting is how it escalates. The reader wants to keep on reading to find out what happens. I want to go back and read all of these books.

Escaped psychopathic convict Craig Larson goes on a killing rampage murdering everyone it seems in his path. Among the victims is Riley Burke, business partner to former Santa Fe police chief Kevin Kerney. Outraged by the Burke death and just back from London where his spouse works in the American embassy, Kerney vows to bring the maniac to justice. However that pledge is easier said than done, as Larson leaves corpses in several southwest states. Working as a temporary New Mexico State Police special investigator, Kerney and his son Lincoln County Sheriff's Department Lieutenant Clayton Istee lead a state wide manhunt. The keys to this wild manhunt are the relationship between the father and son law enforcement pair who only recently learned of their DNA connection and the deep look at multi-jurisdiction police investigations. The story line is fast-paced and filled with much more blood than the usual Kerney whodunit (see NOTHING BUT TROUBLE) and a strong sense of locale that would have pleased the late Tony Hillerman. In some macabre ways Larson steals the show as he makes the plot with his murderous spree that turns what looks like a blue state red. Harriet Klausner

After 12 Kevin Kearney books, Michael McGarrity continues to write one of the best police procedural series and he has infused the series with new life and excitement. Dead or Alive, like Death Song is not only a page turner, but once you get started, putting it down is impossible. The man hunt for escaped convict Craig Larson is fast paced, violent and pitch perfect through the New Mexico wilderness. Kerney and his son Lieutenant Clayton Istee make a perfect team and as they get to know each other better in each book, their partnership grows and it has given new life to the series. With the passing of Tony Hillerman, Michael McGarrity's duo have become the Southwestern lawmen to read.