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Product Description

Fans of Cormac MaCarthy¡¯s No Country for Old Men and Tony Hillerman¡¯s Navajo County mysteries will find Michael McGarrity¡¯s Dead or Alive a powerful story of the manhunt for a deranged killer in the American Southwest.

Living in London while his wife serves as a military attach¨¦ at the American Embassy, recently retired Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney gets an early morning phone call that changes everything and sends him hurrying home to his New Mexico ranch. Riley Burke, his partner in a horsetraining enterprise, has been mowed down on Kerney¡¯s doorstep by an escaped prisoner cutting a murderous swath through New Mexico.

As the killings mount, Kerney teams up with his half-Apache son, Lieutenant Clayton Istee of the Lincoln County Sheriff¡¯s Department, to hunt for a psychotic murderer with a growing appetite for blood, who has no intention to be taken alive.

Customer Reviews:

• Dead or Alive
  Excellent! Michael McGarrity gets better with each release. His characters are so real that I think I know some of them personally in real life. His descriptions of the New Mexico landscape and weather make you feel you are getting a sunburn while sitting in the comfort of your own home. I eagerly await each new novel....more info
• Keeps you reading
  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. ...more info
• Reviewing: "Dead or Alive" by Michael McGarrity
  It begins in the Bernalillo County Detention Center in New Mexico where a mistake is made and inmate Craig Larson is accidentally picked to go to a minimum security prison outside Springer, New Mexico. He's killed before and gotten away with it. He got caught because he stayed too long in one place and now faces time for his original embezzlement charge and unlawful flight. He should be sent to the super-max prison outside of Santa Fe. Instead, he is loaded into a van as the only prisoner with the lone guard who will also serve as his driver.
  
  The second mistake is made by the driving guard who cuffs him in front for the several hour trip. He then makes another mistake, suffers the brutal consequences and Craig Larson is once again a fugitive from justice. This time, he is going to make sure he never goes back to jail. Envisioning himself as some sort of modern day western outlaw, he goes on a violent rampage across New Mexico and Western Texas with retired Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney and his son Lieutenant Clayton Istee in pursuit.
  
  What could have been an interesting novel quickly turns into a simplistic action filled violent joy ride. Stereotypes abound through out a novel that has virtually zero character development. While both Kerney and Istee express repeatedly how they have bonded and have so much respect for the man each is, often from the back of a horse, neither character ever has that deep internal monologue moment that would create such an event. Istee's heritage is yet again barely given a passing nod as are Kerney and his family's experiences in London now that Sarah is stationed there on a three year stint as part of her military career.
  
  While it isn't surprising that Craig Larson is a clich¨¦d stereotype which we as readers have to be treated to experiencing every few pages just like any other novel, it is disappointing to see Kerney and Istee reduced to little more than cardboard cutouts. Opportunities for real dialogue between father and son are frequent, especially during the last third of the novel and are wasted on snappy throw away lines. Taken in another direction, this is a novel that could have had real depth to it.
  
  Instead, it is a violence filled simplistic clich¨¦d read of an outlaw terrorizing and killing women and men and of the two valiant lawmen , modern day cowboys , who must chase this scum deep into the mountains before delivering gun barrel justice frontier style.
  
  The movie version will no doubt be great. After all, that must be what it was written for because it wasn't written for readers.
  
  
  Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2009
  ...more info
• Michael McGarrity does it again!
  Another great book by Michael McGarrity. The story continues. The character in this book is much more violent compared to previous books. Author puts you behind the wheel as he takes you through small towns in northern New Mexico. It's a must read for Kevin Kearney fans. You won't be disappointed....more info
• Michael McGarrity does it again!
  Another great book by Michael McGarrity. The story continues. The character in this book is much more violent compared to previous books. Author puts you behind the wheel as he takes you through small towns in northern New Mexico. It's a must read for Kevin Kearney fans. You won't be disappointed....more info
• Fun but could be better
  Readers who enjoyed Gunsmoke and Bonanza in the early days of TV will enjoy this plot driven novel.
  "Dead or Alive" is an exciting adventure of the west in a modern day setting.
  Craig Larson is one of the truly villanous characters in recent times. His killing spree is reminiscent of the ligendary villan Blue Duck from "Lonesome Dove".
  At one point in "Lonesome Dove," Blue Duck tells Gus McCrae "I ain't got time to waste on killin' some old Ranger with holes in his underwear. There's plenty more need killin'.
  In "Dead or Alive" Craig Larson escapes jail while being transported to a minimum security facility and goes on a murderous rampage. He becomes more and more unhinged although his character is never developed and we do not learn the background of his hatred.
  He kills Kevin Kerney's partner and Kerney and his son, a half Apache named Clayton Istee track him down.
  It is a chace to the end and the only question is how many more people Larson will kill before he is caught and disposed of.
  The ending was disappointing and the lack of character development or descriptive setting is lacking from McGarrity's earlier works but he his still a fine story teller.
  Submitted by Michael Draper...more info
• Fun but could be better
  Readers who enjoyed Gunsmoke and Bonanza in the early days of TV will enjoy this plot driven novel.
  "Dead or Alive" is an exciting adventure of the west in a modern day setting.
  Craig Larson is one of the truly villanous characters in recent times. His killing spree is reminiscent of the ligendary villan Blue Duck from "Lonesome Dove".
  At one point in "Lonesome Dove," Blue Duck tells Gus McCrae "I ain't got time to waste on killin' some old Ranger with holes in his underwear. There's plenty more need killin'.
  In "Dead or Alive" Craig Larson escapes jail while being transported to a minimum security facility and goes on a murderous rampage. He becomes more and more unhinged although his character is never developed and we do not learn the background of his hatred.
  He kills Kevin Kerney's partner and Kerney and his son, a half Apache named Clayton Istee track him down.
  It is a chace to the end and the only question is how many more people Larson will kill before he is caught and disposed of.
  The ending was disappointing and the lack of character development or descriptive setting is lacking from McGarrity's earlier works but he his still a fine story teller.
  Submitted by Michael Draper...more info