'Hard Country,' 'Backlands,' and 'The Last Ranch' form a sweeping trilogy tracing the Kerney family's history in New Mexico from 1875 through the end of the Vietnam War. The settings are vividly evoked and range from the Tularosa Basin and Lincoln County to Hermit's Peak, although many take place in Santa Fe. McGarrity's crime novels take place in modern New Mexico, with law enforcement officer Kevin Kerney as the protagonist. As a social worker he published a number of articles in professional journals on a wide range of topics, ranging from therapy programs for children, to program assessment and evaluation, and drug treatment interventions. McGarrity has taught at several colleges and universities as well as the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy. He worked on rehabilitating prison programs after the New Mexico State Penitentiary riot in 1980.

In addition to law enforcement work, he has been an investigator and caseworker for the New Mexico Public Defender's Office.

Career Legal career and nonfiction writing He earned a Master's degree in clinical social work from the University of Iowa and is a graduate of the New Mexico Law Enforcement academy. McGarrity attended the University of New Mexico for three years and graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor's degree with distinction in English and Psychology. As deputy sheriff of Santa Fe County he founded their sex crimes unit. He has written a dozen crime novels set in New Mexico and the American West trilogy, historical novels also set in New Mexico consisting of Hard Country, Backlands and The Last Ranch. Michael McGarrity (born 1940) is a New Mexican author and former law enforcement officer.

Tularosa by Michael McGarrity