McGarrity’s crime novels take place in modern New Mexico, with law enforcement officer Kevin Kerney as the protagonist. 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. “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. A ground breaking prequel trilogy, all three books are set on the Tularosa Basin of south central New Mexico.

With the publication of Residue and Head Wounds, McGarrity concluded his Kevin Kerney crime novels. The Long Ago is a spinoff to the Kerney novels, and his most recent book, Night in the City, is a crime noir novel set in New York City.