Michael McGarrity

Michael McGarrity (born 1940) is a New Mexican author and former law enforcement officer. 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. As deputy sheriff of Santa Fe County he founded their sex crimes unit.

Early life 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. 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.

Career Legal career and nonfiction writing In addition to law enforcement work, he has been an investigator and caseworker for the New Mexico Public Defender's Office. As a social worker 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.

Awards McGarrity has been nominated three times for the Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best Western Novel as well as an Anthony Award for his debut novel, Tularosa.

He has received the following awards: New Mexico Social Worker of the Year, 1980 Santa Fe's Police Officer of the Year, 1987 Santa Fe Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts - Literature, 2015 Frank Waters Exemplary Literary Achievement Award, 2015