MEXICAN HAT

McGarrity served in the Santa Fe Sheriff's Department. His protagonist, ex-detective Kevin McKerney, did, too. Both retired from the SFSD and remained in New Mexico--McGarrity writing mysteries for McKerney. George Guidall lends dignity to the limping, 40-something, would-be rancher, who has taken a summer job as a forest ranger. Guidall enlivens the innumerable characters involved in a sixty-year-old family feud, a militia movement, Mexican-American issues, small-town politics and more. He adds dimension to flat characters. His renderings of the stunning landscapes evoke the author's love of the Southwest, luring listeners to the story with the setting. The plot's complexity, more than the people, continues the enticement. R.N. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]