Kept me entertained with the story twists and turns. Very well written ( )

Synopsis: Kevin Kerney is, again, pitted against Enriqui DeLeon in a series of crimes including art theft, money laundering and murder. Kerney must also deal with the shooting of a policeman, rape victims, an unstable witness, and politicians, both good and bad.
Review: Picking up where Mexican Hat left off, this book adds dimension to ongoing characters and provides a rather complicated of linking plots that make this an enjoyable story to read. At the end the reader is still hoping that Kerney finds a steady girlfriend or at least a suitable place to call home. ( )

Serpent Gate – Michael McGarrity

The third offering in the Kevin Kerney series, begins with Kerney following dead-end leads in an attempt to discover the murderer of a patrolman, Paul Gillespie. His last hope is the testimony of one Robert Cordova, a man considered by most to be unreliable, crazy, and somewhat psychotic. Kerney finds Robert pacing in front of a gate adorned with the likeness of a serpents head, thumbs pressed into his ears and muttering to himself. Displaying empathy and kindness towards the vagrant, Kerney soon discovers there are a few hidden secrets in Robert's past that include his foster sister and her daughter.

Uncovering the perpetrator early on, and narrowly thwarting a suicide attempt, leaves the reader wondering what else is in store for Kerney as three-quarters of the book remains.

Remaining solidly in the background this storyline continues throughout the book, giving the reader a deeper understanding of what drives and motivates Kerney. He isn't only out to catch the bad guy, but to bring the investigations to a conclusion using all the information he obtains, whether a help or hindrance to the lawyers.

This thoroughness serves him well as his employer Andy Baca, chief of the state police, promotes Kerney to his deputy chief, as someone to trust and cover his back. Soon he's recruited into tracking down the thieves who ripped off the Governor's Office art collection.

With the death of another officer, during a suspicious traffic stop, McGarrity begins to wind the clock on the art theft and soon the reader is caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Kerney on the tail of his old nemesis Enrique Deleon and Carlos Ruiz. As events unfold, McGarrity cleverly intertwines the close play between characters and leaves the reader biting their nails hoping the good guys see what they are seeing.

More than once I wanted to shout instructions to the good guys and had to be content with the idea, all would be revealed in time.

McGarrity does a superb job of creating believable characters and offering realistic actions for their motives. Great procedural too, but the part I like the best is he has given his main protagonist, Kevin Kerney, heart. Other characters have pointed out more than once in the three books I've read, Kerney isn't 'like the rest', he's a man true to himself, his beliefs, and is willing to stand up for the gray areas in life if need be. ( )