Praise for Michael McGarrity and his novels:

“[In Matt], McGarrity serves up a tough but tender cowboy." --Kirkus on The Last Ranch

“Closing the book after the final page of the saga may invoke emotions of losing a good friend. For the past four years McGarrity fans have been there through the Kerneys’ struggles and triumphs, the victories and injustices, and the successes and heartaches. It can be kind of tough saying adios to fellow New Mexicans that have lived and loved, thanks to the life the skilled storyteller McGarrity has breathed into them.” --Alamogordo News on The Last Ranch

"The writing captures the pride of the past and the value of heritage that continues to guide future generations of families bonded to the land and all its’ creatures." --New Mexico Stockman on The Last Ranch

"A joy to read." --The Western Writers of America Magazine on The Last Ranch

“Full of adventure…McGarrity’s writing is as clear as the desert air at the Kerneys’ 7-Bar-K Ranch, and he has a talent for telling good stories.” --The Santa Fe New Mexican Weekly Magazine of Arts, Entertainment & Culture

“Michael McGarrity’s American West trilogy of the New American West tells the epic story of a large part of the US that never makes it into our national imagery….The amazing thing about these novels is that they portray, in the lead figures, a persistent, tough, sometime amoral, goodness that is captivating…. McGarrity’s trilogy achieves an encompassing history that is real, heart-stopping, and harshly beautiful.”--  Robert L. Patten, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, on Michael McGarrity’s American West Trilogy 

"McGarrity’s well-researched details about life in New Mexico during the Great Depression will appeal to historical fiction fans, and his details about life on the ranch will appeal to readers of fiction set in the West." - Library Journal on Backlands

"McGarrity's narrative is picturesque and enjoyable, and sets the stage for the trilogy's final installment." - Publishers Weekly on Backlands

"Backlands is a coming-of-age story...an epic novel with a grand sweep of the West." - The Denver Post

“Any readers interested in the Western genre will be delighted by McGarrity’s take on harsh frontier life, and loyal fans of detective Kevin Kerney will be excited to see this prequel.”
 — Library Journal on Hard Country

“A well-rendered neoclassic tale of the Old West, worthy of a place alongsideLonesome Dove and Sea of Grass.”
— Kirkus Reviews on Hard Country