Meanwhile, back in Santa Fe, priceless art is stolen from the governor's offices and a beautiful young blonde is murdered in a millionaire's mansion. Kerney follows a trail of clues to Mexico, where he faces off against an old nemesis with powerful government connections. Unwilling to back down, Kerney must use all of his tenacity, raw courage, and knowledge of the criminal mind in a bloody showdown that may cost him his life.

Amazon.com Review
You can smell and feel the crisp air of New Mexico as you read Michael McGarrity's books about would-be rancher and occasional lawman Kevin Kerney, which real- life ex-Santa Fe County deputy sheriff McGarrity fills with his expertise and talent. Like its predecessors--Tularosa and Mexican Hat, available in paperback--this third Kerney story centers on an iconic piece of land. At first Kerney thinks that Serpent Gate exists only in the mind of seriously schizophrenic Robert Cordova, the sole witness to the murder of a small-town policeman. But Cordova's obsessions with rape and murder turn out to have strong links to the real world. Another story thread brings Kerney back to work in Santa Fe, where the obsessions--expensive art, crooked politics, and high-profile crime--are sleeker but no less deadly. -- Dick Adler