The Fourth Time is Murder

Steven Havill has been writing these books for about fifteen years now, and he has done it in an extremely entertaining and thoughtful way. When he made the transition from Bill Gastner to mostly Estelle Reyes Guzman, I was at first put off, missing Bill as the narrator. However, Havill has held my interest, and it's just as much fun listening to these as audiobooks as it is reading them, depending on the skill of the narrator.

Another winner by Steven F. Havill! His southwest mysteries, taking place in Posadas county, are always a joy to read. The characters are multi-dimensonal, and it is easy to get wrapped up in their lives. As addictive as a soap, but more realistic.

It takes the body a long time to heal when you nearly die. For Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, the violence that nearly killed her happened over a year ago and she still isn't back to normal. She is working again, but she feels it from time to time in ways she never felt it before. The fatality on Regal Pass not only reminds her of how fragile life is but how her body is still not healed. Psychologically, she isn't healed either. Something the dead man doesn't care about as he lays crumpled in the wreckage of his truck. Hundreds of feet down the mountainside the wreckage is difficult to get to in daylight and late at night with mist and cold closing in the San Cristobal Mountains it is extremely dangerous. Obviously the man is dead and the wreckage has been down the cliff strewn among the rocks and boulders for while. But, somebody else has been there. It isn't just the fact that various identifying items that should be in the truck aren't there in the shattered hulk or strewn around the area. Amidst the beer cans and debris of what is left of the truck, the victim has part of a shoe print on his hand. Somebody stepped on his hand. Since it wasn't any of the rescuers it means it was either a witness or a murderer. The latest in the series finds Estelle juggling issues with her family, a national reporter determined to write a profile of her for a woman's magazine, and a murder. The conflict between her role as a parent and her job continues as well as a growing realization that her family is moving towards a different future that may or may not be what she ever wanted. That concept which is growing stronger in every book since Bill Gastner was eased off the main stage is a huge theme here along with the idea that the border, like the vein of life, is as thin ribbon easily crossed by good and evil alike. Once again, Steven F. Havill brings Posadas County and its people to like in a series that fundamentally changed several novels ago. While it hasn't been the same since Bill Gastner was moved to the role of a secondary character, Estelle Guezman more than holds her own in this novel that delivers a strong storyline, plenty of action, and depth to the read. This simply might be the best book he has written since the switch in the series and I suspect it will be nominated for many awards. Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2009

I have been a fan of Steven Havill's Posadas County mysteries since the first Bill Gastner title came out. THE FOURTH TIME IS MURDER is one of the best of both series, and definitely the best in the Estelle series. Havill has skillfully created a microcosm of life on the U.S.-Mexico border, a world of its own in fictional Posadas County, New Mexico. In this book, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes Guzman is "on" in nearly every scene, and those scenes are full of action as well as of thoughtful observation. The reader gets to know Estelle better than ever before. Minor characters are as deftly drawn as is Estelle, and former Undersheriff Bill Gastner makes a brief appearance. Highly recommended for readers who like strong local color and realistic psychology.

New Mexico state worker Connie Ulibarri stopped her vehicle on the Regas Pass in the san Cristobel Mountains between old Mexico and Posadas County when she saw the dead deer had a Fish and Game tag. As she went to retrieve the tag, she noticed the truck in the ditch below. With the help of a trucker who stopped to assist her, she climbs down to find the driver dead. Posadas County Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman leads the investigation that is confusing as the victim died from drowning with a footprint on his hand; apparently someone was at the accident scene and tossed alcohol into the late driver when he was barely alive; ergo cause of death drowning though the John Doe would have died from his injuries soon. As Estelle and her team make inquiries, the clues lead to a Canadian sweepstake that involves long time friends. Other incidents like the accidental death of an illegal and the accidental discharge of a rookie's gun keep Estelle, the squad and their boss County Sheriff Robert Torrez overworked. The latest Posadas County police procedural is a fabulous tale that contains one major investigation, a minor case, the discharge incident and a dedicated Women's World magazine reporter interviewing the staff and accompanying Estelle on the job. The prime case is clever and eye opening on scams while Gastner makes several mentoring appearances to add to the overall fun of a well written cop investigative thriller. Harriet Klausner