Prolonged Exposure (Undersheriff Bill Gastner Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Steven F. Havill (Author)

Book Description

Series: Undersheriff Bill Gastner Mysteries | Publication Date: April 1998

Undersheriff Bill Gastner is going crazy recuper­ating from heart surgery. Dreaming of green chili, he’s rescued by a phone call from back home. Gastner arrives in Posadas County only to learn that his own home has been burgled. Moreover, Gastner finds his cranky ancient neighbor Florencio Apodaca has borrowed a bit of land to bury his equally ancient wife—and the dead woman’s stepson questions if she died a natural death. Meanwhile a young boy out camping has vanished from atop Cat Mesa. A stringent search convinces Bill, his treasured deputy Estelle Reyes-Guzman, and Sheriff Martin Holman that the boy has been spirited away.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fine storytelling married to a spicy Southwestern setting marks the latest Bill Gastner mystery (following Privileged to Kill, 1997). Gastner, undersheriff in New Mexico's Posadas County, is recuperating from heart surgery at his daughter's Michigan home, but he can't wait to get back home to the land of green-chili burritos and real sunshine. When his chief of detectives, Estelle Reyes-Guzman, calls to tell him that his home has been burglarized, he moves up his departure date and heads home. The action swirls around Gastner like leaves in a high wind. First the burglary: probably kids, but they've managed to steal precious memories along with several guns he had locked up. Then an elderly neighbor, Florencio Apodaca, has mistaken a piece of Gastner's land for his own and buried his wife on it. And finally, a young boy camping in the nearby hills with his parents has managed to disappear, and Posadas County officials are coordinating a massive search for him. As Gastner, his daughter, Camille, and his colleagues all begin to adapt to his physical limitations, Gastner remains a solid center, using his knowledge and experience to good effect as the various cases of burglary, kidnapping and murder play out.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This latest Western mystery by Havill (Privileged To Kill, LJ 2/1/97) is a three-parter. First, unknown vandals burglarize the home of Bill Gastner, aging undersheriff of New Mexico's Posadas County. Second, Gastner's nearest neighbor, who is in his eighties, buries his dead wife on Gastner's property, thus instigating suspicions of murder. Finally, a three-year-old disappears from a mesa campground. Although recuperating from surgery and under the watchful eye of his visiting daughter, Gastner handily deals with all three problems?in addition to personal ones that arise. Crisp writing and clarity of focus make this a pleasure to read and essential for any collection.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312181582
• ISBN-13: 978-0312181581
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,421,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prolonged Exposure is the best Gastner tale yet., May 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Prolonged Exposure (Undersheriff Bill Gastner Mysteries) (Hardcover)

When an author entices an urbanite like me to want to visit a place where there's more dust than coffee choices, the book is a find. Havill has created a mystery series that keeps you turning pages and looking forward to the next book, with a protagonist whose profile we all stare at in the mirror, in some form or fashion. Prolonged Exposure is the most gripping tale yet, and Gastner ups the bar, once again. I've come to feel like a fly on the wall in Estelle's home, and when her kid is snatched, it's like opening the door to the terror that lurks nearby the children in your own life. Bring on the next!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, April 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Prolonged Exposure (Undersheriff Bill Gastner Mysteries) (Hardcover)

New Mexico Undersheriff Bill Gastner is recovering from major surgery in the Flint, Michigan home of his daughter and her family. Bill is starting to become bored with the daily routine. Though he loves his oldest daughter, her spouse, and his grandchildren, he cannot wait to get back to his home in Posedas County. His planned departure abruptly changes when his Chief of Detectives, Estelle Reyes-Guzman calls to tell him his home has been burglarized.

Bill and his daughter Camille quickly fly to New Mexico where he learns that a three year old child is missing from a campsite, probably a kidnapping victim. Due to these two incidents and a third mystery involving a potential murder, Bill's recuperation is put on hold as his law enforcement experience is needed on all three investigations even as he secretly (from Camille) devours burritos on the side.

The sixth novel in the Gastner mysteries keeps all the freshness found in the previous five tales due to Steven f. Havill adding health problems, a change of environment, and the intrusion of family members to keep Bill alert. The trio of who-done-its are well designed and the support cast add much to the tale. However, in the end this book, like its predecessors, is all about Bill, a wonderful character, who brings a lot to any novel he graces.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner..., July 13, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Bridgewater, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prolonged Exposure (Undersheriff Bill Gastner Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Steven Havill has crafted yet another winner in the Bill Gastner series. As usual, the descriptions of people and place are outstanding, and the plot twists and turns well. The only complaint (and its a small one!) is that the novel couldn't have been another 50-75 pages or so. Good job!