Customer Reviews

Red, Green, or Murder: Posadas County Mystery (Posadas County Mysteries (Paperback))

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As long as Steven Havill has stories to tell about Posadas County, I will read them. The book does explicitly state that the book takes place between -Bag Limits- and -Scavengers- and Havill is certainly not the only author to slip more books in between the already published books of a series.

Steven F. Havill's RED, GREEN OR MURDER provides a riveting survey of former Posadas County sheriff Bill Gastner, who is enjoying a day on the ranch counting cattle when disaster strikes. His investigation of an unattended death leads to a rancher's collapse and questions about murder in cattle country in this fine thriller.

Bill Gastner and Estelle Guzman are at it again and right in the middle of it too. Bill is working for the State Livestock Assn. issueing permits to move cows and while this is going on young Pat is taking the cattle to summer grazing. Bill is driving home and notices the cattle running wild and the cattle dog trying to steer them home. The mystery starts here and runs on. Certainly greed plays a large part of this story and Stephen Havill again nails the heart of the matter. This man is a master at producing the well written mystery that always entertains and never pains.

Retired Posadas County, New Mexico Under-sheriff Bill Gastner works as a livestock inspector. However, he gets involved in a search for a missing ranch hand as he cannot fully stay out of police work although he keeps pledging to himself that he will next time.

Current Under-sheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman investigates the death of retired gun dealer George Payton. Something does not feel right to her and Gastner offers his advice and opinion though she never asked him for it. Still Estelle seems to understand her predecessor's inability to let go and knows how skilled he is so she asks him to help on a case she thinks might be a homicide.

The latest Posadas County police procedural is a superb entry in what is one of the best series over the past years. Bill is unable to stop himself from doing police work as it is in his blood while Estelle understands his need. They, along with the rest of the sheriff's department and the county residents make for an enjoyable tale as Steven F. Havill brings to life the enchantment of New Mexico while the state enhances the homicide and missing person investigations.

Harriet Klausner

I have read all of the Posadas mysteries and this is one of the most interesting. Estelle and Bill share the spotlight and it is fun with them working together. There are 2 separate stories which are both rather complex. One story is regarding the death of an old friend of Bills and the other about a missing ranch hand.

I enjoy these books a lot as they are entertaining, the mysteries/murders are challenging and the characters have depth. But there is not a lot of gore or unnecessary violence just for the sake of shock. The stories are not 'shoot 'em ups' but well thought out plots. The side stories about the small town in New Mexico and it's quirky residents are very entertaining.

The only strange thing about this particular book was it was oddly published out of sequence in relation to the other Posadas books. In the last book before this, Estelle has 2 children and her husband built a medical clinic on property owned by Bill. At that time, Estelle's children were maybe(?) 8 and 5 years old - or around that age and her husband had opened up the clinic.

In the beginning of this story, it is mentioned that the kids were much younger - about 5 and 3 years old. It also talked about the land Bill had given them and about the plans to build a clinic there in the future. I was scratching my head and looked several times at the publication date of this book to see if it was really an old one that I had mistakenly bought thinking that it was new. But the date of publication was November 2009, so it was the newest in the series.

When I finally looked at the list of Posadas novels in the front of the book, there was a footnote that said that this story took place between 2 other books published years ago. It really did not detract from the overall story that this was out of order, but it was just a strange thing for a recently published book to have taken place years ago.

These books are wonderful. If you love the Southwest, and New Mexico culture in particular, you will rejoice in Bill Gastner and Estelle Reyes-Guzman. If you're new to mysteries, you might not have a clue as to just how amazing an accomplishment the Posadas County mysteries are. Steven F. Havill makes us deeply enjoy, and like, an old, fat, Burrito Grande-loving retired sheriff and livestock inspector. Comparisons are odious, but I can't help comparing Gastner with more colorful mystery heroes such as Spencer and Elvis Cole. Not to take away from the great skill of their creators, but Gastner is something very different, unique, and deeply likeable. I reckon part of what makes him so engaging is that he's real, with real faults, and very real strengths. Easier to identify with than, say, Joe Pike, and just a bit more likeable. I wonder if Tony Hillerman read any of these books before his passing - can't help feeling he would have loved their portrayal of a different and equally appealing side of New Mexico.

As always a great read -- if you just found this -- get his other earlier books and read on
Twila

I have read and enjoyed every entry in the Posadas County mysteries but I rejoiced in the return of Gastner as the primary investigator. For me, the character of Estelle Reyes-Guzman has always been the least appealing cast member of this series. I find her to be emotionally stunted, uninteresting, coming across as as an uncaring wife and mother and a sort of 'robo-under-sheriff'. Bill Gastner has always been and for me will always be the heart of Posadas County. I know the out of orderness of this book probably will bother some readers but I would much rather read ANYTHING with Bill, out of order or not, rather than read anything with Estelle as lead investigator.

"Red, Green, or Murder" marks the welcome return of retired Sheriff Bill Gastner to the forefront of the Posadas County Mystery series. This is Bill in all his glory: a quick-witted insomniac with a deep love for his home county in southern New Mexico and an even deeper love for anything smothered in green chile sauce. Seriously, it is good to have Estelle Reyes-Guzman and her family moved out of the limelight, allowing the focus to remain on the crime and its solution. Congratulations to Mr. Havill on a clever plot which enables Gastner to again take the primary spot in the novel.