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Posadas County Mystery #28
Reverse
A joy ride turned fatal and a community rocked by loss. For Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, the road to retirement is paved with drama in this intricately plotted, warm-hearted Posadas County Mystery, set in small-town New Mexico.
“If you haven't yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!” Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author
A road to nowhere . . .
Recovering from a near-death collision with a giant elk, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is back to finish her last month at the Posadas County sheriff’s office. It’s supposed to be a quiet road to retirement, until a body is found at the bottom of a water-filled quarry. The barely alive figure of the grandson of the wealthiest man in town also lies further down the ravine.
Figuring out what really happened is going to take everything that Estelle and her understaffed, overworked team have. Especially when there’s a vandal on the loose targeting the local airfield and the department has its own internal issues wreaking havoc.
Plunged into another tricky investigation, one Estelle hopes will be her last, she can’t help but think her retirement can’t come soon enough . . .
If you like CJ Box, Anne Hillerman, and Terry Shames, you’ll love this small-town mystery which combines a vivid setting, multidimensional characters who spring from the page, and meticulous plotting, full of twists and turns.
“If you haven't yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!” Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author
A road to nowhere . . .
Recovering from a near-death collision with a giant elk, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is back to finish her last month at the Posadas County sheriff’s office. It’s supposed to be a quiet road to retirement, until a body is found at the bottom of a water-filled quarry. The barely alive figure of the grandson of the wealthiest man in town also lies further down the ravine.
Figuring out what really happened is going to take everything that Estelle and her understaffed, overworked team have. Especially when there’s a vandal on the loose targeting the local airfield and the department has its own internal issues wreaking havoc.
Plunged into another tricky investigation, one Estelle hopes will be her last, she can’t help but think her retirement can’t come soon enough . . .
If you like CJ Box, Anne Hillerman, and Terry Shames, you’ll love this small-town mystery which combines a vivid setting, multidimensional characters who spring from the page, and meticulous plotting, full of twists and turns.
- GenresProceduralMystery
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2026
About the author
Steven F. Havill
35 books263 followersSteven F. Havill is an American author of mysteries and westerns.
Havill lives in Raton, New Mexico, with his wife Kathleen. He has written two series of police procedurals set in the fictional Posadas County, New Mexico; along with other works.
Havill lives in Raton, New Mexico, with his wife Kathleen. He has written two series of police procedurals set in the fictional Posadas County, New Mexico; along with other works.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I like to think that I have been to Posadas County, New Mexico, many times in my life; even if it was just in my imagination… With Steven F. Havill’s latest book, Reverse, I now count 28 times I have immersed myself in this beautiful yet rugged place. I started with Undersheriff Bill Gastner (Heartshot 1991), and when he retired, I moved on to follow Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman. Now Estelle is in her last month before retirement. And Havill is 81 years old, and I very much hope that I will have a new Undersheriff to follow.
These books of Havill’s are rich in characters who you miss when you are not reading about them. The books are slow in plot but extremely captivating. That is part of what makes these books so charming and warm hearted. The violence is there, and the mystery is there. But it is the procedure that is followed that the reader immerses themselves in.
And the setting… the mysteries that the Sheriff’s Department handles use setting for all of the plots. This time Estelle has a terrible auto accident with a giant elk and must plod along nearing retirement to solve several mysteries – a fatal quarry accident, an airfield vandalism case and a stolen classic car which was supposed to be the grand prize in the church drawing.
Some of the former Sheriffs come back into the story, so it is rather a reunion of all of the characters I have loved over the past 35 years! If you are new to Steven F. Havill, you can start with Heartshot or Reserve. Or anywhere in the middle. You will immediately learn about the people from Posadas County. My best advice is to start with Heartshot as though you are reading an historical mystery and enjoy from there.
My rating: 5 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review.
Reverse will be published on May 5, 2026.
These books of Havill’s are rich in characters who you miss when you are not reading about them. The books are slow in plot but extremely captivating. That is part of what makes these books so charming and warm hearted. The violence is there, and the mystery is there. But it is the procedure that is followed that the reader immerses themselves in.
And the setting… the mysteries that the Sheriff’s Department handles use setting for all of the plots. This time Estelle has a terrible auto accident with a giant elk and must plod along nearing retirement to solve several mysteries – a fatal quarry accident, an airfield vandalism case and a stolen classic car which was supposed to be the grand prize in the church drawing.
Some of the former Sheriffs come back into the story, so it is rather a reunion of all of the characters I have loved over the past 35 years! If you are new to Steven F. Havill, you can start with Heartshot or Reserve. Or anywhere in the middle. You will immediately learn about the people from Posadas County. My best advice is to start with Heartshot as though you are reading an historical mystery and enjoy from there.
My rating: 5 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review.
Reverse will be published on May 5, 2026.
May 14, 2026
Book #28 in one of my favorite series. It's hard to believe Estelle Reyes-Guzman is retiring. We've followed her career in the Posados County, New Mexico, Sheriff's Department from her first day as a rookie to her planned retirement. This series follows the daily happenings in this small sheriff's department that's only a short trip from the border between the US and Mexico. Surrounded by desert and much not else, the community has its fair share of unique crimes and even more unique characters. If you have not read this series, you are missing out on Steven Havill's skillful writing as he gives readers vivid descriptions of the surrounding scenery and populates it with a full cast of characters just trying to stay one step ahead of the criminals who would take advantage of the limited number of deputies.
The story begins with Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman hitting a large elk with her Dodge Charger police cruiser. As the first responders work quickly to remove her from the wrecked vehicle, Havill's writing paints a realistic picture of an emergency and how everyone passing down the road becomes a member of the rescue team. So Estelle will spend her last month on the job in a cast using a cane. This is the least of the action scenes in REVERSE. The next emergency will require Sheriff Taber's team to investigate the death of a young woman and the theft of a vintage car. The clues are scattered along the way, but could easily lead to many solutions. The teamwork of the PCSD and their extended families continues to draw me back to this series. Small town drama with characters that care about their community makes this a series I recommend over and over. If you love CJ Box, you'll love Steven Havill.
The story begins with Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman hitting a large elk with her Dodge Charger police cruiser. As the first responders work quickly to remove her from the wrecked vehicle, Havill's writing paints a realistic picture of an emergency and how everyone passing down the road becomes a member of the rescue team. So Estelle will spend her last month on the job in a cast using a cane. This is the least of the action scenes in REVERSE. The next emergency will require Sheriff Taber's team to investigate the death of a young woman and the theft of a vintage car. The clues are scattered along the way, but could easily lead to many solutions. The teamwork of the PCSD and their extended families continues to draw me back to this series. Small town drama with characters that care about their community makes this a series I recommend over and over. If you love CJ Box, you'll love Steven Havill.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25 stars
This is the 28th book in the Posadas County/Bill Gastner mysteries. At the beginning of the series, the books focus on undersheriff Bill Gastner. After Gastner retires, his friend and protege Estelle Reyes-Guzman becomes the main character. In Reverse, she is about to begin her own retirement but has a serious accident when her car collides with an elk. While recovering from her injuries, she gets caught up in a case involving a teen from an influential family, the sabotage of an aircraft, and a tragic death. The sheriff's office is always short-staffed, but Estelle uses whatever resources she can, including bouncing ideas off the former sheriff Bill Gastner and taking advantage of the diving skills of another former sheriff. The case takes a few twists and turns before the killer, which I didn't guess, is identified.
Estelle and Bill's working relationship and friendship is one of the highlights of this series, and I miss the days of Estelle and Bill actively investigating together. At almost 88 years old, it's still nice to see Bill driving himself to meet Estelle at his favorite local diner. There are a lot of changes happening in the sheriff's department. The book has an interesting, but somewhat abrupt, ending. So many favorite characters from the series returned for this book, so I don't know if this will be the end of the series or the start of a new chapter, similar to when Bill retired and Estelle became the main character. Either way, I've really enjoyed this series and characters, especially Bill and Estelle.
I received an advance copy of this ebook from Severn House Imprint and NetGalley, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
This is the 28th book in the Posadas County/Bill Gastner mysteries. At the beginning of the series, the books focus on undersheriff Bill Gastner. After Gastner retires, his friend and protege Estelle Reyes-Guzman becomes the main character. In Reverse, she is about to begin her own retirement but has a serious accident when her car collides with an elk. While recovering from her injuries, she gets caught up in a case involving a teen from an influential family, the sabotage of an aircraft, and a tragic death. The sheriff's office is always short-staffed, but Estelle uses whatever resources she can, including bouncing ideas off the former sheriff Bill Gastner and taking advantage of the diving skills of another former sheriff. The case takes a few twists and turns before the killer, which I didn't guess, is identified.
Estelle and Bill's working relationship and friendship is one of the highlights of this series, and I miss the days of Estelle and Bill actively investigating together. At almost 88 years old, it's still nice to see Bill driving himself to meet Estelle at his favorite local diner. There are a lot of changes happening in the sheriff's department. The book has an interesting, but somewhat abrupt, ending. So many favorite characters from the series returned for this book, so I don't know if this will be the end of the series or the start of a new chapter, similar to when Bill retired and Estelle became the main character. Either way, I've really enjoyed this series and characters, especially Bill and Estelle.
I received an advance copy of this ebook from Severn House Imprint and NetGalley, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Posadas county is a place I have been to at least 28 times now. Steven F. Havill started out with Bill Gastner but he was soon replaced by Estelle Reyes-Guzman. The all appere in this book as well as former sheriff Robert Torres, it's like a reunion. Reverse is the latest book in the series about mysteries that occur in this county down in the southern part of the US. I have been a huge fan of this series ever since I discovered it many years ago. I love the setting and the charcters, the various cases they have to solve through the series are varied and interesting. I wouldn't say it's a safe place to live. I do however wonder what will happen next, this book seems to end a few peoples roles int the community. I sincerely hope we will get many more books but time will tell. I must thank Severn House and Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy. The book is live on May 5th. Go get it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Intrigued by the title and description of Havill’s new book and by the fact that his name was unknown to me even though this was his 28th novel in his Posadas County Mystery series. Since I like to explore all types of books, I decided to commit myself to reading and giving a review of this book. I was quite impressed with his writing style and the unforgettable main characters that he created. He skillfully integrated all the necessary background history into the narrative without any redundancy, consequently, I never felt confused by the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to seek out his earlier works, as well as looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for the pleasure of reading this book.
Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for the pleasure of reading this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is supposed to be counting down to retirement. But things are never quiet in Posadas County, New Mexico and, after surviving a near fatal crash with an elk, Estelle gets involved with several cases including vandalism at the airport and a missing classic car.
I feel like the quality of the last couple of books in this series has been mixed. This is definitely one of the good ones - it reminded me of the earlier books in the series. I’m not sure if the author intends to continue on with the series as some of the characters are either moving on or retiring. However, I enjoyed the fact that as well as the current sheriff, every former sheriff played a role in the story.
I feel like the quality of the last couple of books in this series has been mixed. This is definitely one of the good ones - it reminded me of the earlier books in the series. I’m not sure if the author intends to continue on with the series as some of the characters are either moving on or retiring. However, I enjoyed the fact that as well as the current sheriff, every former sheriff played a role in the story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Reverse by Steven F. Havill is the latest in the Posadas County mysteries and I hope they continue for a long time even though some of the characters are getting older or retiring, but the Sheriff's Department continues to function with the usual interesting cases of accidents and death. As usual, this one could be a stand alone, but one would miss a whole wealth of stories and characters by not starting at the beginning.
As Undersherriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman plans for retirement, she is involved in a case with a dead body, a semi alive body and a vintage Corvette. As usual the other inhabitants of the town are included. It is always a pleasure to read another Steven F. Havill book.
As Undersherriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman plans for retirement, she is involved in a case with a dead body, a semi alive body and a vintage Corvette. As usual the other inhabitants of the town are included. It is always a pleasure to read another Steven F. Havill book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Undersheriff Estelle Guzman is only a few weeks from retirement--which may (or may not) mean the end of this series. If it does, this is a fine book to go out on.
From an encounter with elk to a tragedy at an abandoned quarry, car accidents drive the narrative. Estelle is right in the middle of things, despite resigning her management position in anticipation of retirement.
Full of a sense of place--the empty corners of southern New Mexico--and interesting characters and mysteries.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From an encounter with elk to a tragedy at an abandoned quarry, car accidents drive the narrative. Estelle is right in the middle of things, despite resigning her management position in anticipation of retirement.
Full of a sense of place--the empty corners of southern New Mexico--and interesting characters and mysteries.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2026
Another winnef
Finished this at 4:44am in one take. Very pleased to accompany these Posadas County folk through another tense mystery. I think the whole cast was there, each contributing to the solution. Back to number one for another series reread.
tension and
Finished this at 4:44am in one take. Very pleased to accompany these Posadas County folk through another tense mystery. I think the whole cast was there, each contributing to the solution. Back to number one for another series reread.
tension and
May 7, 2026
Impressively tense thriller with some super effective vibes and some great plotting. The final reveal is good. 5 stars. tysm for the e-arc.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Read his full review on Rosepoint Publishing.
She is a 16-year-old girl and has the chance to drive a vintage, stick-shift Corvette. The key is handy and the ride up to the quarry will be fun. What could possibly go wrong?
Young Martin Chavez is smitten with her and would like to ride along. However, he takes his motorcycle up to the quarry to keep an eye on her and her escort. The quarry is deep and filled with water but many young couples use the area as a quiet place for a tryst. A little night petting after a joy ride is not unusual, but Martin is very jealous of the guy with her.
She backs up the car and things go awry. What follows is a very extensive investigation that attempts to pin the blame on young Martin.
The MC is Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman who is looking forward to retirement and counting the days. This tragedy, however, takes most of her focus and she is also wrestling with a vandal wreaking chaos.
The MC appeared to me to be quick to judge, no one’s fool, seen it-been there, and had no patience for anyone she suspected of wrong doing. You wouldn’t want to cross her. This along with the usual internal issues of the department spells some slow time for the plot. 3.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
She is a 16-year-old girl and has the chance to drive a vintage, stick-shift Corvette. The key is handy and the ride up to the quarry will be fun. What could possibly go wrong?
Young Martin Chavez is smitten with her and would like to ride along. However, he takes his motorcycle up to the quarry to keep an eye on her and her escort. The quarry is deep and filled with water but many young couples use the area as a quiet place for a tryst. A little night petting after a joy ride is not unusual, but Martin is very jealous of the guy with her.
She backs up the car and things go awry. What follows is a very extensive investigation that attempts to pin the blame on young Martin.
The MC is Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman who is looking forward to retirement and counting the days. This tragedy, however, takes most of her focus and she is also wrestling with a vandal wreaking chaos.
The MC appeared to me to be quick to judge, no one’s fool, seen it-been there, and had no patience for anyone she suspected of wrong doing. You wouldn’t want to cross her. This along with the usual internal issues of the department spells some slow time for the plot. 3.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews