The Fourth Time Is Murder

Posadas County Mystery #16

by Steven F. Havill

Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is always busy, but more so now than ever. The sheriff is still not completely recovered from his stay in the hospital, and she is recovering from a hospital stay herself. After a long day at work, Estelle is happy to clear off her desk and drive home, where her beloved family waits. She hears her cell phone ringing as she pulls into the driveway. A truck has gone off the road and the driver’s body found near the wreck. Back on the job, Estelle drives to the scene, where she finds more questions than answers. Was the truck’s going over the hill really an accident? And why was there a single footprint on the man’s body? An autopsy spurs further puzzles. Steven F. Havill paints a vivid portrait of this small New Mexico town in the sixth entry of this atmospheric, entertaining series.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Procedural, Westerns, Crime, Suspense, Thriller

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 2008

About the author

Steven 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.

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. My husband bought this home and I picked it up and thought it looked interesting so ended up reading it first. I have not read any of this author’s other books and so was new to Posadas County in New Mexico and Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman. For me one of the strengths o of this book was the setting and the characters. I really liked Estelle a busy woman who loves her job, even though she is still recovering from a long hospital stay after an injury occurred in the line of duty months earlier. At what she had hoped was the end of a day’s work she is called to a wreck where a truck has gone off the road. A closer look at the scene the scene raises more questions than answers. Was it an accident and what about the inexplicable footprint near the body? For Estelle some things just don’t add up.
To begin with, I was a little put off by the police lingo of ‘ten four, three ten etc.’ but once I moved past that I enjoyed this novel. It brings together a few strands like illegal immigrants and some strange lottery winnings to a couple of local characters. I think I will probably visit the library and try and check out another of this series. An entertaining mystery read.

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read ... particularly wanted to re-visit Havill's imaginary county in southern New Mexico. His characters again came to life as people I'd like to know. The elements of the story involving 'illegal' border crossing were most informative.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman character. Enough Spanish to enhance her character, but not so much the reader has to dig out a translator app to keep up with the story. She uses her network and her brains to solve problems, not super strength or unnatural intuition. The plot touches on the human side of illegal aliens and presents different points of view without condemning either.

[Janet Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best in this reliably entertaining series, but still worth the time spent with these familiar and well developed characters.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author ingeniously put this book together. I would never have been able to link a scam against the elderly with a truck crash that involved a deer. But Havill does it nicely in this book. It was a quick read—right around three hours and 30 minutes at 3X—but the author constructed the plot well enough that I had no problem staying with it and feeling fully engaged in it. I hope, if you choose to read it, that you’ll have a similar experience.

Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman gets a call about a truck-and-deer collision. But as she investigates the death of the driver, she learns that someone drowned him after the accident.

While she investigates the crash and drowning, she learns that several elderly people in town have won sweepstakes wards. The catch is, they must put up cash up front to pay the exchange fees and taxes. The sweepstakes, you see, originates from Canada.

If you read this, you’ll see how Havill ties the sweepstakes into that accident, and it was impressive. There’s a great high-speed chase scene here I heartily recommend. There’s a subplot about a visit to the office by a magazine writer based in the east, but that’s largely filler.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman investigates two seeming accidents. In one, a driver has gone off the road and tumbled down the rocks. In the other, an undocumented worker has been killed in a wood-cutting accident. Estelle discovers that both have some sort of link to the tiny village of Regal, where an elderly couple have recently won the state lottery. Estelle has been contacted by a journalist, Madelyn Bolles, who wants to write a magazine article about her. So, through most of the investigations, Estelle has a very perceptive ride-along civilian with her. The story has two car chases and the only disappointment is that there is no helicopter in the second one.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment unfolds slowly and, I suspect realistically, as Estelle and her department put together the seemingly inconsequential pieces that solve a case.

There is a scene in this one in which Francisco, strategically aided by his little brother, perform an original composition about a car crash that is worth the price of the book all by itself.

This series is always immersive and absorbing for me.

[Charles T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t stop binge reading this wonderful series!

I’ve lived in NM for almost forty years now and love its unique wildness. And I love this police procedural set in a “quiet” southern border town near Las Cruces. Quintessential New Mexico through and through. Lots of across the Mexican border action. Characters are interesting and amazingly built by this wonderful storyteller. Love each visit to the “peaceful” village of Posadas!

[Richard Guerrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, I like some of the characters and the story but it gets overboard and goes to far at times. When I started this series with its original sheriff I was craving a green chili burrito but after all the books I read how many they have the sheriff eat, one monster green chili super burrito every three or four hours. I am not craving them anymore.

[Howard R Burkett Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

High SPEED Last Couple of Chapters

The reason for the title finally made sense the last few chapters. I hope that we see some of the new players in the book included in future titles. I'll be sorry to see this series conclude, but an enjoying recommending it to many patrons at the library where I work.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

April 2019. This is my first Steven F Havill Posadas County Mystery. For me, this is a 4 star winner (with a 5 star rating): like the writing, like the characters, like the geography, and like the centrality of the undersheriff.

[Kit Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Win the Sweepstakes

A horrible accident leaves a delivery man twisted and broken. There are sweepstakes winners everywhere. Estelle gets an interview that changes the Possess police force all around. The excitement is contagious. Good reads!!

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Posadas County Mysteries are a bit drier than the Bill Gastner Series. Once you wade through a few emotionless pages, the story is good. The author is very good. And I still love the series

[Barry Zerangue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series is still good, with new characters being introduced.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

good, solid series. interesting work and home lives.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good, solid plot, really a very clever mystery! Great series for folks who like well thought out plots with not a lot of bad language & gore.

[Nyssy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read. 📖

[Susan Coley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the setting for the books. Straight forward story without a lot of fal-da-ral.

[Annette Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never disappointed

Just kept me riveted constantly. My current favorite author. I've been binge reading the entire series and haven't been disappointed. Not once.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Havill continues to pump out one good story after another.

[Maureen Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful scenery and characters

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lot about illegal immigration and strange lottery winnings while investigating a young man’s death in a car crash.

[Gary Dewolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time we have some very lucky people. Or maybe not. Always a completely different story. Always very credible and creative.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I was disappointed when Bill Gastner retired as Posadas County sheriff, he has a juice subsidiary part in this book, although the lead goes, as usual, to undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman. Estelle is on the scene when a dead body is found in a car wreck (and the descriptions of car crashes in this book may put you off driving!). But there's something strange about the corpse, and about his ruined truck. As Estelle--accompanied by a women's magazine writer--asks questions in the tiny border village of Regal, among people she's known since she was a child, she finds that some of them have been the recipient of unexpected good fortune. Maybe it's her years in law enforcement, but Estelle is a little skeptical about gifts of money. Still, it's hard to see where the scam is...Another forceful novel by Havill, who gets better and better.

[Catherine Woodman]

I very much enjoy this series--the writing is good for genre (ie. not great for genre and really not great overall). Estelle, who has been the heroine or the focus in the last several books, is finally coming into her own as a character, and while Bill Gaston is not completely out of the picture and his presence is always welcome in the novel, it seemed alot less necessary in this one--Estelle is going to be on her own soon. The plot is modestly complicated, with two of the three interwoven stories brought to a conclusion and one presumably saved for the next book. There are passing references to the food of New Mexico, but not nearly enough for someone who really loves the redolent chili flavors that are such a part of the food in that neck of the southwest (and personal favorites). With all that, it is still Recommended.

[MaryJo Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sixth book in Steven Havill's Posadas County mysteries, featuring deputy sheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, is a very well written police procedural. The southern New Mexico landscape and background for the book is very well portrayed. The plot is rather unique and plays out well. The savvy deputy is likeable. If you are a J.J.Jance fan, besure to give Steven Havill a try.
Why only 3 stars? This isn't the type of mystery I personally gravitate toward, so while it was an enjoyable read for me, others who love the genre would appreciate it more. The main character's family life is idyllic rather than realistic, and a 38 year old with a 94 year old mother is also unusual. But this is fiction, after all.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have not read Steven Havill's Posadas County series, you are missing out on some seriously good books. His characters have developed into a tightly bound family dedicated to protecting their town and its residents, sometimes from themselves. The way the mysteries are built and solved will leave you wondering how you could have missed that clue. Someone gave me one of Havill's books. When I finished reading it, I discovered it was #23. Imagine my delight when I found I had so many good books automatically added to my TBR pile.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong, Latino female sheriff is the main character in a story set in the deep Southwest. While a murder is at the center of this Hispanic community, opposing positions regarding illegal immigration are also threaded throughout. There are suggestions of graphic injuries and violence, but nothing to gross anyone out.

[Johanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

hm -- if I want to listen to police radio, I'd turn on the radio. How boring!!!!! And it's not any more exciting, just because you throw in all those "4 10" and "3 10" and "what's your 20"?

Anyway, ymmv, but I couldn't make myself listen to any more of this after about 15 minutes or so. Hm, could also be that the actor makes it extra boring, not sure.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#15 in the Posadas County series.

Posadas County mystery - A man swerves to avoid a deer on a rain-slicked highway, flips over the guardrail, and plunges to his death. Under-sheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman notices a suspicious footprint at the scene. The autopsy is troubling, the actual cause of death was drowning. The crash victim was delivering sweepstakes awards to locals.