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Posadas County Mystery #6
The Fourth Time Is Murder
KILLER WINDFALL
New undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman has seen plenty of odd things while working for her ex-boss Bill Gastner—but nothing like this. A truck-accident victim is dead from drowning…in a desert mountain range miles from water. And his identity is definitely not the one listed on his ID tag or uniform. Estelle soon discovers that young Chris Marsh worked for a courier company—and an awful lot of desperate Posadas County residents are suddenly richer thanks to the surprise Canadian lottery winnings the trucker delivered.
But it isn't long before the company turns out to be fake—and the lucky winners are being taken to the cleaners in insidious, financially devastating ways. Between elusive rumors, tantalizing lies and grim secrets, Estelle races to track down fast-vanishing clues before the trail goes cold. To end this twisty scam, she must go head-to-head with a ruthless killer with nothing to lose—and a scheme to take down her and Bill for good…
New undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman has seen plenty of odd things while working for her ex-boss Bill Gastner—but nothing like this. A truck-accident victim is dead from drowning…in a desert mountain range miles from water. And his identity is definitely not the one listed on his ID tag or uniform. Estelle soon discovers that young Chris Marsh worked for a courier company—and an awful lot of desperate Posadas County residents are suddenly richer thanks to the surprise Canadian lottery winnings the trucker delivered.
But it isn't long before the company turns out to be fake—and the lucky winners are being taken to the cleaners in insidious, financially devastating ways. Between elusive rumors, tantalizing lies and grim secrets, Estelle races to track down fast-vanishing clues before the trail goes cold. To end this twisty scam, she must go head-to-head with a ruthless killer with nothing to lose—and a scheme to take down her and Bill for good…
396 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 11, 2008
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 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 9, 2015
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.
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.
October 7, 2020
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.
March 31, 2020
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.
November 10, 2011
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.
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.
February 10, 2023
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.
September 6, 2009
So so mystery about a female assistant sheriff in a small New Mexico town.
November 20, 2010
Southwestern mystery with female Under-sheriff protagonist. Setting well captured; plot not so well.
January 24, 2019
Not the best in this reliably entertaining series, but still worth the time spent with these familiar and well developed characters.
January 27, 2026
Interesting Mystery, if Only...
I've read several of these, to see if they get better or worse. The mystery are not badly written, but are sloppy, page to page and book to book. I don't find the hero/heroine particularly likeable, in fact mostly not at all likeable. Some examples of questions within the pages of this book:
"Even though the temperature held at fifty degrees in the village, the evening appealed to Estelle as a perfect time to curl up with her husband under a down comforter and watch the fire." (accident reported) The skin was as cold as the February weather. The young man’s features were surprisingly composed, the only injury to his face a single massive laceration through his right cheek. (At the accident, shortly thereafter, still 50? A bit cooler with the mist?)
"“He stayed with it for a while,” Matty said. She pointed up the hill. A hundred yards above, the guardrail was a faint glint in the lights of the parked vehicles." (c.3)“I’ll go up the hill, thanks,” Estelle replied. The old mining road angled out to meet State 56 almost a mile down the hill. The two hundred feet up through the rocks to where her car was parked would give her more time to think..."(c.4)
"The skid marks suggested that the driver may not have seen the deer until the animal was about to leap into his truck’s grill, just as he rounded the curve at the top of the pass—a sweeping right-hander that paralleled the flank of the mountain. Had the driver held the steering wheel motionless while he stood on the brakes, the doe might have bolted away unscathed. But the wet pavement had conspired with driver panic. The skid marks showed that in concert with slamming on the brakes, the driver had twisted the steering wheel." (C.4 The road is wet NOW, but with no idea when the accident happened, there's no way to know the conditions.)
“Oops,” Estelle said. The trooper was standing on the passenger side of the Buick, bent down so he could see inside. He heard her county car approaching, itself rocketing along well over the speed limit, and looked up. He was smiling broadly," (Disappointing- suggesting one law for folks another for police.)
“And that’s the catch. The check didn’t bounce, Bobby. It cleared just fine, and the money is sitting in Serafina’s bank account." ( though no one checked with the bank to see if this was true)
"That’s exactly what’s nagging at me. If come tomorrow Joe and Lucinda cash that last check with no problems, then I’m going to be really puzzled.” (But she took the check to the bank two days ago...)
"“And on the other hand, to some folks it’s the biggest goddamn threat this side of ten-dollar gasoline. ‘You can’t let all them damn greasers into this country, or first thing you know, one of ’em will want to marry my sister.’” He shrugged. “Then there’s the other extreme, those folks who say anybody should be able to work and live anywhere, without any goddamn fences or border checkpoints, or brown shirts standing around with machine guns asking you, ‘Where are your papers?’” (What a nasty, hateful description of a position the author obviously hasn't researched before spewing.)
"“I found out how the name of a reclusive widow in a tiny village like Regál gets on the list,” the undersheriff said. She didn’t need to look at the speedometer to know that the needle was posted close enough to 100 to make any passenger nervous. “Now we see how quickly we can open some other doors.”" (why isn't she able to share information by phone or radio and let a team member get to work, and stop all the ridiculous speeding?)
"It took a special kind of composure to look beautiful in a driver’s license photo, but Consuela Juanita Vallejos managed to do it. The young woman had cocked her head at the last moment so her face avoided that pasted-on look of Post Office bulletin board photos." (The woman is amazing, she can even tell when and how the DMV was taken and when the pose was assumed.)
"“Sheriff, I clocked her at one forty-one and climbing,” the state officer said. “Ten-four.” Estelle’s cryptic reply belied the hard knot of apprehension in her gut." (The actual sheriff is a part of the chase? Why does she respond? The author makes her hard to like...)
I've read several of these, to see if they get better or worse. The mystery are not badly written, but are sloppy, page to page and book to book. I don't find the hero/heroine particularly likeable, in fact mostly not at all likeable. Some examples of questions within the pages of this book:
"Even though the temperature held at fifty degrees in the village, the evening appealed to Estelle as a perfect time to curl up with her husband under a down comforter and watch the fire." (accident reported) The skin was as cold as the February weather. The young man’s features were surprisingly composed, the only injury to his face a single massive laceration through his right cheek. (At the accident, shortly thereafter, still 50? A bit cooler with the mist?)
"“He stayed with it for a while,” Matty said. She pointed up the hill. A hundred yards above, the guardrail was a faint glint in the lights of the parked vehicles." (c.3)“I’ll go up the hill, thanks,” Estelle replied. The old mining road angled out to meet State 56 almost a mile down the hill. The two hundred feet up through the rocks to where her car was parked would give her more time to think..."(c.4)
"The skid marks suggested that the driver may not have seen the deer until the animal was about to leap into his truck’s grill, just as he rounded the curve at the top of the pass—a sweeping right-hander that paralleled the flank of the mountain. Had the driver held the steering wheel motionless while he stood on the brakes, the doe might have bolted away unscathed. But the wet pavement had conspired with driver panic. The skid marks showed that in concert with slamming on the brakes, the driver had twisted the steering wheel." (C.4 The road is wet NOW, but with no idea when the accident happened, there's no way to know the conditions.)
“Oops,” Estelle said. The trooper was standing on the passenger side of the Buick, bent down so he could see inside. He heard her county car approaching, itself rocketing along well over the speed limit, and looked up. He was smiling broadly," (Disappointing- suggesting one law for folks another for police.)
“And that’s the catch. The check didn’t bounce, Bobby. It cleared just fine, and the money is sitting in Serafina’s bank account." ( though no one checked with the bank to see if this was true)
"That’s exactly what’s nagging at me. If come tomorrow Joe and Lucinda cash that last check with no problems, then I’m going to be really puzzled.” (But she took the check to the bank two days ago...)
"“And on the other hand, to some folks it’s the biggest goddamn threat this side of ten-dollar gasoline. ‘You can’t let all them damn greasers into this country, or first thing you know, one of ’em will want to marry my sister.’” He shrugged. “Then there’s the other extreme, those folks who say anybody should be able to work and live anywhere, without any goddamn fences or border checkpoints, or brown shirts standing around with machine guns asking you, ‘Where are your papers?’” (What a nasty, hateful description of a position the author obviously hasn't researched before spewing.)
"“I found out how the name of a reclusive widow in a tiny village like Regál gets on the list,” the undersheriff said. She didn’t need to look at the speedometer to know that the needle was posted close enough to 100 to make any passenger nervous. “Now we see how quickly we can open some other doors.”" (why isn't she able to share information by phone or radio and let a team member get to work, and stop all the ridiculous speeding?)
"It took a special kind of composure to look beautiful in a driver’s license photo, but Consuela Juanita Vallejos managed to do it. The young woman had cocked her head at the last moment so her face avoided that pasted-on look of Post Office bulletin board photos." (The woman is amazing, she can even tell when and how the DMV was taken and when the pose was assumed.)
"“Sheriff, I clocked her at one forty-one and climbing,” the state officer said. “Ten-four.” Estelle’s cryptic reply belied the hard knot of apprehension in her gut." (The actual sheriff is a part of the chase? Why does she respond? The author makes her hard to like...)
April 2, 2025
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.
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.
April 9, 2026
I really enjoyed this series in the past, both the Bill Gastner books and the later ones featuring Estelle Guzman. However, the last two books in this series were big disappointments, especially The Fourth Time is Murder.
So much of this book was simply filler. We've already covered her brilliant pianist son in previous books, we get it, he's a musical prodigy, no need to drag it out all over again. And listening to a police scanner would be more interesting than Estelle and her coworkers signing off and on.
As for the mystery, it was really a short story that was dragged on and on. I lost track of how many times Estelle explained the suspicious sweepstakes winnings to someone (again, more filler). And the accident mystery, not much of a mystery.
So much of this book was simply filler. We've already covered her brilliant pianist son in previous books, we get it, he's a musical prodigy, no need to drag it out all over again. And listening to a police scanner would be more interesting than Estelle and her coworkers signing off and on.
As for the mystery, it was really a short story that was dragged on and on. I lost track of how many times Estelle explained the suspicious sweepstakes winnings to someone (again, more filler). And the accident mystery, not much of a mystery.
August 9, 2022
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.
October 29, 2021
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.
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.
February 7, 2024
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!
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!
September 3, 2023
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.
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.
April 16, 2019
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.
March 13, 2025
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!!
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!!
June 11, 2017
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
March 27, 2018
Series is still good, with new characters being introduced.
July 6, 2018
good, solid series. interesting work and home lives.
June 27, 2019
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.
February 26, 2020
It was a good read. 📖
September 5, 2020
Love the setting for the books. Straight forward story without a lot of fal-da-ral.
October 24, 2020
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.
Just kept me riveted constantly. My current favorite author. I've been binge reading the entire series and haven't been disappointed. Not once.
May 5, 2021
Havill continues to pump out one good story after another.
May 12, 2023
Wonderful scenery and characters
August 11, 2023
a lot about illegal immigration and strange lottery winnings while investigating a young man’s death in a car crash.
November 8, 2023
This time we have some very lucky people. Or maybe not. Always a completely different story. Always very credible and creative.
May 6, 2026
Decent read but dragged the latter part. At one point I skipped 4 or 5 pages about a family dinner and the one boy playing piano.
January 30, 2009
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.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews