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Posadas County Mystery #23
Lies Come Easy
One blizzardy New Mexico night, Posadas County Deputy Pasquale picks up a toddler scooting his Scamper along the shoulder of State 56.
Yes, it’s horrifying—a child apparently dumped out of a truck by his father. Nearly as horrifying is what unrolls while Christmas approaches after dad Darrell Fisher’s arrest: a request arrives from the US Forest Service to locate a missing range tech and his unit last reported headed for nearby Stinkin’ Springs, and the brutal murder of Constance Suarez in the border town of Regál, population 37.
The Sheriff’s Department is stretched to its limits as its dedicated personnel juggle working cases and caring for citizens with their own relationships and family celebrations. The irony of so much wickedness at the holidays is not lost on anyone. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, heading out her door to a crime scene, reflects: “It would be a glorious holiday evening for somebody.”
As their mother joins her colleagues in dealing with the Fisher family, the Forest Service’s absent Myron Fitzwater, the murder, and who knows what else in Regál, Francisco and Carolos, the sons of Estelle and physician Francis, arrange to jet in to spend Christmas with their parents. Francisco the musical prodigy is now a celebrated pianist and composer with an international career. Carlos is thriving at Stanford. Both sons bring special surprises with them. And retired Sheriff Bill Gastner is cooking up a Christmas gift of his own.
In Steven Havill’s twenty-third Posadas County Mystery, family dynamics play a huge role as Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman and the whole department work to pull the right threads out of a tangle of seemingly small lies. It makes for a mix of the mundane with the harrowing. And justice for all will prove elusive.
Yes, it’s horrifying—a child apparently dumped out of a truck by his father. Nearly as horrifying is what unrolls while Christmas approaches after dad Darrell Fisher’s arrest: a request arrives from the US Forest Service to locate a missing range tech and his unit last reported headed for nearby Stinkin’ Springs, and the brutal murder of Constance Suarez in the border town of Regál, population 37.
The Sheriff’s Department is stretched to its limits as its dedicated personnel juggle working cases and caring for citizens with their own relationships and family celebrations. The irony of so much wickedness at the holidays is not lost on anyone. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, heading out her door to a crime scene, reflects: “It would be a glorious holiday evening for somebody.”
As their mother joins her colleagues in dealing with the Fisher family, the Forest Service’s absent Myron Fitzwater, the murder, and who knows what else in Regál, Francisco and Carolos, the sons of Estelle and physician Francis, arrange to jet in to spend Christmas with their parents. Francisco the musical prodigy is now a celebrated pianist and composer with an international career. Carlos is thriving at Stanford. Both sons bring special surprises with them. And retired Sheriff Bill Gastner is cooking up a Christmas gift of his own.
In Steven Havill’s twenty-third Posadas County Mystery, family dynamics play a huge role as Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman and the whole department work to pull the right threads out of a tangle of seemingly small lies. It makes for a mix of the mundane with the harrowing. And justice for all will prove elusive.
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2018
274 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Steven F. Havill
38 books256 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 52 reviews
November 22, 2018
Ugh! This series has moved so far away from the stories and characters I discovered in Heartshot thirty years ago, it's as if the novels are set in an alternate universe. Had this been what the series was like in the beginning, I would never have continued to read the stories of Posadas County. These new tales are less police procedurals and more "lifestyles of the rich and famous". The main character's son, Francisco, has become a world-famous pianist, wealthy enough at age 25 to hire a private jet to fly him, his brother, and their girlfriends from Germany to Posadas for a three-day Christmas visit. Absolutely absurd! A note to Mr. Havill: no one reads this series to learn the latest in Francisco and Carlos' lives. We read it to get back in the police cruiser with our favorite insomniac, Bill Gastner, and visit the folks in Posadas County. I tried--really, I did--to be interested in newly-minted billionaire Miles Waddel's NightZone theme park. I tried--really, really tried--to relate to Bobby Torres, who replaced Bill Gastner as Sheriff of Posadas County. Admittedly, I didn't try very hard to care about Estelle's two sons, but I didn't think they'd become major characters with their own arcs in the novels. Truly, this series has jumped the shark...I will no longer be reading the novels because...I JUST DON'T CARE about these characters.
September 1, 2018
I enjoyed this book quite a bit...I wish I could mark it with three and a half stars, but it just doesn’t quite make it to four stars.
This is the latest offering from a series called Posadas County Mysteries. I had not heard of them before this, but as a longtime reader of Tony Hillerman and JA Vance, I am pleased to find another series about law enforcement in the rural Southwest. And as someone who would love to move closer to family and friends in Taos, I love the New Mexico setting.
As for the story, this novel felt fairly typical for this genre; a crime occurs within Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman’s jurisdiction, and turns into something more complicated as she begins to investigate. The story is full of details about her life and family, and the close relationships between the people who live in small town New Mexico villages.
The story was well-written and engaging—I had a hard time putting it down and finished the 264-page ebook in less than a day.
The only reason I didn’t give it four stars is that there wasn’t anything in particular that made this book stand out from other books that I have read in this genre. So it will remain in my head as a thoroughly enjoyable read by an author who has written numerous books before this. Havill will definitely become one of the authors to whom I will return over again, whenever I am feeling in need of a well-written, quick and enjoyable read.
I received this book as an advanced reading copy from Poison Pen Press via NetGalley. Thanks!
This is the latest offering from a series called Posadas County Mysteries. I had not heard of them before this, but as a longtime reader of Tony Hillerman and JA Vance, I am pleased to find another series about law enforcement in the rural Southwest. And as someone who would love to move closer to family and friends in Taos, I love the New Mexico setting.
As for the story, this novel felt fairly typical for this genre; a crime occurs within Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman’s jurisdiction, and turns into something more complicated as she begins to investigate. The story is full of details about her life and family, and the close relationships between the people who live in small town New Mexico villages.
The story was well-written and engaging—I had a hard time putting it down and finished the 264-page ebook in less than a day.
The only reason I didn’t give it four stars is that there wasn’t anything in particular that made this book stand out from other books that I have read in this genre. So it will remain in my head as a thoroughly enjoyable read by an author who has written numerous books before this. Havill will definitely become one of the authors to whom I will return over again, whenever I am feeling in need of a well-written, quick and enjoyable read.
I received this book as an advanced reading copy from Poison Pen Press via NetGalley. Thanks!
July 1, 2019
"Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water... BAM! A bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya. Would you care if the guy who shot you had a permit?"
All this blood shed over deer poaching?
This was not the smoothest of reads. It was like the book couldn't shift into a higher gear.
Like driving on a snowy mountain path without chains on your tires. The going was slow.
This was my first Posadas read so maybe that could be part of the problem. I didn't connect with Undersheriff Estelle or any of the other characters. The side plot of her family getting together for Christmas i just skimmed over it. I will read book one in the series at a later time maybe that will help but as a stand alone murder mystery this was just average.
All this blood shed over deer poaching?
This was not the smoothest of reads. It was like the book couldn't shift into a higher gear.
Like driving on a snowy mountain path without chains on your tires. The going was slow.
This was my first Posadas read so maybe that could be part of the problem. I didn't connect with Undersheriff Estelle or any of the other characters. The side plot of her family getting together for Christmas i just skimmed over it. I will read book one in the series at a later time maybe that will help but as a stand alone murder mystery this was just average.
January 1, 2019
A Posadas County Mystery is always a special treat and the latest,
Lies Come Easy, is no exception. It is late on a snowy Friday night and just three days before Christmas. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is looking forward to the end of her swing shift. That is until she gets a call from Deputy Pasquale who just found two and half year old Derry Fisher out on the side of a local highway. The little boy’s father, driving his red truck, had been seen minutes earlier by the same deputy who then spotted the son clad only in a T-shirt and diaper, socks, and sneakers trying to ride his Scamper down the side of the New Mexico highway in a snowstorm.
Whatever reason Dad put him out, the first matter of business is to
get the child warmed up and checked out at the area hospital. Despite the weather and lack of clothing, the little boy seems relatively okay though final word will come from the oncoming EMTs and later hospital staff. Dad can and will be dealt with later.
Also of immediate concern is a missing persons alert from the US Forest Service. One of their range techs is missing as is his truck. Myron Fitzwater was supposed to be headed for nearby Stinkin’ Springs, but he has not been seen there or anywhere else in recent days. Not only is he missing, but his girlfriend, Constance Suarez, has been found deceased by way of a gunshot. What happened and why are two questions that need to be answered as is the question of whether Myron did it. He needs to be found immediately.
If all this is not enough, it is the holidays and the now grown kids are headed home for a very short visit. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman needs to spend at least some time at home with the family. She is a cop and a good one, but she is also a wife and mother and time with the entire family is an increasing rarity. Something she has been well aware of for quite some time and the recent loss of her own mother brings that concept front and center. Her ability to find uninterrupted time at home with her family seems to be increasingly elusive as crisis after crisis rocks Posadas County.
Family has always been a major theme of this series. Family by blood as well as by friendship. Family in terms of the loss of a parent and the grief that comes from that even when that death is caused by nothing more than old age. That theme is certainly, present here as those undercurrents occupy a large part of the ongoing background in Lies Come Easy. The years pass and the inevitable and, for those left behind the unthinkable, finally happens.
Eighty-four year old William Gastner, the former sheriff and key component of so many of these books over the years, is well aware that time waits for no one. He too has plans for the coming future and uses this moment to make some suggestions that will fundamentally change the future for everyone he loves and cares about.
Despite the bittersweet and at times all too painful tone this reviewer perceived in the book, Lies Come Easy: A Posadas County Mystery is a mighty good read. A procedural that powers
along at a steady clip as a number of mysteries are slowly unraveled. There are plenty of clues, a lot of action, and the cases are not easily solved. In short, Lies Come Easy: A Posadas County Mystery is very good and well worth your time.
Related items of interest:
Make sure you check out Lesa Holstine’s review from last November https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.c...
Also check out this interview with the author:
https://poisonedpenpress.com/intervie...
Lies Come Easy: A Posadas County Mystery
Steven F. Havill
Poisoned Pen Press
http://www.poisonedpenpress.com
November 20, 2018
ISBN# 978-1-4642-1032-7
LARGE PRINT PAPERBACK (also available in regular print hardback and digital formats)
$23.95
424 Pages
Material supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018
Lies Come Easy, is no exception. It is late on a snowy Friday night and just three days before Christmas. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is looking forward to the end of her swing shift. That is until she gets a call from Deputy Pasquale who just found two and half year old Derry Fisher out on the side of a local highway. The little boy’s father, driving his red truck, had been seen minutes earlier by the same deputy who then spotted the son clad only in a T-shirt and diaper, socks, and sneakers trying to ride his Scamper down the side of the New Mexico highway in a snowstorm.
Whatever reason Dad put him out, the first matter of business is to
get the child warmed up and checked out at the area hospital. Despite the weather and lack of clothing, the little boy seems relatively okay though final word will come from the oncoming EMTs and later hospital staff. Dad can and will be dealt with later.
Also of immediate concern is a missing persons alert from the US Forest Service. One of their range techs is missing as is his truck. Myron Fitzwater was supposed to be headed for nearby Stinkin’ Springs, but he has not been seen there or anywhere else in recent days. Not only is he missing, but his girlfriend, Constance Suarez, has been found deceased by way of a gunshot. What happened and why are two questions that need to be answered as is the question of whether Myron did it. He needs to be found immediately.
If all this is not enough, it is the holidays and the now grown kids are headed home for a very short visit. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman needs to spend at least some time at home with the family. She is a cop and a good one, but she is also a wife and mother and time with the entire family is an increasing rarity. Something she has been well aware of for quite some time and the recent loss of her own mother brings that concept front and center. Her ability to find uninterrupted time at home with her family seems to be increasingly elusive as crisis after crisis rocks Posadas County.
Family has always been a major theme of this series. Family by blood as well as by friendship. Family in terms of the loss of a parent and the grief that comes from that even when that death is caused by nothing more than old age. That theme is certainly, present here as those undercurrents occupy a large part of the ongoing background in Lies Come Easy. The years pass and the inevitable and, for those left behind the unthinkable, finally happens.
Eighty-four year old William Gastner, the former sheriff and key component of so many of these books over the years, is well aware that time waits for no one. He too has plans for the coming future and uses this moment to make some suggestions that will fundamentally change the future for everyone he loves and cares about.
Despite the bittersweet and at times all too painful tone this reviewer perceived in the book, Lies Come Easy: A Posadas County Mystery is a mighty good read. A procedural that powers
along at a steady clip as a number of mysteries are slowly unraveled. There are plenty of clues, a lot of action, and the cases are not easily solved. In short, Lies Come Easy: A Posadas County Mystery is very good and well worth your time.
Related items of interest:
Make sure you check out Lesa Holstine’s review from last November https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.c...
Also check out this interview with the author:
https://poisonedpenpress.com/intervie...
Lies Come Easy: A Posadas County Mystery
Steven F. Havill
Poisoned Pen Press
http://www.poisonedpenpress.com
November 20, 2018
ISBN# 978-1-4642-1032-7
LARGE PRINT PAPERBACK (also available in regular print hardback and digital formats)
$23.95
424 Pages
Material supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018
September 6, 2018
Lies come easy is a detective story set in a very small fictional town in New Mexico. It’s quite easy to read and I kept wanting to come back and continue reading. I think the story flows well and it has nice relatable characters. I liked how a series of apparently unrelated events are connected in some sort of unexpected way, but not unexpected enough that you can’t guess it or, more importantly, believe it. This is the only book I’ve read from this series and I don’t think you need to read them in order to understand this book. I do want to know more about some of the characters, so I guess I’ll have to read some of the previous ones.
I have to admit that I love books featuring strong female characters, and Estelle Reyes-Guzman knows how to do her job well. This particular book also happens to be well gender balanced.
On the down side, there are too many descriptions of vehicles for my taste. Also, I felt like there was either a chapter missing or a chapter too many.
All in all, it’s a nice enjoyable book.
I received this book as an advanced reading copy from Poison Pen Press via NetGalley. Thanks!
I have to admit that I love books featuring strong female characters, and Estelle Reyes-Guzman knows how to do her job well. This particular book also happens to be well gender balanced.
On the down side, there are too many descriptions of vehicles for my taste. Also, I felt like there was either a chapter missing or a chapter too many.
All in all, it’s a nice enjoyable book.
I received this book as an advanced reading copy from Poison Pen Press via NetGalley. Thanks!
November 17, 2018
This is the 13th (or strangely, according to one source the 23rd) installment of the Posada County Mysteries, and I probably would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the previous entries and had a connection with the characters. Lies Come Easy does function as a stand-alone, however, with the plot contained within the pages of the book, but I suspect that many fans of the series have developed a relationship with the characters. I know I feel that way about quite a few of my favorite series.
A short-staffed Sheriff's Department, a toddler left on a highway in frigid weather, a murder or two, an interesting setting near the border of New Mexico.
Read in August. Blog review scheduled for Nov. 19.
NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press
Mystery. Nov. 20, 2018.
A short-staffed Sheriff's Department, a toddler left on a highway in frigid weather, a murder or two, an interesting setting near the border of New Mexico.
Read in August. Blog review scheduled for Nov. 19.
NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press
Mystery. Nov. 20, 2018.
October 22, 2023
It’s fine…just never shifts into a higher gear. ..and so many people I was trying to keep up with, between the different varieties of police and agencies and the townspeople… I just gave up and read to find out what was going on. I changed the genre on this one to a “cozy mystery” instead of a crime thriller bc it’s just not doing much. Again, I don’t really care about Estelle’s family that much. I am, however, glad to see and hear Taber is still there, doing a great job. Maybe she will become the next Undersheriff, huh?
February 21, 2019
A forest service employee is missing. A case of child abuse escalates into a suicide. Or is it a murder? All this in the sleepy village of Posadas a few days before Christmas. Bill Gastner is 84 now and still an insomniac and fretting about his daughter putting him in a home in Flint, Michigan. Estelle, the Undersheriff, is preparing for her oldest, now 25 years old, to come home for Christmas. And it’s snowing.
Then police find another body, the forest service employee’s girlfriend. It’s all pretty obvious who the suspect is but not how it happened or evidence . Not much time with family for Estelle as the Sheriff is hot on the trail. A Karmic twist to the suspects as the police close in on them too. But it just abruptly ends.
Wondering if this will be the last we see of Bill as he is making arrangements for his will. Estelle is in pain from injuries from a shooting eight years ago. I would think she’s tired of being the undersheriff. Perfect time for the insertion of a new and main character.
Then police find another body, the forest service employee’s girlfriend. It’s all pretty obvious who the suspect is but not how it happened or evidence . Not much time with family for Estelle as the Sheriff is hot on the trail. A Karmic twist to the suspects as the police close in on them too. But it just abruptly ends.
Wondering if this will be the last we see of Bill as he is making arrangements for his will. Estelle is in pain from injuries from a shooting eight years ago. I would think she’s tired of being the undersheriff. Perfect time for the insertion of a new and main character.
February 8, 2019
The only book in this series that I've read and I don't know that I'd read another one. It's certainly an easy read, a quick one, but the side story of the undersheriff's sons and their significant others required a real suspension of disbelief for me. Leave that out, and the book does provide an interesting look at life near the U.S./Mexican border in a very "off the beaten track" fictional location in New Mexico. Otherwise, it's just a rather pedestrian western whodunit.
January 6, 2019
It is with mixed emotions I read this series, since I fell for the character of Bill Gastner in the first book and he is now retired and old. But this is still one of my favorite series and I can hardly wait for the next book. Havill has created a wonderful world and describes it so well. I must recommend that you try it, but start at the beginning.
July 28, 2019
I enjoyed this series a lot more when Bill Gastner was the focus. I find that I am just not interested in Estelle and her family. They're much too good to be true. The mystery part was okay, but there was too much of this syrupy sweet family stuff.
June 5, 2019
Meh. I’ve read better by Havill. This one was mediocre at best.
May 7, 2020
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book
a young toddler out in the middle of the night barely any clothes on riding his little scooter in the dead of winter....
then a suicide
with the bodies starting to pile up can the police sort out the mysteries surrounding what the motives are
a pleasant read and i really liked some of the characters in this book, though i struggled with some of the place names as i dont really know that part of the world very well...
a young toddler out in the middle of the night barely any clothes on riding his little scooter in the dead of winter....
then a suicide
with the bodies starting to pile up can the police sort out the mysteries surrounding what the motives are
a pleasant read and i really liked some of the characters in this book, though i struggled with some of the place names as i dont really know that part of the world very well...
April 26, 2019
Lies Come Easy is a solid mystery with a look into local New Mexican culture. This was my first Steven Havill book and it definitely won’t be my last. Lots of intrigue and twist with interesting, complex characters.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Poisoned Pen Press and Steven Havill for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Poisoned Pen Press and Steven Havill for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 24, 2019
First let me say, this series of books would make an excellent television series. The characters are already so real to life that I'm sure there could be a HUGE online discussion on who could play each of the characters. I had never read any of this series before and didn't realize that I was reading book #23 until I started it. It didn't matter. There were a few areas where knowing the backstory might have helped but as a stand alone book, this one definitely would make readers happy.
Posada County is located on the New Mexico border with Mexico. The characters are a blend of ages, nationality, characteristics and everything else you would find in a border town community, again, very realistic. The law is enforced by the Posada County Sheriff's office, the National Forest Rangers, New Mexico State Troopers and FBI. These agencies must all work together to insure the safety and solve crimes. The story line gives many examples of how a small law enforcement agency operates to get the job done. While this is a murder mystery, it's much more about the people who live and work in Posada County.
The first crime in this book is one you'd see in the newspaper headlines. A Deputy Sheriff picks up a 2 year old little boy who is riding his scooter in the snow on the side of a busy highway. After a short while, they discover the boy's father put him out on the road because he was noisy. REALLY! This serves to introduce you to several of the characters who will to the rest of the book. There are many side stories that eventually blend together to become one that will keep you guessing for quite awhile.
The upside to this book is I now have 22 more books on my TBR pile.
Posada County is located on the New Mexico border with Mexico. The characters are a blend of ages, nationality, characteristics and everything else you would find in a border town community, again, very realistic. The law is enforced by the Posada County Sheriff's office, the National Forest Rangers, New Mexico State Troopers and FBI. These agencies must all work together to insure the safety and solve crimes. The story line gives many examples of how a small law enforcement agency operates to get the job done. While this is a murder mystery, it's much more about the people who live and work in Posada County.
The first crime in this book is one you'd see in the newspaper headlines. A Deputy Sheriff picks up a 2 year old little boy who is riding his scooter in the snow on the side of a busy highway. After a short while, they discover the boy's father put him out on the road because he was noisy. REALLY! This serves to introduce you to several of the characters who will to the rest of the book. There are many side stories that eventually blend together to become one that will keep you guessing for quite awhile.
The upside to this book is I now have 22 more books on my TBR pile.
November 12, 2018
Three days before Christmas, Posadas County, NM Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman receives a call from one of her deputies. A toddler was found walking with his bicycle on the side of the road wearing only a t-shirt and diaper during a snowstorm. The boy's father is arrested for child endangerment but is out on bail when tragedy strikes the family again. Posadas County law enforcement is also called to help search for a missing employee of the U.S. Forest Service. Now Estelle a full workload when she'd rather be spending time with her husband and two grown sons who are home for Christmas, but she is determined to solve the crimes as well as spend quality time with her family.
"Lies Come Easy" is the 23rd Posadas County mystery. The books could be classified as procedurals, but they are so much more. I have grown to love this series and all the regular characters, especially Estelle and retired sheriff Bill Gastner. I like each of these characters individually, Estelle for her kindness and quiet leadership and Bill for his wisdom and sense of humor, but the rapport between them when they're working on a case together is magic. Although the cases in this book and how things come together are interesting, what's lacking in this book is the teamwork between Estelle and Bill. There are some wonderful moments with Bill and Estelle and her sons, but the way they used to work together when investigating a case is greatly missed. I realize Bill is older now and couldn't be climbing and hiking along with the younger officers, but I wish he could have done some brainstorming and armchair detecting to help Estelle with her investigation.
Lt. Jackie Taber plays a large role in this book working on the case and I like getting to know her better. As always, Estelle has to balance the demands of the job and her strict work ethic with spending time with her family. In the end, Estelle finds a way to do both. It was nice seeing how far both Francisco and Carlos have come in their lives and how much more they have planned. Although all the crimes were solved, the ending seemed very abrupt and at first I wondered if I was missing part of the book. In spite of the flaws, "Lies Come Easy" is a good book that is part of a great series. I always paying a visit to Posadas County and catching up with Bill and Estelle.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
"Lies Come Easy" is the 23rd Posadas County mystery. The books could be classified as procedurals, but they are so much more. I have grown to love this series and all the regular characters, especially Estelle and retired sheriff Bill Gastner. I like each of these characters individually, Estelle for her kindness and quiet leadership and Bill for his wisdom and sense of humor, but the rapport between them when they're working on a case together is magic. Although the cases in this book and how things come together are interesting, what's lacking in this book is the teamwork between Estelle and Bill. There are some wonderful moments with Bill and Estelle and her sons, but the way they used to work together when investigating a case is greatly missed. I realize Bill is older now and couldn't be climbing and hiking along with the younger officers, but I wish he could have done some brainstorming and armchair detecting to help Estelle with her investigation.
Lt. Jackie Taber plays a large role in this book working on the case and I like getting to know her better. As always, Estelle has to balance the demands of the job and her strict work ethic with spending time with her family. In the end, Estelle finds a way to do both. It was nice seeing how far both Francisco and Carlos have come in their lives and how much more they have planned. Although all the crimes were solved, the ending seemed very abrupt and at first I wondered if I was missing part of the book. In spite of the flaws, "Lies Come Easy" is a good book that is part of a great series. I always paying a visit to Posadas County and catching up with Bill and Estelle.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2019
The characters remain consistent the setting is constant
I always enjoy a ride along with Estelle. Please keep them coming Mr Havill.only able to relate to experiences as a mother, her
profession keeps me as a friend.
I always enjoy a ride along with Estelle. Please keep them coming Mr Havill.only able to relate to experiences as a mother, her
profession keeps me as a friend.
April 9, 2019
A little too clever, a little too much rich and famous son. The other son and his significant other are just there. Their relationship is left up in the air.
December 1, 2018
#23 in the Posadas County Mystery series (Goodreads shows it as #13 but that is achieved by treating the 10 books featuring Bill Gastner as a separate series. Estelle Guzman-Reyes was an important character in those books and now that she is Undersheriff and Gastner is retired, he remains an important character.) This 2018 series entry by author Steven F. Havill is a delight to read, both as a stand-alone crime mystery steeped in the atmosphere of small town Southwest New Mexico and as a 27 year series following the interrelated lives of the members of the Sheriff's Department in Posadas County. I have two quibbles about the novels timing, but they didn't effect my enjoyment: first, Gastner says he was 13 when a truck was built in 1941 (p. 23) which would make him 90 in 2018, however he is cited as being 84 several times in the course of the novel; and, second, Estelle is a newly-wed in Bitter Recoil (1992), 26 years ago, and her older son, Francisco, is listed as 25, but in Blood Sweep (2015) he came home from music school to give a concert and he was only 14 or 15.
One snowy evening a few days before Christmas, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman receives a report that two-year-old Derry Fisher has been found abandoned by the side of a road. The police pick up Derry's father, Darrell, and jail him overnight. Later, while out on bail awaiting sentencing for reckless endangerment of a child, the hapless Darrell turns up dead in his truck in what appears to be a suicide. Meanwhile, Estelle goes looking for errant U.S. Forest Service range tech Myron Fitzwater, who some believe has simply eloped with his sweetheart. With two such easy cases, Estelle is looking forward to a quiet family Christmas, until the autopsy shows that Darrell was murdered, and Myron proves to be a much more complicated individual than expected.
One snowy evening a few days before Christmas, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman receives a report that two-year-old Derry Fisher has been found abandoned by the side of a road. The police pick up Derry's father, Darrell, and jail him overnight. Later, while out on bail awaiting sentencing for reckless endangerment of a child, the hapless Darrell turns up dead in his truck in what appears to be a suicide. Meanwhile, Estelle goes looking for errant U.S. Forest Service range tech Myron Fitzwater, who some believe has simply eloped with his sweetheart. With two such easy cases, Estelle is looking forward to a quiet family Christmas, until the autopsy shows that Darrell was murdered, and Myron proves to be a much more complicated individual than expected.
June 8, 2025
This was a great way to spend a Saturday evening. Yes, Christmas is a part of this, but it’s not a Christmas book.
Darrell Fisher is dead, and initially, they figure he offed himself. Prior to his death, the cops arrested him for allowing his toddler son to push a tiny bike down a highway at 1 a.m. in a blizzard. Mom isn’t happy, and eventually Darrell just wants to die. But when they investigate his death, they realize he had help. Now they must figure out who killed him and why.
This is a solid, stay-awake-even-if-you’re-sleepy mystery. Darrell Fisher isn’t the only one who dies before the book ends. A Barnie Fife-like forest ranger goes missing, and someone guns down the ranger’s girlfriend and attempts to make it look like suicide—similar to Darrell Fisher’s death.
On Christmas Eve, the Guzman boys come home for the holiday. Francisco brings a very pregnant Angie with him. (Angie played a prominent role in an earlier book), and Carlos shows up with a lovely surprise of his own. He rescued her from Stanford where they both attend.
There are hints of rough roads ahead for Estelle in future books. Her physician husband finds a small knot on a breast that the author glosses over. He won’t be able to forever, I suspect.
At 84, my favorite character in the book, Former Undersheriff Bill Gastner is inexorably moving toward life in an assisted living facility somewhere, but in his grand fashion, he’s moving slowly.
This is a great series, but I fear if you start with this book, you’ll feel a bit lost and disoriented in places. Don’t’ read this assuming you’re getting a Christmas book. There are fictional books about Christmas and there are fictional books that happen on Christmas, and there’s a huge difference.
Darrell Fisher is dead, and initially, they figure he offed himself. Prior to his death, the cops arrested him for allowing his toddler son to push a tiny bike down a highway at 1 a.m. in a blizzard. Mom isn’t happy, and eventually Darrell just wants to die. But when they investigate his death, they realize he had help. Now they must figure out who killed him and why.
This is a solid, stay-awake-even-if-you’re-sleepy mystery. Darrell Fisher isn’t the only one who dies before the book ends. A Barnie Fife-like forest ranger goes missing, and someone guns down the ranger’s girlfriend and attempts to make it look like suicide—similar to Darrell Fisher’s death.
On Christmas Eve, the Guzman boys come home for the holiday. Francisco brings a very pregnant Angie with him. (Angie played a prominent role in an earlier book), and Carlos shows up with a lovely surprise of his own. He rescued her from Stanford where they both attend.
There are hints of rough roads ahead for Estelle in future books. Her physician husband finds a small knot on a breast that the author glosses over. He won’t be able to forever, I suspect.
At 84, my favorite character in the book, Former Undersheriff Bill Gastner is inexorably moving toward life in an assisted living facility somewhere, but in his grand fashion, he’s moving slowly.
This is a great series, but I fear if you start with this book, you’ll feel a bit lost and disoriented in places. Don’t’ read this assuming you’re getting a Christmas book. There are fictional books about Christmas and there are fictional books that happen on Christmas, and there’s a huge difference.
November 20, 2018
I have read every book in the series and with every new book I am once again visiting one of my favorite places - “Posadas County”. The mysteries are complex and so well thought out as Mr. Havill weaves his story. In this book, it’s a snowy night when a deputy notices a toddler riding a scooter on the side of the road. He learns that the father left the toddler along the road and this begins a series of consequences that will soon lead to at least one murder. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is preparing to welcome home her sons for the holiday season and now finds herself conducting a murder investigation. Soon another murder will take place while a forest range tech is missing. Are these events connected? If so, how? The small Sheriff’s department is working overtime to investigate crimes in several areas while sifting through witness testimony. Former Sheriff Bill Gastner (who played a more prominent role in the earlier books) makes an appearance and is always available to add his words of wisdom. Mr. Havill has very cleverly “aged” the characters as they grow and evolve as the books continue but has kept the small-community flavor intact. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
December 6, 2018
As though time doesn't go by fast enough in real life, Steve Havill has spun the clock ahead, and undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman's two sons are now adults, who surprise her by planning a Christmas visit. Unfortunately, Estelle and the rest of the Posada County sheriff's department (plus her husband, who is one of the few physicians in the area) are occupied with a messy suicide that looks to the coroner and to Estelle remarkably like a murder. Then an officious government employee disappears, and another suspicious suicide seems to be involved. As the department, thinly scattered over the huge border county, Estelle tries to make time for her beloved sons while not slighting the investigation. The boys have planned some Christmas surprises, but their godfather and Estelle's mentor, aging Bill Gastner, has more surprises up his sleeve. Despite all the family involvement, this is a remarkably bloody novel, but for me great writing trumps blood.
April 10, 2019
I guess when you've been reading and following the Posadas County (New Mexico) Mysteries for about 17 or 18 years you shouldn't be surprised that your favorite characters are getting older! Well, it was still shocking to see that the young, beautiful Estelle Reyes-Guzman is now about 51 years old and her eldest son is 25! Lies Come Easy is aptly named - The bad guys in this yarn are all about lying - no matter who gets hurt. This story is about three people who are killed - murder or suicide? The work is cut out for Undersheriff Estelle and Sheriff Bobby Torrez. If you are familiar with this series you'll know that it all started with former sheriff Bill Gastner - in his eighties, he is now relegated to just a background character. But like life, these stories and characters age (whether we like it or not). This is a very good police procedural and a solid mystery - murder or suicide - you be the judge.
January 14, 2024
Time is flying way too fast. Bill Gastner now uses a walker and is restricted to baby burritos but is still up for an occasional ride-along with Undersheriff Estelle Reyes Guzman. Francisco is a soloist performing a series of concerts in Germany and Carlos is a Stanford student set to become an architect. However, in a whirlwind trip, they are both able to spend a few days in Posadas for Christmas. Estelle has little time for festivities, however, with a man found shot in his pickup truck, a missing forest ranger, and his girlfriend murdered in her home. The book contains some quite beautiful writing including a description of a lovely walled garden. Sheriff Robert Torres is his usual taciturn self but it is his backcountry knowledge supplies a key to the investigation. The book is structured something like a hologram, with each individual piece that is illuminated bringing the whole into focus, all leading to a quite icky ending.
November 14, 2018
I can't believe how many of these Posadas County mysteries there are- and I've read every one! Don't worry if you haven't read any of them- you'll quickly find yourself immersed in the story of murder and mystery in a small town. Estelle is a terrific character. She's tough when she needs to be and sympathetic at other times. She's always smart. In this case, the discovery of a small boy walking alone on a snowy road leads to a cascade of other bodies. Is there a suicide? There's definitely a murder and there's definitely a missing man. Things are linked but how? Havill does an especially nice job with the little touches on his characters as even the minor ones are distinct. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Highly recommend this quick entertaining read that had even this veteran of the genre trying to work out the solution.
October 21, 2022
Great, fast read. Havill is great with pace and really knows how to make NM expats like me yearn for home (the straight lines of chimney smoke rising into the air on a cold winter morning about made me weep).
There were only two things I didn't much care for: a) the gore (this one has one hell of an industrial accident in it, described in technicolor detail) and b) the banter between Estelle and her kids. I have two grown boys, both about the same ages that Carlos and Francisco are in this book: my younger boy is in college and is a musical prodigy (trumpet instead of piano) and my older boy is a successful, practicing architect, and neither of my kids talks like Estelle's boys do. Their conversations reek of exposition disguised as dialogue, which made those scenes a little frustrating. But those are just minor quibbles.
There were only two things I didn't much care for: a) the gore (this one has one hell of an industrial accident in it, described in technicolor detail) and b) the banter between Estelle and her kids. I have two grown boys, both about the same ages that Carlos and Francisco are in this book: my younger boy is in college and is a musical prodigy (trumpet instead of piano) and my older boy is a successful, practicing architect, and neither of my kids talks like Estelle's boys do. Their conversations reek of exposition disguised as dialogue, which made those scenes a little frustrating. But those are just minor quibbles.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2022
Lies Come Easy – A Posadas County Mystery - ***** - Sheriff Bobby Perez and Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman tackle multiple murders in the usual Posadas County way – one-word answers if absolutely necessary by Bobby and great procedural detective work by Estelle. What a unique and interesting team. Throw in some fresh protagonists that are slippery, sub plots of family over Christmas time and the reader can sit back and enjoy a thrilling ride. An accident near the end of the book took this reader completely by surprise and upped the tension. This book is Havill at his best. Keep them coming Steven.
November 13, 2018
I’m happy to have a chance to visit with the folks of Posadas County again. If I lived closer I’d try to find the Don Juan restaurant so I could get one of their famous burritos. Thanks for the ARC.
This book is the latest installment in a series and I think most enjoyed by those who have read at least some of the previous books, otherwise much of the side stories and details don’t have any meaning.
This book is the latest installment in a series and I think most enjoyed by those who have read at least some of the previous books, otherwise much of the side stories and details don’t have any meaning.
February 14, 2019
Another Havill masterpiece
Havill is a skilled storyteller. His characters have grown and developed over time, with each successive book. Details about Posados, a small town in New Mexico, make readers feel like they’re there, enjoying the quiet life and the unique culture of the area. Each plot carefully threads hints and facts together, eventually allowing a resolution to be discovered at an enjoyable pace. This book does not disappoint. It’s a treat!
Havill is a skilled storyteller. His characters have grown and developed over time, with each successive book. Details about Posados, a small town in New Mexico, make readers feel like they’re there, enjoying the quiet life and the unique culture of the area. Each plot carefully threads hints and facts together, eventually allowing a resolution to be discovered at an enjoyable pace. This book does not disappoint. It’s a treat!
January 6, 2026
Not A Bad Mystery
While I picked the right bad guy very early on, following the twists and turns of the story still kept it interesting. Its not as sloppy as many writers, but dies have more than its own share of continuity errors, things like 'sat on a couch...' '...stood up from the hard chair' that cause you to pause and wonder how they could have missed these errors.
While I picked the right bad guy very early on, following the twists and turns of the story still kept it interesting. Its not as sloppy as many writers, but dies have more than its own share of continuity errors, things like 'sat on a couch...' '...stood up from the hard chair' that cause you to pause and wonder how they could have missed these errors.
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