Former Posadas County Sheriff Bill Gastner, now a New Mexico Livestock Inspector, is enjoying a day on Herb Torrance's ranch - soaking in the sun, counting a small herd of cattle, and thinking about meeting an old friend back in town for lunch. But suddenly a light breeze stirs the dust, a horse spooks, and Bill finds himself ferrying a broken cowpuncher in the back of his SUV, headed out to meet an ambulance. Moments later, Bill's day goes from bad to worse. He is summoned by undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman to investigate an unattended death. Too impatient to wait for Bill, his friend George Payton decided to eat lunch on his own. A couple of bites later, he collapsed - dead of an apparent heart attack. But something isn't right. Then the small herd of cattle Bill had just counted is found wandering down a county highway. But there's no sign of cowpuncher Pat Gabaldon or his boss' $40,000 truck and livestock trailer. Forced into two tangled investigations, Bill faces one of the most complex cases in his 35-year career.
When a county employee is found shot to death in broad daylight while sitting in his county road grader, Undersheriff Bill Gastner is faced with puzzling questions. The simplest explanation - that an errant bullet from a careless target shooter's rifle blew out Larry Zipoli's brains - is soon discarded. The fatal bullet shows no rifling marks, and investigation reveals that the shooter walked directly toward the road grader, in full view of the victim - who did nothing to defend himself. In addition to the demands of the investigation, Gastner learns that Sheriff Eduardo Salcido has hired a new deputy without discussing the matter with his undersheriff. And Gastner learns that the new hire is destined to be the fi rst female road patrol deputy in the history of Posadas County. Thus begins Gastner's relationship with Estelle Reyes, whose shrewd observations shed important light on a crime that rattles all kinds of skeletons lurking in Posadas County closets.
Next book in the Posadas County Mystery Series "If you haven't yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!"—Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author One blizzardy New Mexico night, Posadas County Deputy Pasquale picks up a toddler abandoned along the shoulder of State 56... And as more disturbing cases pile up, the Sheriff's Department find themselves caught in a dangerous web of deceit Deputy Pasquale is horrified, but it seems like a cut and dry case: the father is arrested, and that should be that. But when the man is later found murdered, it's clear something is afoot. Meanwhile, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman's search for a missing US Forest service range tech results in the discovery of a corpse on the county line. With one person still missing and two dead, it's clear there are dark powers at play. And the irony of so much wickedness at the holidays is not lost on anyone. The Sheriff's Department is stretched to its limits as its dedicated personnel juggle working cases and wrangling their own relationships and families. In this addition to the Posadas County Mysteries, family dynamics heighten the tension of a dangerous criminal case as Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman and the whole department work to pull the right threads out of a tangle of seemingly small lies. And as harrowing details come to light, it becomes apparent that justice for all will prove elusive. Steven F. Havill's acclaimed series is: Perfect for fans of C.J. Box and Michael McGarrity For readers who enjoy police procedurals and Southwest desert mysteries
Alan Saxon, pro golfer and amateur sleuth, has hit rock bottom. After a disastrous season on the golf circuit, he is hounded by his bank, harassed by his ex-wife and on the verge of losing his current girlfriend. So, when his friend and fellow pro golfer, Zuke Everett, invites him to trade another dreary English winter for a tournament at the posh new Golden Haze Golf Club in sunny California, he leaps at the chance. However, Saxon soon finds himself enmeshed in a tenacious web of violence and intrigue as he attempts to find his friend's killer and free himself from suspicion. Beatings, betrayal and police badgering are par for this, the most treacherous course of Saxon's life. Double Eagle, Miles' second Saxon mystery, with its clever plotting, humor and breathless suspense, will delight readers—whether they golf or not.
“Immensely likable” New Mexico sheriff Bill Gastner returns in a tale of suspicious deaths and dirty politics (Publishers Weekly). A well-seasoned sixty-nine, Sheriff Bill Gastner knows his Posadas, New Mexico, territory as well as he understands the foibles of the human condition. So when a backhoe crushes a man to death, it’s more instinct than fact that leaves him feeling there’s more to this “accident” than meets the eye. Adding to his problems, anonymous letters charging his best deputy, Tom Pasquale, with hustling Mexican nationals for cash are being dispatched around town. Gastner takes this one personally; he’s fond of his deputy, but he does want the truth. He also knows it’s an election year and dirty politics can happen anywhere. So can murder. Soon he’s got not just one but two dead bodies. And a strong desire to make sure that when he does retire, it’s not by way of a well-aimed bullet. . . . “Havill is every bit as good at evoking procedural detail as he is at capturing small-town ambience. This series continues to provide a vivid picture of change in rural America: small-town values under siege from within and without as a big-hearted sheriff tries to keep the peace one day at a time.” —Booklist “A consistently superior series.” ―Library Journal “If you haven’t yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!” —Anne Hillerman, New York Times–bestselling author of Lost Birds
Former Posadas County Sheriff Bill Gastner, now a New Mexico Livestock Inspector, is enjoying a day on Herb Torrance's ranch - soaking in the sun, counting a small herd of cattle, and thinking about meeting an old friend back in town for lunch. But suddenly a light breeze stirs the dust, a horse spooks, and Bill finds himself ferrying a broken cowpuncher in the back of his SUV, headed out to meet an ambulance. Moments later, Bill's day goes from bad to worse. He is summoned by undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman to investigate an unattended death. Too impatient to wait for Bill, his friend George Payton decided to eat lunch on his own. A couple of bites later, he collapsed - dead of an apparent heart attack. But something isn't right. Then the small herd of cattle Bill had just counted is found wandering down a county highway. But there's no sign of cowpuncher Pat Gabaldon or his boss' $40,000 truck and livestock trailer. Forced into two tangled investigations, Bill faces one of the most complex cases in his 35-year career.
Parked high on a side road on the flank of the second highest peak in the San Cristobal mountains, peacefully surveying what soon would no longer be his responsibility as a sheriff, almost-seventy Bill Gastner could think that the night would be without incident. He'd be wrong. He doesn't foresee that a car full of alcohol-inspired adolescents would run into his automobile. Nor that the driver would take off and disappear in the nearby woods. Far from uneventful, this night turns out to be one of the toughest in Bill Gastner's many years as undersheriff and then sheriff in this sparsely populated border area of New Mexico. Gastner knows the young driver and his family - including the soon-to-be-sheriff, Bobby Torrez. Taken into custody from his home, the prisoner seems far too upset about being arrested. During the trip to the jail he makes a desperate attempt to flee again, an attempt that ends in his being hit and killed by an oncoming truck. Gastner has to dig deep to learn what is behind this tragic overreaction to a serious but unfortunately common DWI arrest. With the imminent election, the visit of Gastner's former deputy with her surgeon husband and their two very active young ones and the near riot the dead youth's neighbors stage when his father dies suddenly, the sheriff's last few days in office are not as uneventful as he had hoped. But Gastner stoically retrieves the law-enforcement tools he has packed away, including his talent for detection, his diplomacy, and his just plain common sense. He has used them all successfully for many years, and it's a joy to watch him use them one more time.
Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is always busy, but now more so 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. The sixth in the Posadas County Mystery series.
Second book in the Posadas County Mystery Series "Havill delivers an evocative tale of hard lives on the edge of society. His portly detective is a genuine low-key pleasure."—Publishers Weekly When Undersheriff Bill Gastner heads to New Mexico's mountains for some respite, the last thing he expects to find is a dead body. But he's a cop through-and-through, and he can't let a criminal walk... Aging Posadas County Undersheriff Bill Gastner has weathered his quadruple bypass and is taking a rare vacation up in New Mexico's northern mountains. He's escaping meddlesome medical providers and small town gossip, but he's looking forward to reconnecting with his former detective Estelle Reyes who is working in San Estevan County. Arriving a day early at the Steamboat Rock Campground, his camping plans are interrupted by sirens. Suddenly, Gastner, Reyes, and her new doctor husband reunite over the body of a pregnant young woman. At first the detectives assume she was a hit-and-run victim. Then the medical exam reveals she was instead thrown from a moving vehicle after a rape attempt. Gastner's curiosity is piqued but he's on vacation—he should leave the case up to local law enforcement. Then four more deaths follow and the still-to-be-reckoned-with lawman steps in to stop the rash of murders.... He's not in Posadas County, but Undersheriff Bill Gastner can't ignore an unsolved case when a body turns up in the New Mexico mountains. Steven F. Havill's next police procedural finds the aging undersheriff taking on a disturbing case far from home. Check out the acclaimed series: Perfect for fans of C.J. Box and Michael McGarrity For readers who enjoy police procedurals and Southwest desert mysteries
If what you're hiding is motive, Gastner will ferret it out and do what needs to be done. An outstanding mystery." --Booklist starred review Posadas Register reporter Linda Real barely survives her nighttime patrol with one of Undersheriff Bill Gastner's deputies. He is killed by a more accurate shotgun blast than the one that ruins her face. Teamed with his intuitive, observant detective Estelle Reyes-Guzman and her usual sharp eye for physical evidence, Bill implicates Tammy Woodruff, the thrill-seeking daughter of the local Republican County Chairman, in the brutal assault. Before he can interrogate her, though, Tammy hightails it. Soon she is found crushed to death after her truck goes off the road while she's loaded with booze - in fact, far too much alcohol, for anyone to have consumed....
Bill Gastner, Undersheriff of Posadas County, New Mexico, is about to lose his valuable deputy when she goes to Minnesota with her doctor husband. Then his life becomes even more complicated when his boss, the sheriff, dies in a private plane crash piloted by his brother-in-law. Questions about why the men were flying (the sheriff hated to fly), especially in bad weather are overshadowed when the coroner finds that the pilot was killed by gun shots originating from the ground....
1892: Busy stitching and bandaging lumberjacks' injuries, young Dr. Thomas Parks has no idea that his worst enemy is lurking in the sleepy village of Port McKinney. When one of the working girls at the Clarissa Hotel is brought to the Clinic desperately ill, Thomas' newly arrived associate wastes no time in making the diagnosis - Asian Cholera has somehow found this backwater near Puget Sound. The cholera strikes viciously and kills in days, sometimes even hours. It soon becomes apparent that Thomas and his clinic have neither the supplies nor the means to provide effective treatment for the outbreak, and in hours, they are swamped. Afraid for the safety of his wife and daughter and all those close to him, Thomas is still driven by professional curiosity about the contagion's origins, especially when it appears that one of his own nurses is in some way responsible. Before he can mount a truly effective defense, the battle spreads, threatening the very life of the village...
A man's body is found in the unforgiving New Mexico desert, his face so smashed that identification is impossible. It's the beginning of a brutal murder spree that will soon take Posadas County's new undersheriff, Estelle Reyes-Guzman, into a case that has roots on both sides of the border. With retired Sheriff Bill Gastner—now a livestock inspector for the state—still close at hand to offer unerring logic and horse sense, Reyes-Guzman attempts to identify the "Juan" Doe. Another body turns up in a shallow grave, revealing little about the killer, but more about the victims. And when a suspicious fire takes a third life, the terrible twist finally offers the break Estelle has been looking for, one that will lead her back into a harsh, merciless desert where death welcomes all.
Octogenarian former sheriff Bill Gastner and Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman investigate a puzzling double murder in this twisty, page-turning instalment in the critically acclaimed Posadas County mystery series "If you haven't yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!" Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author The morning after his eighty-seventh birthday bash, former Posadas County sheriff Bill Gastner drives past a couple of vehicles stopped on the highway shoulder. It's not an unusual sight: a sheriff's patrol unit, emergency lights ablaze, pulled in behind a pickup truck. The female deputy hasn't radioed for backup. But there's something about the scene that makes him feel uneasy. The next day, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is called to a rather more dramatic and disturbing roadside scene, with the same truck the star of the show. But this time, its occupant is in no fit state to talk - his dead body stabbed through the chest with a Ka-Bar, a second corpse in the ditch beside the car. What happened to the two men? And what were the dead man and the deputy discussing in the quiet of pre-dawn the previous day? The truth is more twisty and complex than even Estelle and her long-standing friend and former colleague Bill are ready for, and it will take all their combined years of experience to untangle the sorry tale and ensure justice is served. Fans of CJ Box, Anne Hillerman and Terry Shames will love this thrilling, small-town Western mystery set in New Mexico, as will readers who love strong female protagonists and retired sleuthing heroes.
Good cops have no use for coincidence When a driver slams his pickup truck—twice—into a tandem bike being ridden by Carlos Guzman and his fiancée, Tasha, in Briones, California, it's more than a simple hit-and-run; the driver clearly intended to harm them. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman gets the call with the news of her son's accident and wastes no time racing to his side. She is greeted by Police Captain Eddie Mitchell, formerly of Posadas County, who allows Estelle to "consult" on the investigation—but only to a point. While Carlos struggles with critical injuries, an employee at the bike shop where Carlos bought the tandem is found shot dead in a dumpster—the same man who had borrowed the truck that mowed down Carlos and Tasha. The local cops aren't convinced there's any connection between the two crimes. Not a believer in coincidence, Estelle pursues every possible angle with a cop's determination to solve the case, and a mother's resolve to keep her son safe at any cost.
A motel parking lot turns into a crime scene. It appears retired chief-of-police Eduardo Martinez had an exchange with two men and then collapsed. An out-of-town couple were the only witnesses, but something seems off in their story.
Next book in the Posadas County Mystery Series Posadas County Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman has a lot on her plate—but when her family is threatened by a criminal underworld, she'll stop at nothing to protect her own Gifted fifteen-year-old Francisco Guzman has become an internationally renowned concert pianist, touring the world under the auspices of his music conservatory. That gives his mother, Posadas County Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, plenty of reason to worry—and that's magnified when she learns that he's in Mexico's crime-ridden Mazatlan for a concert series where he may be the target for scam artists and kidnappers. Estelle's worries go from bad to worse when her uncle surfaces in the small town to mend family ties and leaves a trail of corpses in his wake. Meanwhile, escalating events put Sheriff Bobby Torrez in jeopardy—and with a criminal willing to openly attack local law enforcement, the citizens of Posadas County are in incredible danger. And just when his sage advice might be most useful, former county sheriff and family friend Bill Gastner is injured and out of commission. As the situation on both sides of the border heats up, the inevitable outcome grows more and more deadly. In Blood Sweep, the next title in Steven F. Havill's Posadas County Mysteries, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman's past will come back to haunt her. Can she keep Posadas County safe from it? This acclaimed series is: Perfect for fans of C.J. Box and Michael McGarrity For readers who enjoy police procedurals and Southwest desert mysteries
Savvy storytelling infused with a spicy Southwestern setting. "Not only does Havill offer a melancholy reinterpretation of that grand western myth of the slow-talking, fast-thinking lawman, he also writes crisp, marvelously detailed police procedurals in which a mix of technical know-how and informed common sense gets things done."—Booklist Bill Gastner is going crazy recuperating from heart surgery. Dreaming of green chili, he's rescued by a phone call from back home. The Undersheriff arrives in Posadas County only to learn that his own home has been burgled. Moreover, Gastner finds his cranky ancient neighbor Florencio Apodaca has borrowed a bit of land to bury his equally ancient wife—and the dead woman's stepson questions if she died a natural death. Meanwhile a young boy out camping has vanished from atop Cat Mesa. A stringent search convinces Bill, his treasured deputy Estelle Reyes-Guzman, and Sheriff Martin Holman that the boy has been spirited away. Poisoned Pen Press has republished the five earlier novels in Steven Havill's carefully, cleverly detailed police procedural series richly redolent of southern New Mexico.
Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman looks for a motive that might connect a competitor found dead on the trail of a 100-mile bicycle race through Posadas County and the three bodies shot to death execution-style at a remote New Mexico airstrip.
Third book in the Posadas County Mystery Series "Gastner is an incisive investigator whose two most valuable qualities are compassion and insomnia. Unlike other fictional detectives who approach murder as a personal affront, Gastner sees himself as the victims' advocate, striving to even the scales of justice for those no longer able to do it themselves."—Booklist When two baffling crimes strike Posadas County, New Mexico, Undersheriff Bill Gastner knows they're connected somehow. But as the case heats up he may have to call in reinforcements... Bill Gastner, Undersheriff of Posadas County, may be getting on in years, but he's still as sharp as any other small town sheriff. When he gets a call that an elderly schoolteacher was found dead at the bottom of her basement stairs, he suspects it wasn't an accident. Something strange is going on... He's also sure that elderly Reuben Fuentes knows nothing about the bodies scattered on his dusty, southern New Mexico ranch. Although the other county sheriffs want to arrest Fuentes and be done with the case, Bill isn't convinced. No spring chicken himself, Bill summons his former deputy, Estelle Reyes-Guzman, from Mexico to help clear the old man of suspicion. She's used to handling people who call her a 'lady cop' and can take anything thrown her way. Eventually this generation-spanning law enforcement team finds a thread tying all the crimes together—a killer with no conscience. In this thrilling addition to Steven F. Havill's posadas County Mystery Series, Undersheriff Bill Gastner will have to rely on former deputy Estelle Reyes-Guzman to help him unravel a harrowing case that spans all of Posadas County. Check out the iconic series: Perfect for fans of C.J. Box and Michael McGarrity For readers who enjoy police procedurals and Southwest desert mysteries
Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is called in to investigate a scene of domestic violence, but she becomes suspicious of an outside assailant when the family's next-door neighbor disappears.
Estelle Reyes-Guzman plunges into her new job as undersheriff of Posadas county and the action never stops. In this second adventure, she must deal with the disappearance of the local insurance broker.
Steven F. Havill has been delighting readers with Undersheriff Bill Gastner for years. In this eighth book in a series full of authentic New Mexico flavor, 69 year-old Bill Gastner takes on the job of sheriff of Posadas County. It's a relatively rural area near the Mexican border and is sparsely populated, but crime, as Gastner well knows, can grow and flourish anywhere. The first problem he faces is the appearance an anonymous letter. The letter alleges that Gastner's deputy, Thomas Pasquale is stopping Mexican nationals and demanding money before they can go back over the border. Then other people come forward, saying that they also received the letter. It's a dilemma for the sheriff. He doesn't want to accuse the young deputy and find he's innocent; he doesn't want to let him go unpunished if he's guilty. Gastner decides to investigate the matter for himself. Before he can get to it, however, Gastner is called to the scene of a bizarre accident. A man had been fixing a tired on his backhoe when the chain holding the tire must have slipped. The tire dropped and crushed the man to death. The victim was Jim Sisson and he and his wife Grace were notorious for their marital spats-- the police had even been called to their home 3 times that same day. Grace refuses to say what the arguments were about saying that it was between her and Jim. As the investigation continues, it becomes clear that it wasn't an accident after all and Gastner tries to solve the case before another innocent life is lost.
Could anything get any worse for the Oracle Cafe owners, Nick and Julia Lambros, when rats appear in the Dumpster and moonshine turns up in the lettuce crates? Unfortunately, yes-when the health inspector who shuts them down is found dead!
Dennis Palumbo's Head Wounds is a spectacular ride." —THOMAS PERRY, New York Times bestselling author "This is a book that'll make you lock your doors and check your computer's security settings." —JOSEPH FINDER, New York Times bestselling author Psychologist Dr. Daniel Rinaldi consults with the Pittsburgh Police. His specialty is treating victims of violent crime—those who've survived an armed robbery, kidnapping, or sexual assault, but whose traumatic experience still haunts them. Head Wounds picks up where Rinaldi's investigation in Phantom Limb left off, turning the tables on him as he, himself, becomes the target of a vicious killer. "Miles Davis saved my life." With these words Rinaldi becomes a participant in a domestic drama that blows up right outside his front door, saved from a bullet to the brain by pure chance. In the chaos that follows, Rinaldi learns his bad-girl, wealthy neighbor has told her hair-triggered boyfriend Rinaldi is her lover. As things heat up, Rinaldi becomes a murder suspect. But this is just the first act in this chilling, edge-of-your-seat thriller. As one savagery follows another, Rinaldi is forced to relive a terrible night that haunts him still. And to realize that now he—and those he loves—are being victimized by a brilliant killer still in the grip of delusion. Determined to destroy Rinaldi by systematically targeting those close to him—his patients, colleagues, and friends—computer genius Sebastian Maddox strives to cause as much psychological pain as possible, before finally orchestrating a bold, macabre death for his quarry. How ironic. As Pittsburgh morphs from a blue-collar town to a tech giant, a psychopath deploys technology in a murderous way. Enter two other figures from Rinaldi's past: retired FBI profiler Lyle Barnes, once a patient who Rinaldi treated for night terrors; and Special Agent Gloria Reese, with whom he falls into a surprising, erotically charged affair. Warned by Maddox not to engage the authorities or else random innocents throughout the city will die, Rinaldi and these two unlikely allies engage in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game with an elusive killer who'll stop at nothing in pursuit of what he imagines is revenge. A true page-turner, Head Wounds is the electrifying fifth in a critically acclaimed series of thrillers by Dennis Palumbo. Formerly a Hollywood screenwriter, Dennis Palumbo is now a licensed psychotherapist in private practice.
Havill...quietly continues a project virtually unique in detective fiction: anchoring his tales of crime and punishment as closely as possible in the rhythms of small-town friends, routines, and calamities." --Kirkus Reviews Rolling stone Wesley Crocker seems a harmless enough free spirit when Posadas County Undersheriff Bill Gastner offers him a lift on the road and spots him a free dinner. Crocker beds down for the night with his gear on the high-school athletic field. By morning, 13-year-old Maria Ibarra is found under the high-school football bleachers a few feet away and Crocker goes straight to jail. His account of how he passed the night is full of enough holes to keep him locked down, but meanwhile a background check on Maria raises troubling questions about her life....
Next book in the Posadas County Mystery Series When a series of minor crimes culminate in murder, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman will have to partner with a retired sheriff to get to the bottom of the case Posadas County, New Mexico, is in the news. NightZone, a mammoth astronomy theme park, is bringing in jobs, media, and much-needed new infrastructure. The property's recently been vandalized, but that's hardly a concern for the county. Plus, the Posadas High School girls' volleyball team is on a hot winning streak, exciting everyone. But more news, not good, breaks. Volleyball Coach Clint Scott has been found gunned-down by the high school, a bullet fired nearly point blank into his heart. A partially finished piece of graffiti outside the school implies that there is a witness, but law enforcement has no idea who it could be. And the next morning, a former volleyball star disappears without a trace—the two instances must be connected, but why? The lead on the murder is Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, a "lady cop" who's earned the trust of Posadas County. Still, she calls on the retired small town sheriff, Bill Gastner to assist with the baffling investigation. They'll need to track a slippery witness and nab the killer before the town's panic spirals out of control or another person is hurt. When the murder of one of their own shakes up Posadas County, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman takes on a series of baffling mysteries to make her town safe again. This acclaimed mystery series is: Perfect for fans of C.J. Box and Michael McGarrity For readers who enjoy police procedurals and Southwest desert mysteries
Good cops have no use for coincidence When a driver slams his pickup truck—twice—into a tandem bike being ridden by Carlos Guzman and his fiancée, Tasha, in Briones, California, it's more than a simple hit-and-run; the driver clearly intended to harm them. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman gets the call with the news of her son's accident and wastes no time racing to his side. She is greeted by Police Captain Eddie Mitchell, formerly of Posadas County, who allows Estelle to "consult" on the investigation—but only to a point. While Carlos struggles with critical injuries, an employee at the bike shop where Carlos bought the tandem is found shot dead in a dumpster—the same man who had borrowed the truck that mowed down Carlos and Tasha. The local cops aren't convinced there's any connection between the two crimes. Not a believer in coincidence, Estelle pursues every possible angle with a cop's determination to solve the case, and a mother's resolve to keep her son safe at any cost.
Dennis Palumbo's Head Wounds is a spectacular ride." —THOMAS PERRY, New York Times bestselling author "This is a book that'll make you lock your doors and check your computer's security settings." —JOSEPH FINDER, New York Times bestselling author Psychologist Dr. Daniel Rinaldi consults with the Pittsburgh Police. His specialty is treating victims of violent crime—those who've survived an armed robbery, kidnapping, or sexual assault, but whose traumatic experience still haunts them. Head Wounds picks up where Rinaldi's investigation in Phantom Limb left off, turning the tables on him as he, himself, becomes the target of a vicious killer. "Miles Davis saved my life." With these words Rinaldi becomes a participant in a domestic drama that blows up right outside his front door, saved from a bullet to the brain by pure chance. In the chaos that follows, Rinaldi learns his bad-girl, wealthy neighbor has told her hair-triggered boyfriend Rinaldi is her lover. As things heat up, Rinaldi becomes a murder suspect. But this is just the first act in this chilling, edge-of-your-seat thriller. As one savagery follows another, Rinaldi is forced to relive a terrible night that haunts him still. And to realize that now he—and those he loves—are being victimized by a brilliant killer still in the grip of delusion. Determined to destroy Rinaldi by systematically targeting those close to him—his patients, colleagues, and friends—computer genius Sebastian Maddox strives to cause as much psychological pain as possible, before finally orchestrating a bold, macabre death for his quarry. How ironic. As Pittsburgh morphs from a blue-collar town to a tech giant, a psychopath deploys technology in a murderous way. Enter two other figures from Rinaldi's past: retired FBI profiler Lyle Barnes, once a patient who Rinaldi treated for night terrors; and Special Agent Gloria Reese, with whom he falls into a surprising, erotically charged affair. Warned by Maddox not to engage the authorities or else random innocents throughout the city will die, Rinaldi and these two unlikely allies engage in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game with an elusive killer who'll stop at nothing in pursuit of what he imagines is revenge. A true page-turner, Head Wounds is the electrifying fifth in a critically acclaimed series of thrillers by Dennis Palumbo. Formerly a Hollywood screenwriter, Dennis Palumbo is now a licensed psychotherapist in private practice.
No crime is forgiven, and no mistake overlooked in this new addition to the critically acclaimed Posadas County Mystery series... When a developer shows up in Posadas County, the locals get nervous. The small town along the southern border of New Mexico has enjoyed a surge in visitors, jobs, and prosperity since rancher Miles Waddell opened an eco-friendly complex. But then the developer buys land just next door, with plans for a project that will threaten the county's newfound success. Tension is at an all-time high when someone shoots up the newsroom—and then the developer is found dead at the base of a cliff. Sheriff Bob Torrez and Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman know these events are all too convenient and bloody not to be connected. With support from Bill Gastner—an old Western sheriff straight out of the movies—the partners dive into a heated investigation. But as the case gets personal, the two will have to untangle a web of convoluted evidence before the community turns on itself. Readers of C. J. Box and Anne Hillerman will be riveted by this female protagonist thriller set in the rural, rugged Southwest. The newest of Steven F. Havill's Western mysteries and thrillers will lead you down trails of danger and deceit... But will one of these paths lead to justice? "The Posadas County that Havill has created is so tangible, you feel that if you walked down its streets, you would be greeted by old friends."—Bookreporter "Less Than A Moment reveals Posadas' sense of small-town life through the conversations of multiple characters and by rolling them into the narrative, whether they're related or unrelated to the crimes."—Albuquerque Journal
Savvy storytelling infused with a spicy Southwestern setting. "Not only does Havill offer a melancholy reinterpretation of that grand western myth of the slow-talking, fast-thinking lawman, he also writes crisp, marvelously detailed police procedurals in which a mix of technical know-how and informed common sense gets things done."—Booklist Bill Gastner is going crazy recuperating from heart surgery. Dreaming of green chili, he's rescued by a phone call from back home. The Undersheriff arrives in Posadas County only to learn that his own home has been burgled. Moreover, Gastner finds his cranky ancient neighbor Florencio Apodaca has borrowed a bit of land to bury his equally ancient wife—and the dead woman's stepson questions if she died a natural death. Meanwhile a young boy out camping has vanished from atop Cat Mesa. A stringent search convinces Bill, his treasured deputy Estelle Reyes-Guzman, and Sheriff Martin Holman that the boy has been spirited away. Poisoned Pen Press has republished the five earlier novels in Steven Havill's carefully, cleverly detailed police procedural series richly redolent of southern New Mexico.
If what you're hiding is motive, Gastner will ferret it out and do what needs to be done. An outstanding mystery." --Booklist starred review Posadas Register reporter Linda Real barely survives her nighttime patrol with one of Undersheriff Bill Gastner's deputies. He is killed by a more accurate shotgun blast than the one that ruins her face. Teamed with his intuitive, observant detective Estelle Reyes-Guzman and her usual sharp eye for physical evidence, Bill implicates Tammy Woodruff, the thrill-seeking daughter of the local Republican County Chairman, in the brutal assault. Before he can interrogate her, though, Tammy hightails it. Soon she is found crushed to death after her truck goes off the road while she's loaded with booze - in fact, far too much alcohol, for anyone to have consumed....
Next book in the Posadas County Mystery Series "If you haven't yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!"—Anne Hillerman, New York Times bestselling author One blizzardy New Mexico night, Posadas County Deputy Pasquale picks up a toddler abandoned along the shoulder of State 56... And as more disturbing cases pile up, the Sheriff's Department find themselves caught in a dangerous web of deceit Deputy Pasquale is horrified, but it seems like a cut and dry case: the father is arrested, and that should be that. But when the man is later found murdered, it's clear something is afoot. Meanwhile, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman's search for a missing US Forest service range tech results in the discovery of a corpse on the county line. With one person still missing and two dead, it's clear there are dark powers at play. And the irony of so much wickedness at the holidays is not lost on anyone. The Sheriff's Department is stretched to its limits as its dedicated personnel juggle working cases and wrangling their own relationships and families. In this addition to the Posadas County Mysteries, family dynamics heighten the tension of a dangerous criminal case as Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman and the whole department work to pull the right threads out of a tangle of seemingly small lies. And as harrowing details come to light, it becomes apparent that justice for all will prove elusive. Steven F. Havill's acclaimed series is: Perfect for fans of C.J. Box and Michael McGarrity For readers who enjoy police procedurals and Southwest desert mysteries
Next book in the Posadas County Mystery Series "This is one of the very best entries in a consistently excellent series."—Booklist STARRED review When County Sheriff Bill Gastner retired from Posadas County, Deputy Robert Torrez rose through ranks of small town law enforcement. But what were Torrez's first days as a rookie officer like? It's 1986. Undersheriff Bill Gastner is enjoying his usual insomnia alone inside his old adobe when jolted by a horrendous noise. Dreading what he will find, he hastens to the nearby interstate exit where a violent crash has occurred. Not only is the vehicle that struck the support pillars totaled and the driver and a passenger crushed inside, a dead boy has been ejected. As the appalled Gastner recognizes the youth and swings into action, the first deputy to join him at the scene is rookie Robert Torrez, the department's newest hire. Before Gastner can head him off, Torrez sees that the boy is his spirited younger brother. And the girl crushed inside the SUV is a younger sister. The driver of the Suburban, also dead, is the assistant District Attorney's teenaged son. Two local family tragedies. A shaken couple reports that when the Suburban, careening at nearly 100 miles an hour, passed them on the interstate, activity inside hinted at its occupants' panic. Were the three dead kids running from someone? Further investigation reveals that a fourth teen should have been in the vehicle, but is now missing. Where had the four kids been? And why? In this riveting addition to the Posadas County Mysteries, readers will get a glimpse into Deputy Robert Torrez's first big case. Thrilling and emotionally propulsive, Easy Errors proves that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Steven F. Havill's acclaimed series is: Perfect for fans of C.J. Box and Michael McGarrity For readers who enjoy police procedurals and Southwest desert mysteries Praise for the Posadas County Mysteries: "Gastner is a unique and endearing protagonist who certainly deserves plenty of encores."—Booklist STARRED review for Heartshot "Full of bright local color and suffused with a compassionate understanding of human motivation, this intelligent, understated mystery deserves a wide and appreciative readership."—Publishers Weekly STARRED review for Out of Season "The Posadas County Mystery series notches its sixteenth with all its signature virtues intact: good writing, an unerring sense of place and a protagonist it's a pleasure to root for."—Kirkus Reviews STARRED review for The Fourth Time is Murder "If you haven't yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!"—ANNE HILLERMAN, New York Times bestselling author for Lies Come Easy
Gastner's capabilities are plausible for a septuagenarian, and Havill peoples the book with believable characters." —Publishers Weekly STARRED review What do you do when you inherit $330 million after taxes? If you're New Mexico rancher Miles Waddell, you build a dream. Waddell's dream is NightZone, an astronomy-based theme park complete with giant radio telescope, a bank of smaller scopes linked to a theater, five-star dining in a restaurant with retracting dome ceiling, a hotel/resort, tram car access, and a narrow gauge steam locomotive to carry tourists to the mesa top. But the dream becomes a nightmare when two eco-terrorists chain-saw down power lines that feed the development. One of them is killed by a bucking power pole; the other escapes by car. From 20 miles away, retired Posadas Sheriff William K. Gastner spots a pair of headlights as the dead man's companion speeds from the scene. Soon charges include murder when the fleeing conspirator is stopped by a cop and guns the lawman down. Hours later Gastner stops to assist Sgt. Jackie Taber during an unrelated traffic stop, and 74-year-old Gastner becomes the focus of a second investigation by the District Attorney and Sheriff's Department.
This annual selection guide covers new novels in the mystery fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, western fiction and romance genres. By identifying similarities in various books, it seeks to help readers to independently choose titles of interest published during 1995 - 1996. Entries are arranged by author within six genre sections, and provide: publisher and publication date; series name and number; description of characters; time/geographical setting; review citation; genre and setting notations; and related books.
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