The Fourth Time Is Murder: A Posadas County Mystery (Posadas County Mysteries) - Hardcover

Havill, Steven F.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312380631 ISBN 13: 9780312380632

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2008

Synopsis

Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is always busy, but more so now than ever. The sheriff is still not completely recovered from his stay in the hospital, and she is recovering from a hospital stay herself. After a long day at work, Estelle is happy to clear off her desk and drive home, where her beloved family waits. She hears her cell phone ringing as she pulls into the driveway. A truck has gone off the road and the driver’s body found near the wreck. Back on the job, Estelle drives to the scene, where she finds more questions than answers.

Was the truck’s going over the hill really an accident? And why was there a single footprint on the man’s body? An autopsy spurs further puzzles.

Steven F. Havill paints a vivid portrait of this small New Mexico town in the sixth entry of this atmospheric, entertaining series.

About this title

About the Author:

Steven F. Havill is the author of the Sheriff Bill Gastner mysteries, as well as several Westerns. He lives with his wife, Kathleen, in Ratón, New Mexico.

From Booklist:

A man swerves to avoid a deer on a rain-slicked highway, flips over the guardrail, and plunges to his death. Posadas County, New Mexico, under-sheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman notices a suspicious footprint at the scene. The subsequent autopsy is troubling, too. The victim’s actual cause of death was drowning. Someone—probably Footprint—poured beer down the man’s throat until he drowned. A second tragedy follows close behind when a young illegal accidentally severs a femoral artery with a chainsaw and bleeds out in a remote area. In her investigation, Reyes-Guzman learns the crash victim was delivering “sweepstakes awards” to the locals in exchange for cash deposits to cover “handling charges and differences in the exchange rates.” The sixth Posadas County mystery featuring Reyes-Guzman—her predecessor, Bill Gastner, was featured in nine previous books—builds on the series’ strengths. The plot is revealed slowly and imaginatively. Reyes-Guzman is both an ambitious professional and family woman, forever fretting that she’s neglecting either the job or the family. And, as always, Havill insinuates small-town rhythms, prejudices, and concerns into the mix for a satisfying, intelligent mystery. --Wes Lukowsky

About this edition

• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0312380631
• ISBN 13: 9780312380632
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320