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Steven F. Havill lives with his wife of more than forty years, Kathleen, in New Mexico. He is the author of more than twenty novels, taught secondary schools for 25 years, and recently earned an AAS degree in gunsmithing.
Solid addition to an excellent series. * NetGalley * Blood Sweep will demonstrate that idealistic visions can have their downside. A new attraction for tourists both interstate and international can attract more sinister visitors. Soon the Posadas body count will increase. Do not miss this one. It's a keeper! * The Adelaide * In Havill’s engrossing 20th mystery set in New Mexico’s Posadas County (after 2013’s NightZone), cop Estelle Reyes-Guzman is so busy that she can’t take the persistent phone calls from her local bank. When she finally does, she gets her first hint that something’s wrong. Estelle’s 99-year-old mother, Teresa Reyes, has requested a cashier’s check for $8,000 drawn from her savings account. Teresa says that a colleague of Estelle’s, a colonel in the Mexican judiciales, requested the money. To add to her worries, Estelle’s younger son tells her that a man claiming to be her uncle called looking for his niece. The story line is satisfyingly complex, but the novel’s great strength is its well- rendered setting, from the opening description of a silent, motionless antelope to the evocation of a dry riverbed. The concluding note of empathy for the many people trying to cross the border is moving without being heavy-handed. * Publisher's Weekly, starred review * Posadas County Sheriff Bobby Torrez is antelope hunting when a shot blows apart his telescopic sight. Was someone trying to kill him or just delivering a message? Meanwhile, Undersheriff Estelle eyes Guzman’s son, a 15-year-old pianist, is in Mazatalan, Mexico, for a concert. Crime is escalating in the once-picturesque city, so Estelle nears panic when her 90-year-old mother receives an anonymous call asking for $8,000. The tension escalates again when a body is found in a car, the circumstances suggesting that the victim knew his killer. There’s also some preliminary evidence the dead man may have been the shooter who took out Torrez’ lens. Are any of the incidents related? Havill, in his twentieth Posadas County mystery, will keep readers guessing. He’ll also have longtime readers holding their collective breath to learn the fate of the series’ original protagonist, Bill Gastner, now 76, who shatters a hip in a fall. The Posadas County mysteries are carefully plotted, subtly written, and populated by an endearing, evolving cast of characters. A worthy entry in a fine series that appeals equally to procedural fans and to those who favor mysteries with a small-town setting. -- Wes Lukowsky * Booklist *
