Dead Weight

Written by Steven F. Havill

Narrated by Rusty Nelson

At a wellseasoned sixtynine, 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 wellaimed bullet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books in Motion
• Release date: Apr 15, 2004
• ISBN: 9781581169263

Reviews for Dead Weight

[Melissa Verett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This series continues to entertain with colorful characters and great stories. I find it hard to put it down, and I can’t wait for the next book.

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this series for its southern New Mexico setting, its well-crafted mysteries, and its ensemble cast. (Character-driven readers, take note!) There's something about mystery series involving small-town sheriffs in the western United States that seems to highlight how these people become a family, and Havill certainly knows how to use this to strengthen his story.In Dead Weight, there's also one-book wonder Carla Champlin, the landlady from hell. Whenever she makes an appearance, I was equal parts amused and appalled-- and I did like how her storyline ended.If there was an off note in this book, it was the fact that Havill spent a bit too long on trying to explain how someone could kill himself with a backhoe. I don't mind some technical stuff in order to solve a mystery, but when my eyes started to roll, I knew that part of the story had gone a bit overboard.Even if I do know more about backhoe-as-murder-weapon than I want, I still enjoyed this book. Any visit with Bill Gastner and his law enforcement family is to be looked forward to and savored. And I do!

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Solid, dependable author that always remembers to tell a good story. People it with lively characters in an interesting environment and you have a very good series. Several puzzles to be solved with some solid crime reconstruction maintain interest until the en