Red, Green, or Murder

By Steven Havill

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Release date: Nov 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9781615950836

Steven Havill

Steven F. Havill lives with his wife of fifty-three years, Kathleen, in New Mexico. He is the author of thirty-two novels, taught secondary schools for 25 years, and recently earned an AAS degree in gunsmithing.

Reviews for Red, Green, or Murder

[kaputy1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good mystery. Enjoyed the character. If you watch Longmire on TV, you will enjoy reading this book. Have another of his to read. Recommend

[condorena · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A friend of ex sheriff Bill Gastner has died in what may be suspicious circumstances and Bill is involves in helping solve the case, but he is often treated like he is fragile as well and this irks him.

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent new addition to this very enjoyable series.

[lesaholstine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Former Posadas County, New Mexico, Sheriff Bill Gastner retired, and is now working as a Livestock Inspector for the state. It’s a job that fits him. He can still visit friends, and he has a chance to travel the rural county. His knowledge of old friends, and the county, will stand him in good stead in this mystery.Gastner’s official visit to Herb Torrance’s ranch sends him hurtling toward an ambulance, carrying the rancher’s son, after the young man’s knee was crushed in an accident. That one accident allowed for the opportunity for two other tragedies.When Gastner was running late, due to the accident, he cancelled lunch with an old friend, George Payton. It wasn’t more than a couple hours before Bill received a phone call saying his protégée, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, wanted to see him at Payton’s house. Payton’s son-in-law found him dead, and, as much as Gastner, wanted to think the old man’s time was just up, Estelle thinks there is something suspicious about the death.If one incident wasn’t bad enough, Gastner received another phone call, saying Torrance’s cattle were in the road, herded by a dog. While the rancher was at the hospital with his son, his ranchhand disappeared, along with his truck, leaving the cattle and dog behind. Gastner, an old sheriff who knows people, doesn’t believe the young man would have left his dog behind, and he travels those familiar county roads, looking for evidence.Red, Green, or Murder is the sixteenth book in Havill’s Posadas County series. Havill does so many things well in his novels. His descriptions of the border county are vivid, showing the dry, empty land – “the broad sweep of the dry short bunch-grass prairie, rugged mesas with rims crumpling, arroyos so deep you could effortlessly hide a herd of cattle or a tractor trailer.” Havill understands the issues and politics of a border county, and those issues are vital to the storylines. The characters in this series, particularly Bill Gastner and Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, come alive, as police officers, and, as people. They are involved with the community, and their knowledge of the people assists in their cases. These are solid police procedurals, involving multiple investigations at the same time. Best of all, Havill’s Posados County mysteries, including this one, are riveting, well-developed stories.

[bettesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bill Gastner is back but not as Sheriff of Posadas County. He has retired from the Sheiff's Department and is now a New Mexico Livestock Inspector. Estelle Reyes-Guzman has come up from detective to Undersheriff. Bill is supposed to have lunch with his friend George Payton, but an accident at the ranch where he has been inspecting a small herd of cattle, has made him cancel. Instead Bill gets a call from Estelle to meet him over an unattended death in town (George's death). Together Bill and Estelle methodically seek the answer to why did George die? Who was responsible? I just found the Posada County Mysteries, I have only read Book 1 and now Book 10. I now need to read all that come between. Great mystery, great scenery, great characters.