With his 15th mystery, “The Fourth Time is Murder,” author Steven Havill takes readers back to Posadas County, N.M. — population 7,500. The book opens with a grisly discovery. It appears that an unlucky driver hit a deer on Regál Pass, and his delivery truck tumbled down a rocky, steep hill, leaving his body undiscovered for more than 24 hours. And thus begins a story rife with complications, intrigue and international ramifications.
Havill has created a unique series, one that started with one protagonist and then deftly changed as a supporting character becoming the new hero. Originally, Havill’s series focused on Undersheriff Bill Gastner, who became the poster child for “gray Power.” After the death of the previous sheriff (shot out of the sky in 1999’s “Out of Season”), Gastner unwillingly became the new sheriff. As he got older and suffered age-related maladies, like heart attacks, Havill restructured the series as “Posadas County Mysteries.”
Posadas County Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is the new, “improved” main character. Gastner, 73, remains on the scene and is the regional livestock inspector for the state. He is also “Padrino,” or godfather, to Estelle’s two young sons, one of whom is a piano-playing/composing phenomenon.
In fact, it is 8-year-old Francisco who has brought Estelle and the entire staff of the Posadas Sheriff’s Department to the attention of the associate editor of a national women’s magazine. Being shadowed by a reporter working on a story just adds more stress to Estelle’s life, professionally and personally.
Havill has managed to change the gender, marital status, age, ethnicity and lifestyle of his hero without losing the charm, interest and appeal of the series. His refreshing approach is enhanced by a variety of well-written, quirky supporting characters and a challenging landscape set in a fascinating small, isolated town and county in southern New Mexico.
He then wraps each story with at least one event that changes — or ends — lives forever, and then serves as the jumping-off point for a riveting mystery.
Despite the small size and limited budget available to a remote and rural community, Posadas County is blessed with a conscientious and capable law-enforcement department. It is notable that there are a lot of women (four) on the roster of only 12; many of the officers are Hispanic.
One of Havill’s brilliant accomplishments is how he blends Mexican and Anglo cultures and characters. His dialogue sparkles with many Spanish words and phrases, and the occasional meal includes popular and tasty border staples. Green chile burritos are Gastner’s favorites, and they somehow manage to appear in each story.
Posadas County, located on the border between Mexico and the U.S., has residents who for centuries have crisscrossed the border constantly. Initially, rules were lax, and families were randomly spread on both sides of the border. That all changed after Sept. 11.
The harsh San Cristobal Mountains and the inhospitable location usually offer enough of a deterrent that illegal immigrants prefer their chances in Texas or Arizona, but as Estelle discovers, the times and conditions are changing. This revelation involving tiny Regál, population 41, located at the base of the pass and smack on the border, just adds to Estelle’s current worry and workload.
Estelle and the department try to identify the accident victim and explain some puzzling inconsistencies near the scene. Meanwhile, a deputy-involved shooting occurs back in the town of Posadas and puts a negative spotlight on the sheriff’s office.
When the accident investigation resumes, they discover that the young crash victim was from Las Cruces and had recently delivered an unusual number of award-winning prizes to three residents of Regál. The large number of winners attracts Estelle’s interest because, like most law enforcement officials, she doesn’t believe in coincidence. As Estelle continues her investigation, the mystery deepens and the net widens to include events in the U. S., Mexico and Canada.
Havill skillfully weaves his series through murder and sometimes mayhem. He also includes a well-oiled staff of law-enforcement personnel who respect each other and work well as a team. Havill manages to allow his heroes to have home lives that sometimes intersect with the action of the mystery.
Opening a new Havill mystery is like taking a much-anticipated visit home to see old friends. The fun is finding out just how much trouble they will get into this time — and who will survive until the next time.
Leslie Doran is a freelance writer in Durango.
