There are 27 books in the Posadas County Mysteries series. The newest book is If It Isn't One Thing . . . .

1
Heartshot

Book cover of Heartshot

First book in the Posadas County Mystery Series
When a series of crimes disrupts the tranquil community in Posadas County, New Mexico, a group of small-town cops will have to fight for their lives to keep the county safe
Posadas County, New Mexico, has very few mean streets and no…

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2
Bitter Recoil

Bitter Recoil
Recovering from a double bypass, undersheriff Bill Gastner of Posadas County, New Mexico, becomes a reluctant hero as he investigates a series of crimes that have plagued the town.

3
Twice Buried

Twice Buried
When Bitter Recoil (SMP, 1992), Steven F. Havill's second book featuring Undersheriff Bill Gastner of Posadas County, New Mexico, appeared, The Armchair Detective declared, "Assuming [Gastner] can continue to survive bullets and cigarettes, we can hope for many more." Well, the bullets are still flying but it's been five months,…

4
Before She Dies

Before She Dies
Investigating a shooting that takes the life of a Posadas County deputy and wounds a young reporter, New Mexico Undersheriff Bill Gastner and his chief of detectives Estelle Reyes-Guzman have trouble finding clues

5
Privileged to Kill

Privileged to Kill
After giving the stranger with the flat tire a ride into town, Undersheriff Bill Gastner decides that Wesley Crocker is a good man, but after a child's body is found, he must prove to the sheriff that his instincts are correct

6
Prolonged Exposure

Prolonged Exposure
Recovering from surgery at his daughter's home in Michigan, Bill Gastner is called back to New Mexico because his house has been robbed, and when he arrives, he is stunned to also find a murder victim buried in his front yard.

7
Out of Season

Out of Season
Elderly Undersherrif Bill Gastner, in Posadas County, New Mexico, is about to lose his vaulable deputy when she goes to Minnesota with her doctor husband. But his life becomes far more complicated than the loss of Estelle when his boss, the sheriff, dies in a private plane crash piloted by…

8
Dead Weight

Book cover of Dead Weight
Steven F. Havill has been delighting readers with Undersheriff Bill Gastner for years. In this eighth book in a series full of authentic New Mexico flavor, 69 year-old Bill Gastner takes on the job of sheriff of Posadas County. It's a relatively rural area near the Mexican border and is…

9
Bag Limit

Bag Limit
Parked high on a side road on the flank of the second highest peak in the San Cristobal mountains, peacefully surveying what soon would no longer be his responsibility as a sheriff, almost-seventy Bill Gastner could think that the night would be without incident.

He'd be wrong. He doesn't foresee…

10
Red, Green, or Murder

Book cover of Red, Green, or Murder

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…

11
Scavengers

Book cover of Scavengers
With Scavengers, Steven Havill begins his new series featuring former Gastner deputy Estelle Reyes-Guzman. Estelle played a supporting role in the Gastner books, then left New Mexico to follow her surgeon husband to cold, cold Minnesota. Now she is back, welcomed by the whole department and already swamped in her…

12
A Discount for Death

Book cover of A Discount for Death
Another Posadas County mystery with Estelle Reyes-Guzman as the undersheriff, but with the ever more popular Bill Gastner peering out of the wings to which he dispatched himself upon retirement. Estelle's new job continues to be far from easy, and now she is faced the death of a young woman…

13
Convenient Disposal

Convenient Disposal
To most people, hat pins are vestiges of the past, used now only by elderly ladies who don't leave home without a hat. But recently the notion store in Posadas county has been doing a good business selling hat pins to teenaged girls.

There had been a fight--over a boy--and…

14
Statute of Limitations

Statute of Limitations
A call to her doctor husband is Estelle Reyes-Guzman's unwelcome reminder that it may be Christmas Eve, but it's still her job as undersheriff to deal with things not as pleasant as welcoming friends and relatives and listening to her two small boys put their storybook tales to music. Shortly…

15
Final Payment

Book cover of Final Payment
The rugged Cat Mesa country north of the village of Posadas is hosting the first annual Posadas 100, a cyclo-cross bicycle race that promises to attract more than 140 competitors. Despite enough injuries during the pre-race practice to promise a spectacular--and dangerous--race, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman has even more pressing concerns…

16
The Fourth Time is Murder

Book cover of The Fourth Time is Murder

Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is always busy, but now more so 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…

17
Double Prey

Book cover of Double Prey

"Havill is a master at using procedural details to expose the complexities of small-town relationships, but he also excels at drawing meaning from landscape." ―Booklist

A rattlesnake fang pegged in a teenager's eye is just the beginning of a spring day for Posadas County Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman. The injured lad's…

18
One Perfect Shot

Book cover of One Perfect Shot

When a county employee is found shot to death in sun-drenched daylight while sitting in his county road grader, Undersheriff Bill Gastner is faced with puzzling questions. The simplest explanation--that an errant bullet from a careless target shooter's rifle blew out Larry Zipoli's brains--is soon discarded as inconsistencies surface. The…

19
NightZone

Book cover of NightZone

"Gastner's capabilities are plausible for a septuagenarian, and Havill peoples the book with believable characters." ―Publishers Weekly STARRED review

What do you do when you inherit $330 million after taxes? If you're New Mexico rancher Miles Waddell, you build a dream. Waddell's dream is NightZone, an astronomy-based theme park complete…

20
Blood Sweep

Book cover of Blood Sweep

Next book in the Posadas County Mystery Series

Posadas County Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman has a lot on her plate―but when her family is threatened by a criminal underworld, she'll stop at nothing to protect her own

Gifted fifteen-year-old Francisco Guzman has become an internationally renowned concert pianist, touring the world…

21
Come Dark

Book cover of Come Dark

Next book in the Posadas County Mystery Series

When a series of minor crimes culminate in murder, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman will have to partner with a retired sheriff to get to the bottom of the case

Posadas County, New Mexico, is in the news.

NightZone, a mammoth astronomy theme park,…

22
Easy Errors

Book cover of Easy Errors

"This is one of the very best entries in a consistently excellent series." ―Booklist STARRED review

When the first Posadas County Mystery, Heartshot, published in 1991, Bill Gastner was the county Undersheriff. Over time Bill became Sheriff, then retired, and Robert Torrez took over the top spot. But what were…

23
Lies Come Easy

Book cover of Lies Come Easy

Best of the West 2019 - 3rd Place in 20th- to 21st-Century Western Mystery Fiction by TrueWest Magazine


One blizzardy New Mexico night, Posadas County Deputy Pasquale picks up a toddler scooting his Scamper along the shoulder of State 56.


Yes, it's horrifying - a child apparently dumped out of…

24
Less Than a Moment

Book cover of Less Than a Moment

No crime is forgiven, and no mistake overlooked in this new addition to the critically acclaimed Posadas County Mystery series...
When a developer shows up in Posadas County, the locals get nervous. The small town along the southern border of New Mexico has enjoyed a surge in visitors, jobs, and…

25
No Accident

Book cover of No Accident

Good cops have no use for coincidence
When a driver slams his pickup truck-twice-into a tandem bike being ridden by Carlos Guzman and his fiancee, Tasha, in Briones, California, it's more than a simple hit-and-run; the driver clearly intended to harm them. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman gets the call with the…