Known for his legendary insomnia it would surprise no one to learn that retired Posadas County sheriff William K. Gastner is out and about somewhere in the county in the long hours of the night. This February night at one in the morning finds him on a rim rock of Cat Mesa wrapped up in a blanket looking at the stars and thinking about Bennett's Trail and his recent discovery of a Colt single action revolver lodged in a nearby crevice. Along with the possible history of a legendary weapon, also on his mind is the upcoming concert by one of the children of Undersheriff Estelle Reyes Guzman and the fact that his small adobe home is going to serve as the host for the traveling faculty and stage crew in just a few days.
His thoughts are interrupted
by two flashes of light far to the south more than at least 20 miles away. Over
the next few minutes, Gastner sees what appears to be the start of a prairie wildfire
as well as a pair of headlights going north on County Road 14. Whomever is on
that stretch of gravel road seems to be fleeing where the building prairie wildfire
started. Bill Gastner calls it in and then, like the police officer he was and
to a certain extent still is, is drawn to where the action is as things rapidly
escalate. Before long, Gastner is being second guessed by those who should know
better, is a target of a psycho, and a wealthy rancher wants him for a job.
Everybody wants a piece of him while all Gastner wants to do is stay out of it
and listen to the music.
Steven F. Havill's latest in
the series now branded as The Posadas County Mysteries is
another good one. Gastner takes primary stage, as he used to when this series
first started with Heartshot, and reminds loyal readers just how
good he can be. Much like Sheriff Dan Rhodes as envisioned by Bill Crider or
Sheriff Walt Longmire by Craig Johnson, Bill Gastner is an old friend and very
much welcome companion.
Nightzone: The Posadas County
Mysteries reflects an author at the top of his game in a story that is
full throttle from start to finish. Featuring a number of characters long
familiar to series readers, the tale is of family just as much as crime. As
always, the author's love for the New Mexico landscape depicted in the
fictional Posadas County is clear and detailed in yet another simply great
read.
Nightzone: The Posadas County
Mysteries
Steven F. Havill
Poisoned Pen Press
October 2013
ISBN# 978-1-4642-0069-4
Hardback
305 Pages
$24.95
Material courtesy of the
good folks of the Haggard Branch of the Plano Texas Public Library System.
EDITORIAL NOTE: Barry Ergang is reading the first book, Heartshot, and alerted me to the fact that it is William C. Gastner in that book as opposed to the William K. Gastner here. A quick check on Amazon of both books verified the middle name discrepancy. I am not changing it here as I can only go by what the author wrote. No matter the middle name, these are great books and I strongly recommend this series.
EDITORIAL NOTE: Barry Ergang is reading the first book, Heartshot, and alerted me to the fact that it is William C. Gastner in that book as opposed to the William K. Gastner here. A quick check on Amazon of both books verified the middle name discrepancy. I am not changing it here as I can only go by what the author wrote. No matter the middle name, these are great books and I strongly recommend this series.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
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