Prolonged Exposure

Product Description

Savvy storytelling infused with a spicy Southwestern setting.
“”Not only does Havill offer a melancholy reinterpretation of that grand western myth of the slow-talking, fast-thinking lawman, he also writes crisp, marvelously detailed police procedurals in which a mix of technical know-how and informed common sense gets things done.””–Booklist
Bill Gastner is going crazy recuperating from heart surgery. Dreaming of green chili, he’s rescued by a phone call from back home. The Undersheriff arrives in Posadas County only to learn that his own home has been burgled. Moreover, Gastner finds his cranky ancient neighbor Florencio Apodaca has borrowed a bit of land to bury his equally ancient wife–and the dead woman’s stepson questions if she died a natural death. Meanwhile a young boy out camping has vanished from atop Cat Mesa. A stringent search convinces Bill, his treasured deputy Estelle Reyes-Guzman, and Sheriff Martin Holman that the boy has been spirited away.
Poisoned Pen Press has republished the five earlier novels in Steven Havill’s carefully, cleverly detailed police procedural series richly redolent of southern New Mexico.
Look to Worldwide/Harlequin for Out of Season (0-373-26382-1) and to St. Martin’s for Dead Weight (0-312-25203-X) and in Nov. 2001, Bag Limit (0-312-25183-1).

Review

“…another excellent small-town caper in which common sense, compassion, loyalty, and decency are law enforcement’s primary tools against an increasingly brutal world. It’s a good thing Gastner has had his heart mended because it may be the biggest in contemporary crime fiction.” –
Booklist

“Fine storytelling married to a spicy Southwestern setting marks the latest Bill Gastner mystery…Gastner remains a solid center, using his knowledge and experience to good effect as the various cases of burglary, kidnapping and murder play out.” –
Publishers Weekly

“Crisp writing and clarity of focus make this a pleasure to read and essential for any collection.” –
Library Journal

About the Author

Steven F. Havill lives with his wife of more than forty years, Kathleen, in New Mexico. He is the author of more than twenty novels, taught secondary schools for 25 years, and recently earned an AAS degree in gunsmithing.