Less Than a Moment

January 27, 2020
Havill’s rambling 24th mystery set in New Mexico’s Posadas County (after 2018’s Lies Come Easy) provides an update on Miles Waddel’s NightZone, his “astronomical mesa-top development,” complete with a planetarium, futuristic hotel, and five-star restaurant. The project, dedicated to ensuring a light pollution free zone, is now drawing birdwatchers and ecotourists from around the world. It has also attracted the attention of real estate entrepreneur Kyle Thompson, who has bought a large tract of adjoining land. The purchase has Waddel and most of the residents of the county worried, as the addition of new electric lights would destroy NightZone’s raison d’être. When Thompson’s body is found in a pool of blood at the bottom of a cliff, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman suspects he was murdered. The investigation goes down a bunch of false trails until a sudden, violent resolution. As usual, the main pleasure lies in time spent visiting old friends, like former sheriff Bill Gastner and Estelle’s large circle of family and friends. This isn’t the place to start for newcomers.

February 15, 2020
A poor New Mexico border county's residents are proud of an unusual tourist attraction and concerned about a possible new development that could threaten it, the jobs it provides, and ultimately the county's peace. Posadas County (Lies Come Easy, 2018, etc.) is home to NightZone, a combination of astronomical observatory, high-end hotel, restaurant, and walking trails that draws tourists from all over the world, most arriving on a purpose-built narrow-gauge train from the county seat. Taciturn sheriff Bobby Torrez sends his more socially adept undersheriff, Estelle Reyes-Guzman, to the county commissioners meeting, where developer Kyle Thompson, who just bought a large tract of land next to the observatory, is expected to make a presentation. Instead of coming, Kyle sends word that he wants to meet with Miles Waddell, who used part of the hefty fortune he inherited to finance NightZone and worries that a large development will ruin the near-total darkness the observatory needs. Eventually Kyle sends along his gun-toting wife, Lydia, who accepts Miles' offer of a room at NightZone, has a pleasant chat with Miles and Estelle, reveals nothing of Kyle's plans, but later tells Estelle that he doesn't want to ruin NightZone. The sheriffs have other fish to fry when a gunman shoots up the local newspaper office and wounds two workers. The weapon is a .22 aimed with precision from a stolen vehicle. Torrez suspects his wild nephew, Quentin, may be involved. That case pales when Kyle Thompson either falls or is pushed off a mesa to his death. The way his body lands indicates murder, and his wife isn't willing to leave the case to the police. Both Thompsons were New York State Police officers, so Lydia has investigative skills, but her pain may lead her into danger. The experienced sheriffs must unravel both cases in Havill's 24th Posadas mystery. A character-driven procedural that subordinates its mystery to a strong sense of place and family ties.

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