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Overview
When Posadas Register reporter Linda Real barely survives her nighttime patrol with one of Undersherrif Bill Gastner's deputies who is killed by a more accurate shotgun blast than the one that ruins her face, Bill gets angry. Teamed with his intuitive, observant detective Estelle Reyes-Guzman and her usual sharp eye for physical evidence, Bill implicates Tammy Woodruff, the thrill-seeking daughter of the local Republican County Chairman, in the brutal assault. Before he can interrogate her, though, she scoots. Soon Tammy is found crushed to death after her truck goes off the road while she's loaded with booze-too much alcohol, in fact, for anyone to hold...
Originally published in 1996 by St. Martin's Press, Before She Dies is the fourth Undersherrif Bill Gastner mystery following Poisoned Pen Press' releases of "Heartshot," "Bitter Recoil," and "Twice Buried."
Synopsis
When Posadas Register reporter Linda Real barely survives her nighttime patrol with one of Undersherrif Bill Gastner's deputies who is killed by a more accurate shotgun blast than the one that ruins her face, Bill gets angry. Teamed with his intuitive, observant detective Estelle Reyes-Guzman and her usual sharp eye for physical evidence, Bill implicates Tammy Woodruff, the thrill-seeking daughter of the local Republican County Chairman, in the brutal assault. Before he can interrogate her, though, she scoots. Soon Tammy is found crushed to death after her truck goes off the road while she's loaded with booze-too much alcohol, in fact, for anyone to hold...
Originally published in 1996 by St. Martin's Press, Before She Dies is the fourth Undersherrif Bill Gastner mystery following Poisoned Pen Press' releases of "Heartshot," "Bitter Recoil," and "Twice Buried."
Kirkus Reviews
Posadas County, New Mexico, can't be home to more than a few thousand souls, but Undersheriff Bill Gastner evidently knows them all and grieves like a father whenever trouble comes to any of them. This time murder strikes close to home when Posadas Register reporter Linda Real barely survives her nighttime patrol with Deputy Paul Enciños, who's killed by a more accurate shotgun blast. With the help of his observant, intuitive on-call detective Estelle Reyes-Guzman's usual sharp eye for physical evidence, Bill implicates recent DWI alumna Tammy Woodruff, thrill-seeking daughter of the local Republican County Chairman, in the brutal assault. Before he can interrogate Tammy, though, she's vanished; then she's crushed to death after her truck goes off the road while she's full of more alcohol than any driver could have held. Bill's compassion is so generous that you'll end up grieving just as much for the killer, when Bill finally runs him to ground, as for his victim.
The down side of Havill's affection for this pack of desert rats is that you meet an awful lot more of them than you can well keep straight. Maybe Bill's fifth case (Twice Buried, 1994, etc.) should include an appended map and phone directory.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"The Fourth Gastner case is easily the best, no small feat in a series as strong as this one. Gastner is compassionate, intelligent, bulldog tough, and emotional....An outstanding mystery." — BooklistKirkus Reviews
Posadas County, New Mexico, can't be home to more than a few thousand souls, but Undersheriff Bill Gastner evidently knows them all and grieves like a father whenever trouble comes to any of them. This time murder strikes close to home when Posadas Register reporter Linda Real barely survives her nighttime patrol with Deputy Paul Enciños, who's killed by a more accurate shotgun blast. With the help of his observant, intuitive on-call detective Estelle Reyes-Guzman's usual sharp eye for physical evidence, Bill implicates recent DWI alumna Tammy Woodruff, thrill-seeking daughter of the local Republican County Chairman, in the brutal assault. Before he can interrogate Tammy, though, she's vanished; then she's crushed to death after her truck goes off the road while she's full of more alcohol than any driver could have held. Bill's compassion is so generous that you'll end up grieving just as much for the killer, when Bill finally runs him to ground, as for his victim.The down side of Havill's affection for this pack of desert rats is that you meet an awful lot more of them than you can well keep straight. Maybe Bill's fifth case (Twice Buried, 1994, etc.) should include an appended map and phone directory.