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Steven Havill
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Privileged to Kill (Posadas County Mysteries Book 5) Kindle Edition

by Steven F. Havill (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 491 ratings

"Havill...quietly continues a project virtually unique in detective fiction: anchoring his tales of crime and punishment as closely as possible in the rhythms of small-town friends, routines, and calamities." --Kirkus Reviews

Rolling stone Wesley Crocker seems a harmless enough free spirit when Posadas County Undersheriff Bill Gastner offers him a lift on the road and spots him a free dinner. Crocker beds down for the night with his gear on the high-school athletic field. By morning, 13-year-old Maria Ibarra is found under the high-school football bleachers a few feet away and Crocker goes straight to jail. His account of how he passed the night is full of enough holes to keep him locked down, but meanwhile a background check on Maria raises troubling questions about her life....

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  1. Book 5 of 27
    Posadas County Mysteries
  2. Print length
    277 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Poisoned Pen Press
  5. Publication date
    June 30, 2012
  6. File size
    1.8 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bill Gastner can't sleep, eats way too much Mexican food and seems headed for a stroke. But in his fifth adventure (after Before She Dies), the aging undersheriff of Posadas County, N.M., labors 'round the clock to solve the mysterious death of a 15-year-old girl. Maria Ibarra's body was found under the high-school football field bleachers. The first suspect is Wesley Crocker, an itinerant bicyclist whom Gastner, out of kindness, had treated to a meal the previous night. Gastner feels certain that Crocker is innocent, a notion confirmed when an unknown motorist tries to run down the cyclist. Vanessa Davila, a friend of Maria's, flees when police question her. Then a bright, popular student is killed in a suspicious car accident. Like Gastner, readers may feel stymied until the last evidence turns up, but there is a cleverly planted clue in the early pages. A strong sense of place and tough but compassionate characters distinguish this series. Gastner and his valued friend, deputy Estelle Reyes-Guzman, pull the case together, while Estelle and her doctor husband urge the undersheriff to start caring for himself.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Wesley Crocker seems a harmless enough free spirit when Posadas County Under-sheriff Bill Gastner meets him for the first time and spots him a free dinner. But Gastner's judgment is questioned when the body of 13-year-old Maria Ibarra is found under the high-school football bleachers a few feet from Crocker's overnight campsite. Crocker's account of the evening is riddled with enough inconsistencies to make Gastner suspicious, but a background check of the victim's life raises other troubling issues, such as possible child abuse or exploitation by her classmates. The fifth Gastner mystery is a crystalline gem of dusty Arizona atmosphere, small-town personalities, and razor-sharp plotting. It also raises questions regarding the law--especially small-town law--and its attitudes toward the indigent, the homeless, and the privileged. Toss in Gastner, one of the most endearing mentors in crime fiction, for a mystery that is disarmingly simple on the surface but ultimately reveals surprising depth. Wes Lukowsky

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VPKQTF1
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Poisoned Pen Press (June 30, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 30, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 277 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1890208655
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 491 ratings

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Steven Havill

Steven Havill

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
491 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this mystery book for its inventive storylines with enough twists to keep them guessing, and they appreciate the well-developed characters, with one noting how the female detective is portrayed. The book is easy to read and adds to the enjoyment of the series, while one customer mentions how it captures the sights and lets the reader's mind fill in the colors.

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29 customers mention "Plot"29 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, praising its inventive storylines and good pacing with enough twists to keep readers guessing.

"...that, I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good crime story with likable characters and not a lot of blood shed and gore." Read more

"Good storytelling. Well thought out characters. Cleverly plotted story line...." Read more

"...The fun that makes them great is the story-line, the characters and their interaction...." Read more

"...I really enjoy how the plot develops. It's one of those books that is hard to put down until you reach the end." Read more

28 customers mention "Character development"28 positive0 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, with one customer noting how they move from book to book, and another appreciating how the female detective is portrayed.

"...Bill Gastner is a character not easily forgotten, and Estelle Reyes-Guzman is the perfect counterpart." Read more

"...this series to anyone who enjoys a good crime story with likable characters and not a lot of blood shed and gore." Read more

"The author creates great characters. The protagonists and secondary characters - and even the minor characters -are so well-written they feel like..." Read more

"...Cleverly plotted story line. Characters' thought processes, behavior and responses true to the time period." Read more

28 customers mention "Readability"28 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read, with one customer noting it's a great rainy day read.

"...Overall, these books are well written with interesting and inventive storylines...." Read more

"...and secondary characters - and even the minor characters -are so well-written they feel like real people, and I miss them when I finish a book." Read more

"I love the characters and the descriptive way the author has of introducing you to characters that flow through the entire series with an economy of..." Read more

"...He just keeps putting those great books out and obviously knows the desert he writes about...." Read more

14 customers mention "Series quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the series and find it fantastic, with one customer noting it's a perfect counterpart to the Posadas County Mysteries.

"...character not easily forgotten, and Estelle Reyes-Guzman is the perfect counterpart." Read more

"A very good additions to the series...." Read more

"...book, I have read several of Steven Havill's books and this is as good as the rest...." Read more

"...The Posadas County Mysteries would make a great tv series." Read more

12 customers mention "Enjoyment"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very enjoyable and say it adds to the series, keeping them interested throughout. One customer notes how it draws readers in, while another mentions how it puts them in the action.

"...This is a highly enjoyable series. And every book ends in such a way that you have to read the next one..." Read more

"...murder mystery book is one that starts off at a good pace, grabs the interest quickly and holds it there the entire time...." Read more

"...Each book is as enjoyable as the previous and you will be anticipating the next one as you finish the one you are reading. Give Havill a try!" Read more

"...one I gave him started quickly, but he soon learned to enjoy the people aspects of the events, not just the action...." Read more

4 customers mention "Visual quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the visual quality of the book, with one mentioning how it captures the sights and allows the reader's mind to fill in the colors, while another notes that the details have special significance.

"Havill really captures the sights and sounds of southern New Mexico...." Read more

"...He sketches in the town and people on the canvas and lets your mind fill in the color. I love these books!..." Read more

"...he describes so well without actually naming it, the detail has special significance for me...." Read more

"...As they put together the puzzle pieces, a fascinating picture emerges...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • NM Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great plot
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Havill really captures the sights and sounds of southern New Mexico. Bill Gastner is a character not easily forgotten, and Estelle Reyes-Guzman is the perfect counterpart.
    Helpful
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  • KarenC
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good series
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I am currently reading the final chapter in the Bill Gastner series. Overall, these books are well written with interesting and inventive storylines. I especially appreciate that there are few spelling or grammatical errors - too many e-books are a nightmare of mistakes that drive me crazy. The one thing that grates on me with this series is the character of Estelle Reyes-Guzman. While I appreciate the relationship she and Bill have established, it seems to me that the author just goes on and on about how wonderful and perfect this character is. I expect in her own series she must actually walk on water - if there's any to be found in Posadas, that is. Other than that, I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good crime story with likable characters and not a lot of blood shed and gore.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Pretzel Forty
    5.0 out of 5 stars Characters feel like my friends!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The author creates great characters. The protagonists and secondary characters - and even the minor characters -are so well-written they feel like real people, and I miss them when I finish a book.
    Helpful
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  • Patti Simons
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun of the Kill
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Good storytelling. Well thought out characters. Cleverly plotted story line. Characters' thought processes, behavior and responses true to the time period.
    Helpful
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  • Virginia Yank
    5.0 out of 5 stars A truly enjoyable book and series
    Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    These are not "Cliff Hangers" with lots of action and gun-play. Rather they are kind of like an English "cozy" set in Southwest. The crimes are interesting but not the stuff of thrillers and the conclusions are often anti-climatic. The fun that makes them great is the story-line, the characters and their interaction. I especially like the fact there is very little inter-personnel or inter-agency tension: They all, by and large, get along to get the job done (just like real life!)
    Helpful
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  • Kit Allan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Murder is Child's Play
    Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The people you would lest expect can be the most guilty. Life can be cruel. A new kid in town needs friends. But finding them is hard. A traveling man can be suspect, but not guilty.
    Helpful
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  • Shaw
    5.0 out of 5 stars Think this was one of my favorites!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I love the characters and the descriptive way the author has of introducing you to characters that flow through the entire series with an economy of words that nevertheless captures them so that you feel like you know these people. Like you live in the town with them. He sketches in the town and people on the canvas and lets your mind fill in the color. I love these books! I love the Sherriff and want to adopt him and bring him home with me ;)
    Helpful
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  • Gerald
    5.0 out of 5 stars Privilege to Kill
    Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Steven Havill is probably the most entertaining writer I've enjoyed in my 70 years. He just keeps putting those great books out and obviously knows the desert he writes about. Since I regularly go camping near the area he describes so well without actually naming it, the detail has special significance for me. The characters feel like they are your neighbors, if not part of your extended family. Truly great writing !!!
    One person found this helpful
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