Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed on 9/7/2022 + 1031 more book reviews

Not 15th as PBS shows it, but 25th in the Posadas County series. Focused on the family of Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, so some familiarity with them is assumed, otherwise you'll be wondering how they can afford to rent a private jet. I have always enjoyed the small-town aspect of this series, but didn't mind the shift in scene that puts the action not too far from the San Francisco Bay area. I liked the multiplicity of theories they started out with, but I thought Havill guided the readers too far in one direction. I didn't think he'd be spoon-feeding us something obvious, and so it proves, but when the villain is uncovered it feels abrupt and without enough clues. I did like how Reyes-Guzman keeps a lot of thoughts to herself and how she navigates the jurisdictional minefield, but it would have been more believable for her to just lose it once or twice. Don't get me wrong, I love this series and I liked this one, but I had a feeling while reading that everything was shaded a little on the "too much" side. Red herrings, great, but there were a couple too many. Estelle has a great family, but during this stressful time, no one shows a flaw. Some cops too helpful, another cop too menacing. I am not sure where I'd rank this one, but not right near the top.

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