This was my first attempt into this series. It’s a little strange and gives a lot of information. This leaves the book very slow with a lot of details that don’t matter much.

Apparently this is book 27 so there are a lot more prior so I’m wonder if the writer started one way and just evolved over time with each book?

Maybe I’ll go back and try book 1

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

Book #27 in the Posadas County series. I cannot praise this series any higher. Set in Posadas County, New Mexico, just a few miles from the border with Mexico, the community and cast of characters have become highlights in my reading, I eagerly await each new book to find out what Undersheriff Estelle Guzman and company have found to bedevil their lives this time. From the first book, Heartshot, where we meet Undersheriff Bill Gastner who hires a young Estelle, to IF IT ISN'T ONE THING, which could be close to the end of the series, Steven Havill continues the excellent writing that pulls readers into their world and keeps their attention as the mysteries wind through so many familiar roads that I'm pretty sure I'd recognize these small towns were I to drive through them. No two books are alike, each one portrays a different character and the unlikely situations they find themselves in. What's more important, each book is an easy 5 star read, including this one. If Havill lets Estelle retire in the next book, it will break the eharts of his many fans, including this one.

Thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced and twisty novel that kept me hooked and guessing.
Well done
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Steven F. Havill, a resident of New Mexico, launched his Posadas County series in 1991 with his older undersheriff Bill Gastner as the protagonist in a vivid depiction of small town police work on the border of the United States and Mexico. Havill progressed the age of his characters more or less in real time; eventually Gastner retired and became a secondary character while his protégé Estelle Reyes-Guzman took over the lead in what has turned into an uncommonly good set of police procedurals.

Now in the 27th book Reyes-Guzman is a month away from retirement but she is as busy as ever. If It Isn’t One Thing, released today by Severn House, opens with a literal bang. A horrific collision at the intersection of two largely deserted state highways outside Posadas involving a pick-up truck hauling a valuable horse and a semi-trailer truck loaded with tons of firewood ended with the pick-up crushed underneath the semi. One driver is dead, the other too drunk to understand what has happened, the injured horse is wandering along the roadside, and wood is scattered in all directions.

Reyes-Guzman leaves the crash scene after a difficult all-night investigation only to be called to the site of a domestic violence incident where she arrives to hear shots and to see the deputy first on the scene down and bleeding. Both of the original participants are severely wounded, one fatally. Her immediate concern, after loading ambulances with the survivors, is to preserve the evidence to determine if the deputy fired the fatal shot and who initiated the gunfire.

When she starts checking on the owners of the vehicles and the drivers in the crash, she learns that the identification and the description of the dead pick-up driver do not match the person who left Portage, Nebraska, with the horse en route due west to an orthopedic veterinarian in Colorado Springs. The explanation of how and why the truck and horse changed hands and why they were in New Mexico has died with the driver. The owner of the horse burns up the phone lines between Nebraska and Posadas, demanding that Reyes-Guzman return the horse immediately and explain how a complete stranger took possession, neither of which she is able to do.

Interspersed with bits of information about the adult sons of Reyes-Guzman and their families and her plans for retirement, Reyes-Guzman investigates two knotty cases simultaneously, taking her once again across the border to Mexico to confer with the police there. Followers of the series will enjoy this new adventure. Readers unfamiliar with the Posadas County books can read this one as a stand-alone but they will miss some of the nuances.

Hints that Havill is going to stop spinning yarns about his fictional universe are obvious. I suppose it’s inevitable and I am glad that he has the opportunity to end the story line on his own, instead of a publisher deciding for him. However, the lively world of Posadas County has been a favorite destination of mine since I discovered it years ago and I will miss it. It has become a welcome escape from reality that I visit periodically; my deep gratitude to Havill for sharing his rich imagination with the rest of us.

3.25 stars
I love this series so much and have read every one of the prior books. I am sad to say that this one is my least favorite. The book is about an accident involving a semi-truck and a truck hauling a horse trailer. What seems to be a simple drunk driving incident turns out to be something much more complex. Estelle has to coordinate with a few different states and also travel to Mexico as part of the investigation. Unfortunately, the story unfolds very slowly with too many unnecessary details that just bog the story down.

I love Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman both on the job and when she is with her family. There are few too brief mentions of her mentor and friend retired sheriff Bill Gastner. Their interactions were always the highlight of this series for me. I can understand why the elderly Bill wouldn't be out on the job with her anymore, but there still could have been more conversations with him at her home or his.

Things pick up a bit as things start coming together in the case. However, then the book ends so abruptly I thought I had somehow missed some pages at the end. Even though this has been one of my favorite procedural series, I can only give this one 3.25 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

If It Isn’t One Thing... is a thrilling and fast-paced mystery that keeps you guessing at every turn. I was immediately drawn into Estelle Reyes-Guzman’s world as she navigates the complexities of small-town law enforcement. At first, it seems like a typical traffic accident, but when the dead man isn’t who Estelle expects, everything quickly spirals into a much more complicated case. The mystery of the prized stallion and its missing owner was intriguing, but it’s the twists and turns that really made this story stand out.

Estelle is a fantastic lead—smart, determined, and utterly relatable as she juggles the pressures of her job, the strain of being overworked, and the tension of solving two very different cases. The inclusion of a domestic dispute that ends in tragedy and sends Estelle on a cross-border hunt for answers adds layers of suspense, and the stakes feel high with every new piece of information she uncovers.

The pacing is tight, and I found myself hooked, flipping pages faster and faster as Estelle races against time to solve both mysteries. There were moments when I wished for a little more character development, particularly with some of the secondary characters, but Estelle’s perspective and drive were enough to carry the story. The ending left me satisfied, but also curious about what might come next for Estelle.

Overall, this is a solid, well-written mystery that I’d highly recommend for fans of suspenseful, character-driven crime thrillers.

If It Isn’t One Thing… by Steven F. Havill is a fast-paced police procedural.

Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is busier than ever investigating crime in the small-town of Posadas, NM. She goes straight from a domestic dispute between volatile couple, Raul & Mindy Cardona, to a high-speed crash between two vehicles. At the crash site, one driver is dead, a load of chopped wood covers the highway, and an injured horse is on the side of the road. By morning, one of arguing couple is dead, and that case is quickly complicated by unexpected evidence. Then another violent act takes Estelle to Mexico where she and Mexican police wrap up the case.

If It Isn’t One Thing…is a clever police procedural with a compelling storyline. The cast of characters are three-dimensional and most are likable. Estelle is a dedicated law enforcement officer who has great rapport with local and Mexican law officers. The glimpses of her personal life are few but heartwarming. The investigations into the various cases are intriguing and take unanticipated turns. The New and Old Mexico settings vividly spring to life. Steven F. Havill brings this latest addition to the long-running Posadas County Mystery series to an adrenaline-laced conclusion.

This incredibly is the twenty seventh book featuring Posadas County sheriff's office in New Mexico USA. Many of the books feature sheriff Bill Gastner who is now retired. Then undersheriff Estelle Reyes Guzman featured, but she is now looking forward to retirement.
This is the first book by the author I have read and i realise I have been missing a treat. Unlike one of the book's characters, I knew New Mexico is in the USA but close to the border with Mexico.
One November saturday night, A one ton pick up truck carrying wood was involved in a crash with a Livestock trailer. The driver of the horse trailer is dead. The horse badly injured has escaped the trailer, but remains close. The driver of the wood truck is very drunk. This accident causes a tail back of traffic and much anger.
When Estelle checks the identity of the horse trailer driver and it's not who she thought it was, that the mystery begins. Estelle has to deal with the horse's owner, who thinks she is dealing with Mexico! A know all bulldozer owner who is firstly helpful, then a pain. Several police forces in USA and also in Mexico.
Estelle deals with it all in a calm, easy manner. Trying to connect with her surgeon husband and two male children, one of whom is a famous musician. Full of believable characters. The sheriff's office is very much a close family.
Well written, engaging and keeps you reading. very much recommended. I look forward to catching up on previous books by this excellent author.

If It Isn't One Thing... by Steven F. Havill is a highly recommended procedural/mystery and the 27th book in the series set in Posadas County, New Mexico.

A pickup truck pulling a horse trailer collides with a semi loaded with firewood. One driver is dead, both were drunk, and, miraculously, the horse, a prized stallion, survived the horrific accident. As Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is investigating the accident, and discovers the driver of the pickup is not who she is expecting, a volatile domestic incident escalates, resulting in a death and two injured, including one officer. This kicks off 48 hours of nonstop action for Estelle.

This is a well-written, fast-paced, intricately plotted procedural. After the accident, the action is incessant right to the end and the investigations become increasingly complicated. All of the regular characters in the long running series make an appearance too, which was a bit overwhelming to this first time reader, but the investigation keeps racing forward with new developments holding my complete attention. The short page count makes this a book you can easily read quickly.

Fans of the series are going to be thrilled to read If It Isn't One Thing... Thanks to Severn House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

After dealing with a fatal accident involving a trailer loaded with logs and a semi pulling a horse trailer, overworked and understaffed Undersheriff Estelle Guzman rapidly gets called out on several other cases including a police involved shooting.

This is a police procedural with strong well written characters but not much mystery. I felt that it was one of the weakest books in the series.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

I love a good thriller, and a good thriller this was! This author is definitely on my radar now!

In beginning of “If It Isn’t One Thing…”, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman finds herself trying to sort out a domestic violence situation. She receives a call while there that there is an accident on the state highway. After rushing to what one would think is just an everyday accident, she finds a series of unusual things starting with the horse that was thrown from the accident.

As she investigates the accident, the domestic violence case has escalated and finds the husband dead and a deputy shot. Being shorthanded is a normal situation for her staff but now she’s even more shorthanded while trying to straighten out all the chaos that has been happening in mere hours.

The more she investigates, the more she finds linked to her hometown in Mexico. Where she ends up traveling to, to get answers. Estelle has one month to retirement and any hope of making a it peaceful month have definitely flown out the window.

I started this book at 9:00 p.m. and couldn’t put it down till I finished. It’s fast paced and has a lot of excitement. I did think that this might be the last book of the series. If so, I’m going to really miss the series. I’ve read them all and this book is one of my favorites.

Solid police procedural set in rural New Mexico. A semi full of logs collides with a pickup hauling a horse trailer, setting in motion a series of unfortunate events and uncovering several other crimes. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, barely a month from retirement, is kept busy putting all of the pieces together.

Steven Havill is an expert at drawing the reader into the lives of Posadas County, New Mexico, law enforcement characters. I have been reading Havill books since the very beginning in 1991 with Heartshot, where we first met Undersheriff, William Gastner, who at 60 was nearing retirement. Over the many years and 27 books in the series later, Gastner’s deputy, Estelle Reyes-Guzman, is now the Undersheriff and set to retire in a few months in Havill’s latest book, If It Isn’t One Thing.

One thing I like about Havill is that he keeps the characters you grow to love involved in the series. Gastner is now in his 80’s but still available for advice for Estelle. Estelle’s husband is still the likeable surgeon in the county, and her two boys have grown into wonderful young men. The other sheriff’s department characters have changed positions, or moved on but are still in town, and you catch up with most of them in each of the books.

In If It Isn’t One Thing we ride along with Estelle as she goes through about 48 hours of incidents – a fatal road crash involving a horse trailer and loaded semi where the driver is not who anyone expects, a domestic incident turned deadly where who-shot-who first must be determined, and the thief of large machinery working at the fatal road crash where over the Mexican border finesse must be used. If it isn’t one thing, yes, it’s another.

The characters and the setting are the stars here. I especially love to read Havill on cold winter MN days when I feel the heat from New Mexico coming off the pages of his books. Though not a classic mystery, this police procedural has all the components of a thriller with plot twists and turns. Havill is such a satisfying read. Calming. Riding with Estelle as she goes from one problem to another, solving the issues with intelligence and wisdom, leaves the reader hoping that Posadas County has another Undersheriff coming up for us to ride along with when Estelle retires, like Gastner before her.

My rating: 4 of 5

This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. If It Isn’t One Thing will be published on March 4, 2025.

The only thing wrong with finishing the latest Steven Havill book is having to wait for the next one. If It Isn't One Thing was absorbing from the first page and the description of the highway wreck of a pickup truck and horse trailer, complete with injured horse, and a semi loaded with firewood, had me rereading it to try to make sense of the mess. Then most of the usual characters are here and they are still as interesting as when they were first introduced. This is one of the best books I have read this year and if unfamiliar to readers of good mysteries, I suggest starting with number one and bingeing them!

If It Isn’t One Thing… A Posadas County Mystery by Steven F. Havill is the latest read in the excellent and long running series. I have loved this series for decades now and a new read is always big time celebrated in this house. This one is another mighty good book and strongly recommended.

In a more far less traveled part of Posadas County, New Mexico, an 18-wheeler and a horse trailer have collided and the crash is very bad. Trapped in the mangled wreckage is what remains of a truck that was towing a horse trailer. In the crash, the horse was ejected and has a severe gash down a rear leg. The horse is hurt, but alive. The same can not be said for the driver of the truck who very clearly is dead. He was crushed in the crash and it is going to take a long time and a lot of work.

The 18-wheeler was hauling a full load of fire wood. That driver is clearly drunk as he wanders around the wreckage. A scene made worse by the fac that the entire cargo of firewood is now dumped up and down the highway.

Six miles north of the village of Posadas, New Mexico, the only thing really out there is the local landfill which closed hours ago. It is the middle of the night on a cold November night, so nobody should really need to come through on that road. But, thanks to police scanners and the local grapevine, folks are showing up in large numbers thereby making things far more complicated than Posadas County Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman expected.

So too is the backstory of what was going on with the vehicles and their drivers in the days leading up to the brutal and tragic collision. It wasn’t just the fact that one driver clearly ran a stop sign. There were dominoes that fell in order leading up to the crash which also soon caused a significant ripple effect beyond the fate of the two drivers. As the soon to be retired Undersheriff discovers, death was a part of things long before this grisly scene. The case will reach into the Dakotas, down into Mexico, numerous places in-between, and tax her and her small department in many ways.

This latest in the long running series is another great read. As I have said, this series has been a favorite of mine going back decades. As it was for my parents who were also major fans of it as they eagerly read every installment long ago. At some point, I know it will end, but I hold out hope that a series that has literally provided a comfortable escape from the real world, will continue for more books. I need them. We all need them.


My reading copy came by way of the publisher, Severn House, through NetGalley and with no expectation of a review.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Although this is book 27 in the series, this is my first reading of events in the Posada County Series and is a stand alone.
Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman really has her hands full when she has to deal with a fatal road accident, between a truck pulling a horse trailer and a truck loaded with wood. The driver of the horse trailer died and it turns out that nobody knows who he is. He is not the person who should be driving the horse trailer which had an expensive horse within. It also turns out both drivers were drunk. Then later a domestic disturbance turns fatal, but who fired the fatal shot???A good story line and lots of characters, I must admit getting to know them all was a big job. Also lots of police procedurals and everything is done by the book. A heavy read for me but persevered as I wanted to know 'who done it!'

Initially this book caught my interest quite well but after 1/4 of the way through with nothing else happening I just couldn't get into it. It was well written, just not fast paced enough for me. Lots and lots of procedural pages and not a ton of action.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy

Long-time readers of this police procedural series have been through the old sheriff, now retired, and Undersheriff Estelle, who is now thinking of leaving. She says she's had enough.

This story involves a fatal accident between a drunk semi driver and a pickup hauling a horse. The horse survives but won't load into a new trailer until they find a puppy in the wreck who was his traveling companion. It turns out the horse was supposedly enroute to Colorado for veterinary treatment but somehow wound up near the Mexican border. The owner has no idea what is happening and the foreman traveling with the valuable horse is missing.

Undersheriff Estelle is a strong character. She is tough, calm and smart and is bilingual and can navigate more than one culture.

The ending felt a bit weak and leaves you wondering about the future of the series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was delighted to see that Steven Havill had written a new entry in this most excellent series. As Estella is months away from retirement, she encounters two very different and difficult cases in the same evening. As always, her wit and determination help solve the crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice. My only criticism of all of Steven’s books is that they are so good that I can’t put them down. So, one sleepless night and I am done. Now, I eagerly await the next one.