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Any woman who works outside the home knows all too well the problems that come with trying to juggle home and job. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is as good as any of us at doing this; all it seems to cost her, most of the time, is sleep. This week in Posadas County is no exception. In addition to the usual small-time crimes that plague any police department, there is the added hassle of a major sporting event requiring a certain amount of police involvement even if everything goes smoothly. Finding a body in the middle of the race doesn’t quality as business as usual. Reyes-Guzman and her staff are stretched to the max even before one of her people is seriously injured. Does this body have anything to do with the joy-riding someone has been doing with a plane? What is the connection, if there is one, between the joy-rider and his uncle, a notorious man in neighboring Mexico? Reyes-Guzman finds herself calling on Capitan Tomas Naranjo for information and assistance; they have a little bit of history but not enough to cause problems. On the home front, Reyes-Guzman and her husband have a budding musical talent on their hands. Their son Francisco is only seven, and has abilities well beyond his years. His first recital is, naturally, a moment of pride and tension for his parents. The rivalry between two other players comes as a bit of a surprise to the Reyes-Guzmans, but Francisco handles it with the aplomb of a much older child. FINAL PAYMENT finds Reyes-Guzman in the hands of a killer who wants to trade his freedom for her life. Havill conveys the tensions of all concerned with great subtlety and rising suspense. The various plots all converge, the puzzle comes together, and the picture we see is altogether human and yet altogether evil. Havill has written another delightful mystery, with a woman full of heart at its core.
Reviewed by P. J. Coldren, August 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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