Red, Green, or Murder — Steven F. Havill

In Posadas County, New Mexico, retired undersheriff Bill Gastner understands two things: most criminals aren't as smart as they think they are, and human nature is fairly predictable. When a full cattle truck and trailer go missing along with the ranch hand driving it, and the herd and its cow dog are found roaming the highway, Gastner suspects the young driver was the victim of a hijacking. After the truck is spotted crossing the border without its original occupant, things look grim.

Tragedy mounts when an old friend of Gastner's drops dead after eating a green chili burrito. The current undersheriff doesn't believe it was just the old man's time to go -- and toxicology reports confirm he was poisoned. Gastner assists in both cases doing what he does best: following a blood trail only a seasoned hound dog like him can sniff out.