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Blanco County Mysteries #4
Guilt Trip: A Blanco County, Texas, Novel
Life in rural Blanco County, Texas, isn't what most folks would call exciting---and that suits game warden John Marlin just fine. He's happy to spend his days and nights protecting the local wildlife from poachers and the poachers from the local wildlife. There may be a shortage of attractive single women in town, a source of some frustration to Marlin over the years, but he's never really let it bother him. Too much . . .
Luckily, every now and then an incident comes along to spice things up for a while. When the tequila-slamming, skirt-chasing treasurer of the local Rotary Club goes missing, and his vehicle is found in the river the day after a big flood, Marlin knows he's found his latest distraction. At nearly the same time, a house down the road explodes in a shower of drug paraphernalia, and an exotic car turns up stolen from the missing man's barn. Marlin and good friend Sheriff Bobby Garza are soon overwhelmed, trying to figure out how everything connects together.
In the middle of it all, Marlin can't believe his luck when the strange goings-on put him in daily contact with a new member of the sheriff's department---beautiful deputy Nicole Brooks has just moved into the area and Marlin is just itching to show her around. He has to put his crush on the back burner, however, when events begin to spiral out of control in a way that's not altogether rare in recent Blanco County history. As the bullets start to fly and the bodies start to drop, talented, award-nominated author Ben Rehder keeps the plot moving and the laughs coming, in another spectacularly funny crime novel straight out of the zaniest imagination in Texas.
Luckily, every now and then an incident comes along to spice things up for a while. When the tequila-slamming, skirt-chasing treasurer of the local Rotary Club goes missing, and his vehicle is found in the river the day after a big flood, Marlin knows he's found his latest distraction. At nearly the same time, a house down the road explodes in a shower of drug paraphernalia, and an exotic car turns up stolen from the missing man's barn. Marlin and good friend Sheriff Bobby Garza are soon overwhelmed, trying to figure out how everything connects together.
In the middle of it all, Marlin can't believe his luck when the strange goings-on put him in daily contact with a new member of the sheriff's department---beautiful deputy Nicole Brooks has just moved into the area and Marlin is just itching to show her around. He has to put his crush on the back burner, however, when events begin to spiral out of control in a way that's not altogether rare in recent Blanco County history. As the bullets start to fly and the bodies start to drop, talented, award-nominated author Ben Rehder keeps the plot moving and the laughs coming, in another spectacularly funny crime novel straight out of the zaniest imagination in Texas.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Ben Rehder
81 books282 followersBen Rehder wanted to become a writer ever since he was dropped on his head as a toddler. As he grew into a young adult and the vertigo gradually dissipated, his passion for literature grew. Ben longed to craft the type of soul-stirring prose that would touch people’s lives and help them explore new emotional horizons. But he went to work at an ad agency instead.
Throughout his rewarding and fruitful career in the ad business, Ben has been known to write such imaginative and compelling phrases as “Act now!,” “Limited-time offer,” and “Compatible with today’s rapidly changing network environment.”
However, there eventually came a time when, as unbelievable as it sounds, writing brochures and spec sheets simply wasn’t enough to satisfy Ben’s creative urges. Ben knew: It was time to write a novel.
“But what kind of novel?” Ben asked himself, drawing stares from passersby.
A mystery? A thriller? A work of suspense? Ben had read hundreds of books in these genres and loved them all. But nothing had sparked his creative juices enough to try it himself.
Fate played a hand one day when Ben’s father-in-law tossed him a copy of a Carl Hiaasen novel. And then it hit him. It literally hit him, right in the forehead. When the swelling went down and Ben had a chance to read the book, he discovered a type of fiction he had never experienced before—the comic crime novel! He loved the wacky characters, the zany plots, the interesting writing that threw a good deal of humor into the mix.
So Ben set out to write his own novel. After many grueling minutes in front of a computer, Ben was proud to present Buck Fever. Like many best-selling classics, Buck Fever has lots and lots of verbs, prepositions, adjectives, and the occasional gerund. It was even nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel!
Next came Bone Dry, Flat Crazy, Guilt Trip, Gun Shy, and Holy Moly. Best of all, Ben is now releasing the earlier novels in ebook format at the low low price of just $2.99. What a deal!
Throughout his rewarding and fruitful career in the ad business, Ben has been known to write such imaginative and compelling phrases as “Act now!,” “Limited-time offer,” and “Compatible with today’s rapidly changing network environment.”
However, there eventually came a time when, as unbelievable as it sounds, writing brochures and spec sheets simply wasn’t enough to satisfy Ben’s creative urges. Ben knew: It was time to write a novel.
“But what kind of novel?” Ben asked himself, drawing stares from passersby.
A mystery? A thriller? A work of suspense? Ben had read hundreds of books in these genres and loved them all. But nothing had sparked his creative juices enough to try it himself.
Fate played a hand one day when Ben’s father-in-law tossed him a copy of a Carl Hiaasen novel. And then it hit him. It literally hit him, right in the forehead. When the swelling went down and Ben had a chance to read the book, he discovered a type of fiction he had never experienced before—the comic crime novel! He loved the wacky characters, the zany plots, the interesting writing that threw a good deal of humor into the mix.
So Ben set out to write his own novel. After many grueling minutes in front of a computer, Ben was proud to present Buck Fever. Like many best-selling classics, Buck Fever has lots and lots of verbs, prepositions, adjectives, and the occasional gerund. It was even nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel!
Next came Bone Dry, Flat Crazy, Guilt Trip, Gun Shy, and Holy Moly. Best of all, Ben is now releasing the earlier novels in ebook format at the low low price of just $2.99. What a deal!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 2, 2016
I thoroughly enjoy the Blanco County Mystery books and this one continues the tradition. The characters are well-developed (and are real "characters").
At first the story lines seem not to connect but you know they will all make sense eventually.
At first the story lines seem not to connect but you know they will all make sense eventually.
September 28, 2015
It is always fun to visit Blanco County, Texas and spend time with game warden, John Martin. Recommended.
July 25, 2012
A very entertaining mystery set in Blanco County, just west of Austin. There were lots of characters who were sometimes hard to keep up with but it all came together by the end.
Some of the characters were so cliche "Texan" that their over the top personas added a lot of humor. A fun read about the serious subject of the "high fencing" in of our natural wildlife to be exploited by wealthy hunters.
Some of the characters were so cliche "Texan" that their over the top personas added a lot of humor. A fun read about the serious subject of the "high fencing" in of our natural wildlife to be exploited by wealthy hunters.
April 24, 2014
Guilty Pleasure Satisfies
Blanco County has no lack of bumbling locals, good old boys with too much money and power, floppies and the girl next door. Twists and turns form seemingly unrelated events; and then. . . You'll have to read this book. Full of humor, suspense, and a crazy trail to 'Who done it' . Another winner for Ben Rehder.
Blanco County has no lack of bumbling locals, good old boys with too much money and power, floppies and the girl next door. Twists and turns form seemingly unrelated events; and then. . . You'll have to read this book. Full of humor, suspense, and a crazy trail to 'Who done it' . Another winner for Ben Rehder.
July 13, 2014
The story in and of itself was very well written and moved along at a good pace. My chief complaint is just how many characters are involved in this story! It seemed like every other line in the beginning of the story (for the first few chapters) was introducing yet another character. I almost wanted to jot notes down!
March 11, 2008
another in the very entertaining series of humorous mystery books set in Blanco County, in the Texas Hill Country just West of Austin. lots of wacky characters, a la Carl Hiassen, and some plot twists out of nowhere. a very good light read for a long plane trip.
July 25, 2012
Well-written, fast-moving, fun! I enjoyed this rollicking mystery set in Blanco County, Texas, and I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Rehder's wacky characters and their skillfully interwoven plots all come together in the end. Yee haw!
Rehder's wacky characters and their skillfully interwoven plots all come together in the end. Yee haw!
August 8, 2012
A good read and a decent way to pass an evening. I liked the characters okay, but some seemed a bit too extreme to be fully believable. There were an awful lot of POVs to keep track of and it got my already aching head spinning a bit when the scenes were short.
May 5, 2012
This is what I call "light reading" for fun. He always includes John Marlin a great game warden. I recommend it for those wanting a fun read.
July 15, 2012
Learned a lot re: high-fence hunting. Particularly interesting after spending time in that part of Texas last week... Entertaining books!
September 10, 2012
Another quality read from Ben Rehder about a county game warden in a mostly rural county in the hill country in Texas. Lots of plots and twists to keep you guessing all of the way through.
October 11, 2014
The characters are great and the story does a wonderful job of carrying us along while we get to know new friends - even the ones that we wish would grow up. A good pace and interesting twists.
July 1, 2015
A good story with informative narrative on the life of a game warden who helps the local sheriff solve murders.
January 20, 2015
Good story, well written. Colorful characters. I enjoyed his writing style. I would read other books by this author.
July 12, 2022
Not even Hiaasen or Leonard hit one out of the park every time. This reads at times like how you feel when you forget your belt and spend the day hitchin' your britches up to keep up with you. C'mon, c'mon, gawdammit... The whodunnit part does dangle till the very end, almost like the guy who opens his desk drawers and sweeps everything on top of his desk into them because the boss is doing workplace inspection. But it's a wild ride and crazy plot most of the time, with a little too much of wading through Lucille, Red and Billy Don to get back to the story. You know how an aside semi-related part of the story can get a little too much life of its own? Happens here several times. But that is no excuse not to read it. I am reminded of Steinbeck's take on "Hooptedoodle". That is, skip the stuff that slows the story down, then go back and read it when you're done. That way the interlude is a fun scene unto itself instead of "can we get back to the important stuff a little quicker?"
March 1, 2026
This is one of those books that starts out switching among several different sets of characters and stories, then eventually tying everything together. There were a LOT of short, disparate scenes at the beginning. I was reading an e-book, which, for me, is harder to flip back to previous sections than print books are, so it was hard to follow until story lines started coming together. I liked the main character (once I figured out who that was) and the rest of the "good guys"; some of the other characters were colorful and entertaining, but could be quite despicable. The book was too heavy on guns and hunting and guns for my taste. (Yes, I know I said "guns" twice; the gun adoration was extensive.) That factor alone makes me not want to read any more in the series, even though I did like the book.
May 24, 2017
Girls with lazy eyes are a tough pick up at the bar because you can just never tell whether they're looking at you or not. But hell, when they like monster trucks and pork rinds you just gotta try, right?
This is indeed a Hiaasenesque romp set in the south Texas that involves a love quadrangle, a politician with a diaper fetish, a stolen corvette, and annoying as hell nosy Key West tourists who can't leave the neighborhood watch crap in the neighborhood. The story was entertaining and made me laugh in a few spots but stops just short of total weirdness.
This is indeed a Hiaasenesque romp set in the south Texas that involves a love quadrangle, a politician with a diaper fetish, a stolen corvette, and annoying as hell nosy Key West tourists who can't leave the neighborhood watch crap in the neighborhood. The story was entertaining and made me laugh in a few spots but stops just short of total weirdness.
December 3, 2022
This is the first book in the series I have read. I will definitely will find the first three and read them. I enjoyed the quirky sense of humor. It helped me get through a couple of slow spots.
There are many characters so pay attention. If you like Hiasson, you will enjoy this. Somehow H's books capture my attention more (perhaps because they always have a "message" hidden in the bizarreness), but I did enjoy this mystery and the many twists and turns.
I learned about short vs high fence hunting. I vote for short. This is a fast, entertaining book.
There are many characters so pay attention. If you like Hiasson, you will enjoy this. Somehow H's books capture my attention more (perhaps because they always have a "message" hidden in the bizarreness), but I did enjoy this mystery and the many twists and turns.
I learned about short vs high fence hunting. I vote for short. This is a fast, entertaining book.
October 17, 2020
Here’s another Ben Rehder mind twister with his regular Blanco County cast of characters plus the outsiders who give the locals something new to screw up in their signature styles. It’s a Texas tale, to be sure, and Rehder tells it in his stereotypes-be-damned fashion.
Four books into the series and it’s become a shade formulaic but certainly not to my annoyance. I do enjoy these tales enormously and I look forward to the next installment, which is on the shelf waiting its turn.
Four books into the series and it’s become a shade formulaic but certainly not to my annoyance. I do enjoy these tales enormously and I look forward to the next installment, which is on the shelf waiting its turn.
October 3, 2020
Format: audiobook
Narrator: Micheal Gamache
This was an interesting story, lots of twists and turns with a bad guy I didn’t see coming which always adds to the enjoyment.
The narrator does a good job, I quite like his drawl it fits the story.
I really like the core characters in this series particularly Red and Billy Don, I look forward to seeing what they get up to next.
Narrator: Micheal Gamache
This was an interesting story, lots of twists and turns with a bad guy I didn’t see coming which always adds to the enjoyment.
The narrator does a good job, I quite like his drawl it fits the story.
I really like the core characters in this series particularly Red and Billy Don, I look forward to seeing what they get up to next.
May 25, 2026
Love the humour strewn throughout this book (and series) and how well it is woven through the murder mystery that our intrepid game warden must solve. There are some interesting and unexpected alliances that form the core of the mystery, but they also work to block the solution because they are so unexpected. These kinds of surprises are good and keeps the interest level up for this volume.
January 25, 2018
Continuing what seems to be a trend, GUILT TRIP is even more serious than previous entries in the series. Don't get me wrong, there were laughs, but they were sparse. It's an excellently crafted, fast-paced mystery novel with some light sprinklings of wacky humour.
August 29, 2019
Guilt Trip is a humorous and fun three star mystery. Rehder is to Texas as Hiaasen is to Florida. Rehder’s use of moronic rednecks Red and Billy Don provides laugh out loud moments. This is a fun series.
August 29, 2020
Man oh man there were a whole lot of different things going on in this one. Red just makes me shake my head (what a dumb good old boy him and Billy Don are!
Martin is trying to decide whether to take a job elsewhere or stay put. So much more happening in this book.
Martin is trying to decide whether to take a job elsewhere or stay put. So much more happening in this book.
October 28, 2020
A few different directions go on in this book and it definitely keeps your interest to figure out how they will all end up and maybe if they wrap up all together. I have enjoyed this whole series so far and will be listening to more.
October 28, 2019
I love reading Texas authors, and this one did not disappoint me in the least. This is the first book I've read by him but I will definitely track down more books in the future.
November 4, 2019
Listened to audiobook.
April 9, 2020
Fun read
June 25, 2020
Complicated mystery set in rural Texas. Lots of petty and not so petty criminals.
September 28, 2020
Lots of stories in this novel. There is a murder, theft of a Corvette, blackmail of a Senator, and, as always, lots of humor with Red and Billy Don. These books are always entertaining!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews