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Guilt Trip (A Blanco County Mystery #4) book cover
Guilt Trip (A Blanco County Mystery #4)
2005
First Published
4.18
Average Rating
320
Number of Pages

Part of Series

"This guy is the funniest, freshest voice in Texas mystery writing today. His work stands out like a DayGlo parka in deer season."—Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lightning ThiefGuilt 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. But 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 flood, Marlin finds himself in charge of the search efforts. At nearly the same time, a nearby house explodes in a shower of drug paraphernalia, and an exotic car turns up stolen from the missing man's barn. Marlin and Sheriff Bobby Garza are soon overwhelmed, trying to figure out how everything connects together. It isn’t long before events begin to spiral out of control. Edgar 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.REVIEWS FOR GUILT “Guilt Trip is the fourth in Mr. Rehder’s well-received Blanco County mystery series. He uncorks his latest story, which involves murder and a Texas state senator, using a cast of quirky but believable characters and a crisp, wry writing style.” —Dallas Morning News“This series about Blanco County, Texas, game warden John Marlin keeps getting odder and funnier…But one thing’s for Rehder has jumped to a new level, and Guilt Trip just might grab a chunk of the outsize Hiaasen crowd.” —Booklist“As funny as it is suspenseful…Well-paced, smartly plotted, full of memorable Hill Country denizens and crackling dialogue, this is diverting fun.” —Publishers Weekly“Ben Rehder has found a way to keep the laughs coming even when bodies start to litter the countryside of Blanco County, Texas…Lots of distinct characters ensure that the novel never lags, and John Marlin is a happy combination of ecologist and eccentric.” —Dallas Morning News“Rehder has a special talent for creating idiosyncratic characters and putting them in outlandish situations…Rehder’s still on a roll with Guilt Trip. I liked it very much, and recommend it to anyone seeking a light-hearted read.” —Davis Enterprise“…the regional flavor of Hiaasen and the strong story elements of Westlake, with laugh-out-loud moments leavening the strangeness of life…Guilt Trip is a hoot and a holler of a mystery.” —Flint Journal
Avg Rating
4.18
Number of Ratings
931
5 STARS
41%
4 STARS
40%
3 STARS
17%
2 STARS
2%
1 STARS
1%
goodreads

Author

Ben Rehder
Ben Rehder
Author · 28 books

Ben 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!

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