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Weed Killer
Blanco County Mystery #15: When Blanco County rancher Phil Colby encounters a beautiful trespasser bathing in his creek, he has plenty of questions, but she isn’t offering any answers. Before long, Colby realizes she’s on the run. But from what? Over time, he earns her trust, and she begins to share her story. It’s clear she is in danger—and now he is, too. Worse yet, it’s the kind of danger you can’t take to the sheriff. Colby and the woman have no choice but to face it alone, until help comes from an unexpected source—two local good ol’ boys named Red O’Brien and Billy Don Craddock. The only question is, will they save the day or make things worse?
- GenresMystery
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2023
206 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Ben Rehder
78 books277 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 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 12, 2023
Blanco County sees its share of weird and wonderful characters passing through its borders from time to time. So when a guy with half his face covered by a tattoo of a skull and carrying a raccoon on his shoulder walks into the local diner, barely an eyebrow is raised by the locals.
Up until now, Phil Colby has been a peripheral character in the series. The good friend of game warden John Marlin has had some small, but vital roles in past Blanco County adventures, but in this one, he plays a leading role. While out hiking on his property one evening he happens upon a woman bathing in his creek. What starts out as an awkward first meeting quickly grows into a comfortable friendship, although the woman, Dixie, may very well be running from a cartel.
Enter into the scene the two redneck regulars Red O’Brien and Billy Don Craddock. The pair have become well and truly entrenched as the comedy double act in the series and, once again, they manage to get themselves into a sticky situation thanks to the thick-headed ideas hatched by Red. When a couple of strangers in town get in a minor bingle with them, Red and Billy Don chase them down to confront them. The result: the strangers give them $300 to pay for any damage they may have caused to the car. The problem: it turns out the money is counterfeit.
But in true Red and Billy Don style, they come up with a half-assed plan to turn what appears to be a loss into a big win. The cat is thrown amongst the pigeons, a couple of teams of killers don’t know what hits them and the usual Blanco County mayhem ensues.
This series is now 15 books strong and it continues to entertain and delight. The characters are off-beat, the storylines skirt the edges of farce and the pacing is consistently frenetic. My only disappointment was in the ending which lacked the usual punch of cleverness that has largely become the norm.
Ending aside, this is a reliable humorous crime series that I know I can return to, put my feet up and let myself be taken for a wild ride.
Up until now, Phil Colby has been a peripheral character in the series. The good friend of game warden John Marlin has had some small, but vital roles in past Blanco County adventures, but in this one, he plays a leading role. While out hiking on his property one evening he happens upon a woman bathing in his creek. What starts out as an awkward first meeting quickly grows into a comfortable friendship, although the woman, Dixie, may very well be running from a cartel.
Enter into the scene the two redneck regulars Red O’Brien and Billy Don Craddock. The pair have become well and truly entrenched as the comedy double act in the series and, once again, they manage to get themselves into a sticky situation thanks to the thick-headed ideas hatched by Red. When a couple of strangers in town get in a minor bingle with them, Red and Billy Don chase them down to confront them. The result: the strangers give them $300 to pay for any damage they may have caused to the car. The problem: it turns out the money is counterfeit.
But in true Red and Billy Don style, they come up with a half-assed plan to turn what appears to be a loss into a big win. The cat is thrown amongst the pigeons, a couple of teams of killers don’t know what hits them and the usual Blanco County mayhem ensues.
This series is now 15 books strong and it continues to entertain and delight. The characters are off-beat, the storylines skirt the edges of farce and the pacing is consistently frenetic. My only disappointment was in the ending which lacked the usual punch of cleverness that has largely become the norm.
Ending aside, this is a reliable humorous crime series that I know I can return to, put my feet up and let myself be taken for a wild ride.
May 16, 2023
My favorite narrator, but not my favorite Blanco County book. These characters though.. the narrator brings them to life!
October 19, 2025
I enjoyed this book. This story is told by multiple characters, so the story jumps around and feels like two separate stories following Colby and his lady friend as she tells the story of how she came to be on his property and Red and Billy Don as they set out to teach some manners to some new comers to town. Its only as the story work it's way to the conclusion that the two stories come together and the two sets of characters work together. I think this worked well, as it kept the story interesting and coming from different angles. I know Red and Billy Don should be annoying with there ideas and views on life but you just can't help but love them. Things never goes quite the way they plan and it's always more interesting when they get involved and of course Colby is just a nice guy. Another fun time in Blanco County and I can't wait for the next outing.
When Red and Billy Don get cut up it leads them to following the bad drivers to his motel. The driver has his own secrets and problems and tries paying them off with fake money, the situation quickly escalates and they become involved in something a lot more dangerous. At the same time Colby finds a woman who is obviously in trouble and on the run. Helping her means he ends up going against the same man Red and Billy Don has a problem with. Can they help each other out? Or will the drug cartel guys that is there to take out the woman take them all out?
I liked the narrator. He helps the characters come to life in an entertaining way that will have to listening for hours.
When Red and Billy Don get cut up it leads them to following the bad drivers to his motel. The driver has his own secrets and problems and tries paying them off with fake money, the situation quickly escalates and they become involved in something a lot more dangerous. At the same time Colby finds a woman who is obviously in trouble and on the run. Helping her means he ends up going against the same man Red and Billy Don has a problem with. Can they help each other out? Or will the drug cartel guys that is there to take out the woman take them all out?
I liked the narrator. He helps the characters come to life in an entertaining way that will have to listening for hours.
September 22, 2023
Thank you Ben Rehder for sending this free Audible book my way. It's been a while since my last visit to Blanco County and I don't know what took me so long. This was so much fun to listen to. Plenty of action and great characters that made me shake my head and made me laugh.
I wasn't sure how to feel about the mystery woman who shows up on Colby's ranch and I wanted to hug him for taking care of her but caution him to guard his heart.
Red and Billy Don are trying to make their mark and just crack me up. I love the inner monologue going on, especially in Red's cranium. He honestly feels smarter than a lot of folks and he does have his moments, but not too many. Thankfully he has Billy Don and his girlfriend.
So much is going on in this book and it all intertwines one way and another.
I admire the side characters who stand up for what's right. There are several little scenes I liked a lot, the counter person at the fast food place who tells the man he can't have his pet racoon inside. She does it calmly and firmly. The other customer who tried to help, do the right thing. It's little things like that throughout the book, little scenes that are wonderful.
I highly enjoyed my time in Blanco County and it won't be as long until my next visit.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
I wasn't sure how to feel about the mystery woman who shows up on Colby's ranch and I wanted to hug him for taking care of her but caution him to guard his heart.
Red and Billy Don are trying to make their mark and just crack me up. I love the inner monologue going on, especially in Red's cranium. He honestly feels smarter than a lot of folks and he does have his moments, but not too many. Thankfully he has Billy Don and his girlfriend.
So much is going on in this book and it all intertwines one way and another.
I admire the side characters who stand up for what's right. There are several little scenes I liked a lot, the counter person at the fast food place who tells the man he can't have his pet racoon inside. She does it calmly and firmly. The other customer who tried to help, do the right thing. It's little things like that throughout the book, little scenes that are wonderful.
I highly enjoyed my time in Blanco County and it won't be as long until my next visit.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
January 12, 2026
This series is a rare one for me. My wife and I have divergent tastes in books but the Blanco County series is one we generally both like. Except …Weed Killer has us diverging once more.
The writing is well done and the plot is a good one but it differs from the mainstream of the series in being a more grounded (verging on serious) story. As in Lefty Loosey (book #12), John Marlin and Sheriff Garza get barely a mention here and that put off my wife as much as the relative absence of Rehder’s characteristic quirky humor. I, OTOH, have enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery along with getting a better sense of what Marlin’s friend Phil Colby is about.
As a member of a series, this book lost a star in my rating. As a separate book, isolated from the series I’d give it a solid four stars.
The writing is well done and the plot is a good one but it differs from the mainstream of the series in being a more grounded (verging on serious) story. As in Lefty Loosey (book #12), John Marlin and Sheriff Garza get barely a mention here and that put off my wife as much as the relative absence of Rehder’s characteristic quirky humor. I, OTOH, have enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery along with getting a better sense of what Marlin’s friend Phil Colby is about.
As a member of a series, this book lost a star in my rating. As a separate book, isolated from the series I’d give it a solid four stars.
July 9, 2024
A solid Rehder. One of the shorter less Hiaasen-esque, which is fine with me because when they go too far off in the weeds with sub plots it's difficult to keep up without a roster. And like several of the more recent Rehder's, we're off into popular peripheral character territory. This one does have some stinger bad guys as opposed to the usual Red and Billy Don snafus. Add an attractive female stranger on Phil Colby's ranch with a tale of an idiot husband, a weed cartel, two semi-competent enforcers with a side gig in counterfeiting, Red and Billy Don with a hare-brained plan in the middle of it...
Just enough interplay to hit the Elmore Leonard disparate people in a blender format without going overboard.
Just enough interplay to hit the Elmore Leonard disparate people in a blender format without going overboard.
February 25, 2023
Weed Killer
Another Ben Rehder Blanco County story! I really enjoy reading Ben's books and the crazy predicaments his characters seem to get involved in!
Some people are just prone to be involved in shady and dangerous situations but always seem to come out of them, only slightly affected!
Ben's twist with the two Red neck goofballs keep the stories interesting and down to earth!
Another Ben Rehder Blanco County story! I really enjoy reading Ben's books and the crazy predicaments his characters seem to get involved in!
Some people are just prone to be involved in shady and dangerous situations but always seem to come out of them, only slightly affected!
Ben's twist with the two Red neck goofballs keep the stories interesting and down to earth!
May 17, 2023
Two separate plot lines that are connected. Phil Colby helps a girl that is on the run from a cartel because of her lying husband's growing of illegal pot. Red and Billy Don get in a slight car accident and get paid off in counterfit money. You get the idea really quick that the bad guys aren't that bright. When the boss sends a couple more thugs to kill the girl and clean up the mess, it becomes necessary for Colby to team up with our favorite rednecks to save her.
February 28, 2023
Another laugh out loud crazy espisode of Blanco County characters. Red and Billy Don the redneck duo of Blanco County Texas can get into the wackiest mix of things. This time with a drug dealer on a deadly mission from a cartel. If you like hilarious characters and shoot outs, car chases, read this series and enjoy.
March 7, 2023
I loved this fun tale just as I have enjoyed all of the stories in the Blanco County Mysteries series. They are set in the Hill Country of Central Texas and the characters - especially Red and Billy Don - are a hoot! I read everything Ben Rehder releases just as soon as I can. He’s that good!
September 23, 2025
Rehder’s Blanco County Mysteries are always a fun read. This one did not center on John Marlin. The Red and Billy Don characters are a hoot. 3 solid stars and good selections for fans of Carl Hiaasen.
February 27, 2023
Very engaging with more twists, turns and adventures with favorite rednecks. Wonderful story line and a fun read. Thanks Ben!
June 23, 2023
Another crazy story of Red and Billy in Blanco County, TX. Always a good read.
December 9, 2024
Nice guy saves damsel in distress. Easy breezy read. Well paced. Fun read.
July 12, 2025
Better and better
Really good story, entertaining and fast paced. Keeps the reader locked in and we keep rooting for the,"good guys " which include Red and Billy Don.
Really good story, entertaining and fast paced. Keeps the reader locked in and we keep rooting for the,"good guys " which include Red and Billy Don.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews