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Boom Town
Lonnie Blair was sitting comfortably in a deer blind on a crisp January afternoon when his life came to a sudden, violent end. Was it an accident, or had Blair’s long history of womanizing finally caught up to him? Blanco County game warden John Marlin joins the investigation and quickly identifies a prime suspect—a neighboring ranch foreman with several questionable incidents in his past. But is the answer really that simple? Meanwhile, local good ol’ boys Red O’Brien and Billy Don Craddock also have a mystery to solve. How did the founder of a new wellness retreat convince Red’s girlfriend to participate in a risqué photoshoot—and what should Red do about it? Boom Town is the explosively funny new installment in Ben Rehder’s Blanco County series.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 20, 2021
146 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Ben Rehder
76 books276 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 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 24, 2021
An excellent read! Recommended.
Ben Rehder always finds an interesting and unusual way to do in the victim, and somehow it drags in an unusual investigator. This time, it’s game warden John Marlin, and as usual, the funniest cast of supporting characters in mystery fiction.
Recommended.
Ben Rehder always finds an interesting and unusual way to do in the victim, and somehow it drags in an unusual investigator. This time, it’s game warden John Marlin, and as usual, the funniest cast of supporting characters in mystery fiction.
Recommended.
October 21, 2025
I did enjoy this book but it had so many moving parts, I wondered if they were ever going to get any of them solved. We sort of had three cases on the go, so the story did jump around as each character told or played his part. Red and Billy Don are looking into a man who got Red's girlfriend to pose for some photos, game warden John Marlin is looking into a shooting incident that might or might not be connected to a murder, a shooting, a booming and a fire. At the same time George is looking to teach man that was a bullied his son a lesson. Of course things are always more complicated than that and things eventually comes together in an explosive ending. I like the characters, I don't always understand why they do things but I guess if they didn't it wouldn't been much of a story or as entertaining.
A new wellness retreat has opened up and has Mandy modelling for there advertising campaign. Red isn't so happy with the results and set out to restore her honour. The more he learns about the man behind the centre the more he asks what else is he capable of? At the same time, when a deer hide blows up killer the hunter inside, John Marlin is called in to investigate. His best friend had a run in with the prime suspect and it quickly becomes apparent that he was lucky to come out of it alive. Can Marlin find the proof they need to put him away? George has his own run in with the suspect but rather than back down he decided to take the fight to the bully. Is standing up to the bully the right thing to do or is he stand up against a mad man?
I like the narrator. He helps sell the story with all the interesting voices he gives the characters and makes them so easy to picture because of it.
A new wellness retreat has opened up and has Mandy modelling for there advertising campaign. Red isn't so happy with the results and set out to restore her honour. The more he learns about the man behind the centre the more he asks what else is he capable of? At the same time, when a deer hide blows up killer the hunter inside, John Marlin is called in to investigate. His best friend had a run in with the prime suspect and it quickly becomes apparent that he was lucky to come out of it alive. Can Marlin find the proof they need to put him away? George has his own run in with the suspect but rather than back down he decided to take the fight to the bully. Is standing up to the bully the right thing to do or is he stand up against a mad man?
I like the narrator. He helps sell the story with all the interesting voices he gives the characters and makes them so easy to picture because of it.
August 24, 2021
The book is as good as the cover art, which is to say, very good! Red and Billy Don continue to get better with each book. Lonnie is in his hunting stand when it blows up and he is killed. It is quickly determined to be murder. Mason Cross, the ranch manager for the neighboring ranch is the lead suspect. Meanwhile, Red receives a postcard for a wellness retreat and on it is a picture of his girlfriend, Mandy, obviously disrobed. He and Billy Don have there own mystery to solve, but maybe, just maybe, there is a connection. We have come to expect a good mystery and plenty of humor and that is what we get.
June 4, 2025
Kind of a silly plot. I'm sure Rehder has lots of loyal reader fans but I don't think I'll be one of them. I think one would have had to read his other books to know all the characters. I couldn't relate to them but Phil, because I had read Driving Lesson. Red and his buddy were locals who were both dumb yet had moments of great deductive skills. George seemed to be just thrown in the story yet never fit.
May 1, 2023
OK, For an inexpensive book
Why do I have to reveal. Hey review before They world except My rating above ? I'm using text from voice..?
So will be great To read. The story was pretty good I like the characters, I read them before, it was pretty good all at all for free book, That's why I gave it 5 stars.
Why do I have to reveal. Hey review before They world except My rating above ? I'm using text from voice..?
So will be great To read. The story was pretty good I like the characters, I read them before, it was pretty good all at all for free book, That's why I gave it 5 stars.
November 21, 2025
Ah! Rehder’s back! Free Ride (13th of the Blanco County books) shook my faith a bit but I kept my hopes up for what followed and I’m wholly content with Boom Town (14th). It has our regular cast of characters (emphatically: “characters”) plus newcomers and locals we haven’t met before who contribute to the requisite Blanco County confusion and mayhem.
September 4, 2021
An explosion takes out a deer blind with the hunter in it and John Marlin the county game warden is called in to help with the investigation. The comical duo Red O'Brien and Billy Don Craddock are back in the mist and some how get mixed up in it. Entertaining and hilarious read, great series.
August 28, 2021
Real good stuff
A great many laughs, a good twisty plot,and all the usual assortment of unique and amusing Texas characters, excellent story.
A great many laughs, a good twisty plot,and all the usual assortment of unique and amusing Texas characters, excellent story.
August 31, 2021
Good read.
February 8, 2022
great read
Not a masterpiece but it’s well written and very entertaining but I already knew it would be good. Ben rehder has always put a good book out.
Not a masterpiece but it’s well written and very entertaining but I already knew it would be good. Ben rehder has always put a good book out.
March 18, 2022
Another great story.
Another great story. Love Red and Billy Don. I have one for Ben in the same vein as towns named after water towers.
Another great story. Love Red and Billy Don. I have one for Ben in the same vein as towns named after water towers.
May 20, 2022
Boom Town
Always enjoy these books. Like the way John Marlin goes about stirring up folks a little to find out a lot. And Red and Billy Don just make me laugh
Always enjoy these books. Like the way John Marlin goes about stirring up folks a little to find out a lot. And Red and Billy Don just make me laugh
November 10, 2024
The Blanco County mysteries are fun, campy, humorous books. Boom Town continues the tradition of Hiaasen type stories in Texas instead of Florida. This book was 3.75 stars.
June 15, 2025
Another great story
Well written as always. Very interesting and well thought out plot. Fantastic characters and development of them. Love this series.
Well written as always. Very interesting and well thought out plot. Fantastic characters and development of them. Love this series.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews