Customer Reviews

Gun Shy: A Blanco County, Texas, Novel (Blanco County Mysteries)

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Ben Rehder returns us to Blanco County in Texas and into the adventures of Game Warden John Marlin again. This time out, an illegal immigrant turns up dead and it's up to Marlin and Sheriff Garza to figure it out. To make it more difficult, the NWA (National Weapons Association) is holding it's big rally at the ranch of country superstar Mitch Campbell (who is trying to prevent the world from finding out he's actually a former snowboarder from Vermont).

I enjoy the Blanco County books and recommend them to many people, however, this one just doesn't really work. It's convoluted with far too many sub-stories and three times as many characters that don't serve any real purpose. Red O'Brien and Billy Don Craddock are relegated to fourth string characters after these two guys have been in all the books and are actually probably a drawing power for readers (they are the comic relief). Why they have been demoted isn't clear. The book started off strong but, unfortunately, the momentum of the important sub-stories are increasingly interrupted by other plodding sub-stories that serve very little purpose. For me, this is the weakest of the series only because it is too convoluted with a plethora of characters and 7-10 sub-plots.

Blanco County, Texas Game Warden John Marlin, a member of the National Weapons Alliance (NWA), believes that people cause trouble not guns as he supports the right of citizens to bear arms. However, he also understands why his lover, police officer Nicole disagrees as she has been hurt by misuse of guns.

Their personal dispute turns heated when Rodolfo Domingues, a Mexican illegal immigrant, working the garden outside of popular country singer Mitch Campbell's home when he is shot dead by the famous crooner. John gets involved when the corpse is found and he realizes that the victim was moved from the homicide site to the new location. Digging a bit deeper John finds a link to NWA spokesperson Mitch, who hides the fact that he is Norman Kleinschmidt of snowbound Middlebury, Vermont. Concerned, John feels strongly he better solve the complex case before the NWA annual convention fingers point towards the group in light of the Campbell connection and much more.

Though somewhat convoluted with too many sidebars (especially Mitch's past), GUN SHY is a fine irreverent look at the Second Amendment debate over gun control. The arguments are at two levels, with groups on both sides making their case irregardless of valid information as neither side wants to hear the facts that support the opponent; while also inside the John-Nicole love nest is a battle over those same rights. Fans will enjoy this fine mystery as the ethical Marlin, unlike many of his NWA cronies, and the moralistic Nicole, unlike many of her gun control supporters, refuses to allow personal beliefs prevent them from uncovering the truth.

Harriet Klausner

Most satire fails because it aims at just one target: In Gun Shy, Ben Rehder uses his rapier wit to humorously carve up every perspective in sight and scores perfect bull's eyes on each target.

Here are the major objects for his wit: those who favor no gun control, those who favor outlawing guns, people who take the law into their own hands, the criminal justice system, drug abusers, politicians, abusive bosses, abusive lovers, the music industry, celebrities, manipulative employees, and loafers. As you can see, there's relatively little of the landscape that doesn't get blasted in Gun Shy.

The book opens by introducing Dale Allen Stubbs, who never met a gun he didn't like. He's now enjoying life as president of the Texas chapter of the National Weapons Alliance. He gets to speak at rallies, go hunting with his five-thousand-dollar bird dog in his crew-cab pickup, and enjoy sex with his wife of twenty-five years and his twenty-four-year-old secretary (who carries a .38 in her handbag). His latest joy is promoting his college buddy, Congressman Glenn Andrew Dobbins, for governor (an effective advocate for concealed weapons). The next step in the race is to introduce Dobbins to the gun crowd, at a rally to be held at the ranch of country and western music star, Mitch Campbell.

But there's a problem looming. Campbell is a phony who's coming apart at the seams. Born, Norman Kleinschmidt, in Middlebury, Vermont, Mitch is an invention of his music producer who thought that Norman had the right face for Nashville. Just having gotten back from tour, Norman's seriously addicted to any substance that's available. Unable to resist a mushroom, Norman goes into a paranoid frenzy and shoots his Mexican gardener. Scared about the consequences, Norman calls his NWA buddy, Dale Stubbs, for help and the two attempt to cover up the crime.

From this point on, several story threads converge into a dynamic ending for this hilarious novel: John Marlin, the local game warden, is brought into the investigation along with his girl friend, Nicole (while their relationship goes cold and colder as they disagree about guns); local lay about Red O'Brien writes a country western song and decides he can sell it to Mitch Campbell; someone's killing those who helped a convicted felon; Stubbs' secretary is hired to spy on the NWA; editor Byron Gladwell is upset by the disappearance of award-winning political cartoonist, Harry Jenkins; and one-time television star Sabrina Nash fights to keep the man convicted of killing her son in jail. Yes, the plot uses all of these threads quite well. It's impressive.

As I read this book, I felt like it compared very favorably to the best of the books that Carl Hiassen has written about polluters and environmentalists in Florida. Rehder is a little more controlled in his humor, but the number of belly laughs per page is similar.

I've admired all of the books in this series, but I felt like Gun Shy is a new high for Rehder.

Highly recommended!

Gun Shy - and the rest of the Ben Rehder titles - are among the funniest laugh-out-loud books I've ever read.

Gun Shy has a lot, and I mean a lot of different minor plots going on which if Rehder wasn't already successful, probably a fair few would have been edited out. They do all converge to become part of the main story at times but because there are so many you do at times, start reading and your thinking I don't remember who this character is or what they did before. It is certainly not the normal simple John Marlin game warden adventure. For that matter, this book could easily have been written a standalone storyline without Marlin as he only really does normal homicide police work in this one.

One thing that makes this novel really good though is that it tackles the gun control debate really well and through its characters provides a balanced view. C J Box who writes similar game warden character novels failed to keep his own bias out of Blood Trail (Joe Pickett Novels) when he had a go. I have no idea where Ben Rehder stands on this issue as he provided well written pro and anti gun control characters who provided a balanced viewpoint and sensible reasoning for the extreme points which real life extremists on both sides of the arguments use. The argument isn't settled in the book which reflects real life. The argument does however provide a great background for a really good story (although it could have done as mentioned before with a few less subplots).

Basic plot of this one. Mitch Campbell, a Country and Western singer while high on mushrooms blows away the gardener (an illegal immigrant) as he mistakes his weed killer sprayer for a gun. Of course being the major celebrity spokesman figure for the NWA (gun lobby), they don't want this coming out. The Mexican's body is moved and made to look like an accidental gun discharge while climbing over a fence. Unfortunately for the NWA, game warden (an ironically NWA member), John Marlin is on the scene first and knows what a fence jumping discharge looks like. Meanwhile reoccurring series characters rednecks, Red O'Brien and his sidekick Billie Don are trying to work out how to get Mitch to hear Red's song so Red can finally live the life he wants (although Billie can't see what's wrong with the one they've got). One good thing about all the sub plots is that you get to see what these two look like by an outsider.

Although you can read these as standalone novels it's still a good idea to start at the beginning with Buck Fever.

Gun Shy by Ben Rehder is a crime novel with a bit of a difference. He is merciless in his satire of both sides of the gun debate. He manages to weave a tale that is both a mystery and very funny.

The author uses character to drive the humor. You are introduced to a menagerie of oddball characters ranging from two authentic rednecks to a would-be governor of Texas. They are brought together by the impending rally of the NWA, a pro-gun lobby group. The highlight of the rally is to be the performance of County and Western singer Mitch Campbell. Unfortunately Mitch is not all he seems, and the rally is put in jeopardy by his actions.

The protagonist is a game warden named John Marlin. When a body of an illegal immigrant turns up, he is asked to help with the investigation. The more he learns about the case, the more complicated it gets. Meanwhile more and more people are drawn into the maelstrom as another mystery unfolds. There are a lot of characters, and it takes while to see how they are brought together, but it is worth it. Everything comes together in an unforgettable climax.

Rehder makes fun of everyone in Gun Shy. The epigrams at the beginning of each section are well chosen to set the scene for both sides. What he lampoons most sharply are the people on both sides of the gun issue who have no time to hear anything of their opponents' arguments. Yet, while Rehder makes fun of his characters, he doesn't allow his satire to get in the way of telling a very good story. The book never detours just for the sake of a joke.

Armchair Interviews says: You will enjoy this terrific read by Ben Rehder.

Not the famous Charlton Heston quote but the title of the antihero's new hit country song.
He's the darling of the National Weapons (Rifle) Alliance (Association) who just killed a Mexican who was cleaning up his lavish ranch in preparation for their big political rally.

I wonder about reviewers who found this farce to be "too convoluted". It's a simple straightforward farce with a perfectly clear plot line and fitting array of characters that cover the spectrum of thought on 2nd Amendment right to bear arms arguments. Not surprising that someone thinks this guy wants to take your guns so you can't go mano a mano with an F 15 or the Marine Corps in case you decide the guvment is out to get you.
This book only works because it's just about as crazy as the American public on this issue.
Warning - I read and carry
Smith and Wesson meets Bantam and Doubleday.

Armed Hippie Librul Commie Pinko Freak
Only us outlaws should have guns.

I have enjoyed Ben Rehder's previous books with his mix of humour and mystery, but in Gun Shy he has become political and his clumsily disguised portrayal of the National Rifle Association just ain't funny. He professes to be a hunter, but I don't want to be near him with a rifle in his hands.

John Marlin has been a game warden in Blanco County, Texas for more than twenty years. He has stories to tell about the amazingly stupid things he has seen folks do and the things they have said to him. Like the day when a woman who had just recently moved down from Dallas called to complain about the wild deer in her yard eating her plants. She thought that if the deer crossing sign was removed from the street in front of her house the deer wouldn't show up in her yard anymore.

So when Ken Bell who has been around since just after World War II calls, he isn't too worried. That is until Ken explains that in an effort to run off the latest poacher on his land he left fly with some birdshot. Except his shotgun was loaded instead with buckshot and the man fell over and isn't moving. Ken is afraid to go take a look and thinks the man is dead. John Marlin quickly confirms that the young Hispanic man is dead. But, he wasn't killed by Ken Bell.

He's been dead for a couple of days and the scene was staged to make it look like a hunting accident. Ironic as in just a few days the National Weapons Alliance is set to rally in support of the right to carry guns for every American at the nearby ranch of current country and western superstar Mitch Campbell. A man that seems to have more in common with the late Elvis than anyone else and is a rolling freight train of disaster.

What follows is a cozy style mystery read packed with multiple secondary storylines, numerous characters, and plenty of pointed humor directed at both sides of the gun debate as well as other targets. Author Ben Rehder pulls no punches and by the end of the book, it isn't clear which side received more plates of heaping scorn. Along the way, he takes shots at the media, misguided celebrity worship, modern day marketing of music, and numerous other groups and individuals. It becomes tempting to try to link various characters and groups with their real life counterparts as often the fictional veil is very thin indeed.

However, the book is fiction and as such, the read is often laugh out loud funny. While the main storyline of the original killing involving game warden John Marlin is obvious, almost nothing else is which serves the overall purpose for keeping the reader interested and entertained. The result is a funny, occasionally coarse read, that works on every level and does so without the author drawing attention to himself.


Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2007

With this novel, Rehder takes the art of multi-threaded narratives to an extreme. This book lurches all over the place. Every time some story momentum builds, he stops it in its tracks and switches to one of the other eight (or so) story threads that he's woven together. This is a technique that I found EXTREMELY ANNOYING. His previous work tended to also use this technique, but did not have nearly as many story lines going at the same time.


For the record, I have enjoyed the Blanco County series and can recommend others in the series. However, because of the start-and-stop nature of this book, I cannot recommend it unless you really enjoy that writing style. I suggest picking it up at your local library.