Flat Crazy

"Funny... much like Carl Hiaasen's gore splattered howlers." -- Field & Stream

Uh, no.

I love Hiaasen (and Tim Dorsey and Randy Wayne White), but I would never associate the authors. Completely different categories, that would be like saying Little Leaguers are right up there with Big Leaguers. Nope, those are different worlds entirely.

I was hoping to find a new author (that I liked), but that didn't happen. I suppose I would call this story "silly." It was supposed to be humorous, but the occasional funniest bits were mere half-grins. The stereotypical characters were bland with the possible exceptions of the kid Charlie and the reporter Rudi.

The story more-or-less revolves around canned hunts in Texas. Kind of easy enough to write about show more since Texas, like Florida, teems with an overabundance of introduced and exotic animals. [It has been estimated that there are more tigers in Texas than still exist in the wild, sad.] There were several other parts, but none of them really made for an interesting, page-turning tale. Just ho-hum all around. show less

This is the third book in Rehder's John Marlin series. I really enjoy these books, partly because they're set in the Texas Hill Country (yes, I do think it's God's country, and you're not likely to convince me it isn't) and partly because they're insane and funny in the same way that Carl Hiaasen's books are. I'd tell you about the plot, but really, that's half the fun, and I'd hate to spoil it for you. I'll just say it involves deer hunting and murder. The rest you'll have to find out for yourself.

If you like Hiaasen, I'm pretty sure you'll like Rehder's books too. If you want to read a chapter or so and see for yourself, visit the author's website here. I hope you'll like his books as much as I do.

Blanco, Tx