Holy Moly

This is the first Ben Rehder book I've read, but it won't be the last. How he manages to keep a large cast of characters (and that they are) on track throughout this yarn shows his genius. Many of the other reviews already have given a good synopsis of the plot so I'll just say buy the book. You won't be disappointed.

Although you can read these as standalone novels it's still a good idea to start at the beginning with Buck Fever. Nothing of the former plots is given away in Holy Moly, and you'll be able to follow it as a standalone read no problems. However by starting at Buck Fever you will have a greater appreciation for the relationships of main character John Marlin and the other law enforcement officers of Blanco County, as well as appreciate and cheer on Billie Don as he forms a meaningful relationship with someone besides fellow series redneck, Red (which comes about from one of Red's get rich schemes of course). So anyway in Holy Moly we've got one of America's big cable TV evangelists expanding their empire by building a church/TV stadium complex in Blanco County as it is handy for two of Texas' major cities to both attend. Unfortunately for the scam of TV religion, something such as a dinosaur skull found excavating their property would sort of be highlighting the scientific evidence that contradicts the first chapters of the bible. However being told to bury the evidence isn't morally right for a backhoe operator, nor is throwing away millions of dollars he will later find out is it worth. Of course within the church not many practice what they preach so no one is overly surprised when that backhoe operator is found with an arrow hole through his torso. Why was he killed though? To hide the skull's existence. For the money it is worth? For the dinosaur fossil itself which if real would be one of the greatest and rarest discoveries in that field. Or something else? Throw in the local rednecks Red and Billie (who we a great side to as mentioned before), a rich dinosaur bone collector who can only become ready for the bedroom by women dressed as and making dinosaur noises an old environmental extremist who's not afraid of a physical altercation and a heap of other new surreal characters and you've got another great Rehder novel. If you loved and have read all this series, also check out the author C.J. Box and his Joe Pickett adventures which also follow a game warden based near a hunting culture small town filled with eccentric red necks, corrupt officials and other fun characters, his books are set in Wyoming. Open Season is the first novel in that great series, check it out!

While several reviewers have concentrated on the religion part of the story, what is interesting to me about this installment of the John Marlin series is the great number of side plots. While a mega-church owns the land the fossil is found on, the actions of the church officials are only part of what's going on. The other plots include: * an attempt by an old opponent of Marlin's to alienate Marlin's fiancee - which she foils nicely; I won't spoil it with the details, but there are serious as well as funny aspects to it; * Billy Don's blossoming romance - a character I've always had a sneaking fondness for, Billy Don was never as dumb as his pal Red, and he has deserved a way to stop being just a farce character; * Jerry Strand's marriage - will it survive, or won't it? * Martha the library lady vs. Snake the hacker. While it's possible to enjoy this book as a stand-alone, it's more fun if you have been following the series, so that the involvement of continuing characters in these extra plots makes more sense. Without that sense of participating in the ongoing lives of the characters, the actual murder itself is a bit thin on excitement. But of course the details that Rehder puts in about the Hill Country, and the digs at the University of Texas in Austin, and the humor he brings to all the plot lines more than make up for the fact that the solving of the murder is not the majority of the book.

The death of backhoe operator Hollis Farley appears at first glance to be a tragic accident. Found underneath his overturned rig on land he was clearing to make way for a mega church near the Pedernales River, Hollis Farley died on the job. But, this is Blanco County where weird things happen and this one is another. Instead of being killed when the backhoe hit a boulder and flipped as first theorized, it turns out that he was shot in the back with an arrow capped with a broadhead hunting point. As the case unfolds and Game Warden John Marlin's involvement increases, the facts and the people involved get stranger and stranger. Finding a dinosaur bone on the property of the planned mega church didn't get Hollis Farley killed. What he did afterwards just might have done the trick. With so many having a motive for doing the deed, it is up to John Marlin and Sheriff Bobby Garza to flush the real killer out before he or she strikes again. Much like he did with "Gun Shy" Austin, Texas area writer Ben Rehder has penned another often funny novel that lets everyone in sight have it. This time his main target is the religious hypocrisy often found in the mega churches. It is tempting to speculate a bit as to which church served as inspiration but unnecessary. Considering past events across the country, this satiric novel could easily become too real in coming months as no doubt another religious leader of a mega church will be caught doing something very wrong. It is inevitable--much like news reports of Jesus sightings in recently washed windows and fried food products. In the meantime what we have here is yet another often funny novel sent in Blanco County, Texas featuring a strange murder, a ton of offbeat characters, and the resulting twisted and often funny search for justice. The book is another tale of the weird, funny and often absurd that packs a punch to the mind and the gut. Beyond the continuing romance involving John Marlin there is no real character development to speak of regarding the returning characters. That romance is a minor factor in the book with most of the focus on the murder case and the cast of offbeat characters who are involved at various levels. The result is a good piece of work with plenty of comedy and mystery guaranteed to keep readers entertained to the very last page. Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2008

In Blanco County, Texas, Peter "Pastor Pete" Boothe hires backhoe operator Hollis Farley to clear the land for the construction of a mega church complex, a controversial project not warmly received by everyone. Hollis uncovers an Alamosaurus skull that if reported would halt construction until it can be determined whether the area is an archeological gold mine. However, someone shoots an arrow into Farley's back and the fossil vanishes. Red O'Brien learned from Hollis what he found and wants the valuable fossil. So does paleontologist Dr. Underwood, who based on pictures told Game Warden John Marlin the skull could be worth millions. Meanwhile Red persuades his roommate three-hundred pound Billy Don Craddock to seduce Farley's sister, Betty Jean, as he assumes she is the most likely person to have the dinosaur skull. He also considers those in Pastor Pete's inner sanction like the preacher's cheating wife and his top lieutenant. On the other hand there are those working for dinosaur-lover Darwin Parker. While Red works his amateur sleuthing from all angles, he intrudes on Marlin's official professional inquiry into what happened to Hollis though O'Brien sees the cops getting in his way. This is a wild well written salute to avarice as just about everyone has a reason to claim the skull and will do what it takes to gain possession. The story line is fast-paced and filled with greedy twists as rivalries battle for ownership. Interestingly Marlin is the hero as he was in GUN SHY, but he shares top billing with Red, Paster Pete, and an assortment of people who spent too much time sniffing oil fumes or baking in the Texas heat. Harriet Klausner