Blanco County game warden John Marlin experienced a number of unusual situations during his nineteen year career. When he got the most recent late-night call, he headed out to the Circle S Ranch and found the only person wounded was the state wildlife biologist who had dressed up in a deer costume in order to catch poachers.

A large buck in the pasture was acting up and Sheriff Roy Mackey wanted to shoot him, ostensibly to protect the people living in the area. Marlin knew better, knowing the sheriff wanted the large antlers. Marlin convinced Mackey to let him use a stun gun and take the buck in for observation.

In the meantime, bumbling poachers Red and Billy Don were plotting their next move in their effort to get possession of the buck, believing its owner would pay a ransom.

Marlin’s good friend Phil Colby lost his cattle ranch in a shady auction deal that ended up with Roy Swank as the owner of the Circle S. Colby had raised a deer by the name of Buck since its birth. When he lost the ranch, Swank wouldn’t let him take the buck with him. Later, Swank decided to turn a portion of ranch into a deer hunting operation.

With deer season a week away, Buck becomes the center of attention as Marlin and Colby try to keep him alive by hiding him, planning to set him free after the seasons ends. Swank wants him returned by the time the lucrative hunting season begins, and hires the two poachers to get the buck back.

When Colby ends up in a coma and a body is found at a local worksite; the county sheriff shows little interest in solving the crimes. Marlin and county deputy Bobby Garza join forces to get to the bottom of the sudden crime spree.

Buck Fever: A Blanco County Mystery is the first novel in the Blanco County Mysteries series written by Ben Rehder. It is also the first of the six books in the series; a series the author has ended, at least for a time. Rehder has written a number of other books that may be of interested to readers.

Rehder writes with a sense of humor and wit that will have most people laughing out loud at some point in the story. The characters and their antics will keep readers turning pages to see what happens next.

The Blanco County mysteries feature John Marlin, the county game warden, and a few of the characters are recurring during the run which provides continuity for readers who like to start from the first book of a series.

At times the characters seem over the top, but the outlandish tale is a part of the fun of this unique story. If you like a good comedic crime novel, start the series with Buck Fever - you won’t be sorry.

This review is a result of my purchase of Buck Fever through the Amazon Kindle Store. If you are interested in any of the six books in this series, or any other Ben Rehder novels, you can find them at Amazon.com.