Edgar-finalist Rehder's improbable and outlandish third mystery to feature game warden John Marlin (after Buck Fever
and Bone Dry
) finds the Blanco County, Tex., area in a sweat over presumed sightings of a mysterious wild animal called a chupacabra
. No one knows what one looks like, but various lurid descriptions have stirred up local interest as well as attracted some unwelcome outside media attention. A corpse with a neck wound that looks like the work of fangs helps fuel the frenzy. Meanwhile, bumbling bubbas Billy Don Craddock and Red O'Brien come up with a superbly grandiose plan that entails capturing the mythical beast. Ex-con Duke Waldrip hasn't exactly reformed; he has a nice scam going involving phony trophy heads and exotic (and illegal) animals for staged hunts. But Duke's day starts badly when he's confronted by a wised-up hunter and it gets progressively worse as he tries to cover his tracks. Throw in an opportunistic car thief, a young boy with a taste for adventure, a few escaped exotics and a wealthy wastrel with a rebuilt trophy wife, and Rehder has a stable of characters and critters guaranteed to create havoc. Marlin's quiet competency adds to the enjoyment, as he puzzles out this confounding mystery only to have to rely on assistance from a most unlikely source. Agent, Nancy Love. Regional author tour. (Sept. 15)
