Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Tries Way Too Hard

I picked this up due to cover blurbs which suggest that Rehder is "Texas' answer to Carl Hiaasen." Well, he may be in time, but not with this first novel. It's not a bad book, but just a bit too madcap for me.Basically, the book follows John Marlin (what an original name that is!) as he investigates a drug smuggling ring that uses the unique method of sewing up cocaine into the bodies of the prize game deer owned by a local businessman/political hustler who swindled his game ranch from one of Marlin's old friends. There are plenty of weird characters and a lot of forced hilarity, but the whole thing just didn't work for me. I think Rehder was trying way too hard with this book and I hope he'll ease up a bit if there's a second novel in this series.