It’s 1893, and itinerant cowboy brothers Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer are down to their last pennies. So when jobs come open at a ranch run by a secretive, surly foreman, they can’t say no. Fortunately, they have a distraction from the hard work and their bad-tempered boss: the Sherlock Holmes stories Old Red has come to love so much.But when the cowboys come across a dead body on the ranch, … the ranch, Old Red isn’t content to keep daydreaming about Holmes. He’s determined to catch the killer using his hero’s methods. Whether he likes it or not (and mostly he doesn’t), Big Red is dragged along for the wild ride as his brother tries to “deducify” his way to the truth. The only thing standing between them and a solution to the mystery: stampedes, rustlers, Holmes-hating aristocrats and a cannibal named “Hungry Bob.”
Critical Praise for Holmes on the Range
“Delightfully offbeat.” -Entertainment Weekly
“Just when it seemed as if there were no more literary riches to be wrung from Sherlock Holmes, along comes Steve Hockensmith’s inspired debut novel…The star of this tale is a fresh narrator’s voice that whoops and hollers, dazzling the reader with colorful language, vivid images and hilarious asides. Sherlock Holmes in a Stetson turns out to be a dandy idea.” -Hallie Ephron, The Boston Globe
“Sherlockians, Western fans and mystery lovers who enjoy their whodunits leavened with humor should all be delighted by Hockensmith’s captivating debut.” -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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This is one of the slowest books I’ve ever read.
A change of pace read for me. Delightful mix of the Old West and Sherlock. Loved the character’s interactions.
I don’t like this book. It is more of a cowboy narrative than a detective novel. I abandoned the book. If you like westerns this is for you.
In all the books of Sherlock Holmes reimagined, this was a standout. It is not directly about Holmes, though it takes him as a true historical figure, but about a cowboy, inspired by Watson’s records of Homes’ methods, deciding to put those methods into practice in the American west, with the aid of his brother.
I loved everything about this book. The two brothers made the book interesting, with the boys going at it with their take on life. Then it got really good with all the drama in investigating and how they wrapped it all up with the crooks being identified. It was a thrill right to the end.
One of the best books that I’ve read recently. I laughed and laughed most of the way through this story. It was written in a great style that many could not repeat. Thanks to a great writer the events will stick in my mind for months to come. I hope to get more written by this author. Excellent selection for most folks.
A very original view of ranch hands and two brothers who help to solve a murder or two via Sherlock Holmes. Not your typical western saga. Enjoyable.
I rarely like follow-ons to Sherlock Holmes. With an unlikely premise, this one actually works pretty well. It works because the depiction of the old west, if not completely believable, is without romantic illusions.
I really enjoyed the humor in this book! Sometimes it is a good thing to approach crime solving from a lighter outlook, and this book did that very well!
Great book based on a brilliant but illiterate cowboy & his educated brother who decide to espouse Sherlock Holmes & start “deducifying” & solving Mysteries in the 1800’s American West! Fascinating & humorous as well, with a multitude of interesting characters!
Nice intro to what I hope is an equally good series. Reasonable characters, good description of the settings and time, decent plot. A fun read.
Two brothers in 1890’s Montana find themselves on a ranch where mysterious things are happening. Fortunately, one of them thinks he can plan Sherlock Holmes. Can he solve this real life mystery? The characters are fun, but the plot does bog down a little in the middle.
Full of wit and humor in cowboy language!