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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worth the read in spite of foul unnecessary cursing language
just a fun read I eventually purchased the whole series and UNLIKE most series it continues to hold my attention without becoming tedious and repetitive. The books appear to be historically accurate and all in all quite fun reading
Different, but enjoyable.
A rip-snortin’ mix of two of my favorite genres–a Western and a whodunit. Very fun ride (pun intended). Made me want to reread the Sherlock stories.
Nice tale of a wanna be and then is a Sherlockian
Cowboy
Delightful. Two cowpoke brothers, Otto and Gustav, find work on a ranch that seems to be keeping secrets. The younger brother, Otto, reads Sherlock Holmes stories to his illiterate, taciturn older brother who becomes totally enamored of the mystery-solving techniques. “Some folks get religion. Gustav got Sherlock Holmes.” After a couple suspicious deaths on the ranch, Gustav decides to go “deducifying.” The folksy cowboy language was hilarious. “He speaks English about as good as a fish can whistle.” “He was like a cut of choice sirloin sandwiched by two wormy pieces of moldy bread.” “The HQ outhouse was as drafty as a pair of flap-assed underdrawers.” Words “slid off his ears like water over an otter’s ass.” This is the first in a series, and I’ll definitely read more of them. After all, as the author claims in his bio, he “has written a million-bajillion books.”
Who would have thought cowboys as sleuths. Enjoyed this western setting with some witty characters.
I just finished it and loved it. Excellent and very clever. Ended like a good “who dunnit” should. Plan to read more from this author.
It is good bedtime reading. You won’t try to stay awake to finish it, but it keeps your attention enough to go back for more the next night.
A great new take on Holmes. I loved it
Light but fun. A unique premise — an illiterate cowboy as self-styled Sherlock Holmes — and a classic American setting,. Our unlikely hero and his brother take on a random band of rogues in 19th century Montana. A nice break from my usual diet of ‘serious’ literature.
Enjoyable read. Light, quick moving, and doesn’t take itself too seriously! So I’ve read three more in the series as well.
Creative western with an Interesting whodunnit approach.
This was the first of the Holmes on the Range with the Amlingmeyer brothers but it won’t be the last. The characters are interesting and fun. The story works while keeping the interest up the entire time. I did not catch on until the end but the author was good about presenting the clues leading up, like a Sherlock Holmes mystery. I would recommend as a fun read.
With a witty, down-holmesy narrative and an interesting mystery, this book delivers a pleasurable read. The brothers are engaging characters. And the bow to Doyle’s famous detective (as if he were a real person) is appreciated.
I really liked this book, for the characters and the accurate descriptions of the locale. Fun read!
I like books about life out west. It was an enjoyable read.
Fun to read.
I enjoyed. It would have been gruesome it it were not so ridIculous. A good, fun, read
Too family with a lot of negativity thrown in for good measure.