Holmes on the Range

By: Steve Hockensmith

Narrated by: William Dufris

1893 is a tough year in Montana, and any job is a good job. When Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer sign on as ranch hands at the secretive Bar-VR cattle spread, they're not expecting much more than hard work, bad pay, and a comfortable campfire around which they can enjoy their favorite pastime: scouring Harper's Weekly for stories about the famous Sherlock Holmes.

When another ranch hand turns up in an outhouse with a bullet in his brain, Old Red sees the perfect opportunity to put his Holmes-inspired detective talents to work and solve the case. Big Red, like it or not (and mostly he does not), is along for the wild ride in this clever, compelling, and completely one-of-a-kind mystery.

©2006 Steve Hockensmith; (P)2006 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Mystery Writers of America 2007 Edgar Nominee, Best First Novel by an American Author

"Sherlockians, western fans, and mystery lovers who enjoy their whodunits leavened with humor should all be delighted by Hockensmith's captivating debut." (Publishers Weekly)
"This first novel will keep both mystery fans and afficionados of Westerns grinning from the first page to the last." (Library Journal)

Great Fun!!!

This is an enjoyable romp through the old west with a Holmes feel to it. There was plenty of light humor mixed in. Not a deep thriller, just good entertainment. William Dufris was right on the money. There was some rough language, but not vulgar. Enjoyable to find a book not filled with sex, vampires, zombies, etc.

Uneven

It started out fun. Great premise. Two good charachters, the story just sort of petered out. Loved the short story it was based on and so got this. It's well read but I probably won't listen to it again.

If you love Sherlock...

Folksy and funny, and a good puzzling mystery. I will definitely look for more Gustav and Otto "Holmes" prowling the range.

Fantastic little western detective story

This was a great story that is fit for all ages and was definitely worth listening to. I will be sure to listen to the whole series.

Great mystery in a classic Western setting

I went to Reddit to request suggestions for a mystery story in the classic Western genre. It seems like most are in a modern setting. This one however was described as fitting my request to a tee. Did it ever. Set on a ranch just before the turn of the century, it follows the adventures of 2 brothers, Old Red & Big Red. Illiterate Old Red is obsessed with the Sherlock Holmes stories that Big Red reads to him. So when strange things happen on the ranch Old Red decides to try his hand at deducifying. The mystery was clever and I was left guessing until the end. This is an enjoyable listen that blends Sherlock Holmes, Westerns and a touch of comedy.