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Holmes On the Range #5
World's Greatest Sleuth!: A Holmes on the Range Mystery
In 1893, Otto “Big Red� Amlingmeyer and his brother Gustav, “Old Red� find themselves in a situation that they never expected. They have a bit of money and time to do something other than scramble. It’s enough to confound even that most unconfoundable of men, their mutual inspiration, Sherlock Holmes. So Old Red decides that it’s time for the for the two of them to head off to the Texas hill country, to San Marcos, and deal with the greatest tragedy of Old Red’s life. Five years ago, when Old Red was a cowpoke in San Marcos, he had a sweetheart—a fallen woman at the local house of ill repute. They had made plans but before they made their big move, his fiancée was murdered and the case swept under the rug by the local authorities. Now, Old Red is determined to find out what really happened and to finally find a measure of justice for his beloved. But Big Red and Old Red find themselves facing a wall of silence and in some of the worst situations of their lives: ensnared in a riot at the local cathouse, on the wrong end of a lynching party and perhaps worst of all—having to do the one thing you never want to do in the state of Texas: steal horses.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
41 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Steve Hockensmith
93books517followersSteve Hockensmith is the author of the New York Times bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls and several other novels, including the Edgar Award finalist Holmes on the Range. He lives in Alameda, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
April 15, 2022
"“A man’s been murdered.� I shut up.
Pinkerton crouched down and squinted into the tank. “You didn’t disturb anything, did you?�
“Oh, not much. I just borrowed the monogrammed hankie the killer left behind and used it to wipe away the message (he) wrote in his own blood.�
Old Red snatched up his hat and jammed it atop his head. “Of course, I didn’t disturb nothing! But I did notice a thing or two. Or three or four.�
“Get them out of here,� Pinkerton said, jerking his head at the steps."
Yep, those Amlingmeyer brothers are back, but not sleuthing in the American West. The boys have be summoned to Chicago for the 1893 World’s Fair where they are to compete in a contest (cooked up by the publishers of detective stories) to determine who is the best.
And, of course, everything goes wrong.
"Old Red nodded. “I got me a hunch.�
“Care to share it?�
“NDZ.�
“You know what? I think you’re just bullshittin� when you do that. ‘I got me a hunch,� you say, and then anything we find out later, you can claim you was thinkin� all along.�
“Now you’re catchin� on,� my brother said with as close to a smile as I’d seen on him in many a month. Something seemed to be putting him in an uncommonly good mood all of a sudden. “Come on.�"
And a large dose of rural humor:
"“Mr. Greene,� Old Red said, “I’ve been around cattle all my life, and I’ve spent many a looooonnnnng stretch ridin� behind herds thousands strong. So I’ve come across more cow pies than there are stars in the sky. Bury my head in cheese or stick garlic up my nose, it won’t matter. You put a whiff of plop from a hay-fed Hereford anywhere near me, I’ll know it. And that’s exactly what I got a whiff of.�"
Maybe one to skip if you are not a true fan. This book can be read by itself, but I wouldn’t begin here. See Holmes on the Range. Jan’s review is one I agree with. /review/show...
“There are few combinations more appealing than cowboys and mysteries, and with a large dose of humor thrown in, Steve Hockensmith has hit the nail on the head with this delightful story. Two hard-working, cowpoke brothers in the 1880's American west are enthralled with the tales of Sherlock Holmes, and when a trail boss is found dead, they decide to use their own "deducifying" skills to solve the murder� it's a fun book with good characters and descriptions. An historical mystery with humor and a good mystery that kept me guessing.�
Pinkerton crouched down and squinted into the tank. “You didn’t disturb anything, did you?�
“Oh, not much. I just borrowed the monogrammed hankie the killer left behind and used it to wipe away the message (he) wrote in his own blood.�
Old Red snatched up his hat and jammed it atop his head. “Of course, I didn’t disturb nothing! But I did notice a thing or two. Or three or four.�
“Get them out of here,� Pinkerton said, jerking his head at the steps."
Yep, those Amlingmeyer brothers are back, but not sleuthing in the American West. The boys have be summoned to Chicago for the 1893 World’s Fair where they are to compete in a contest (cooked up by the publishers of detective stories) to determine who is the best.
And, of course, everything goes wrong.
"Old Red nodded. “I got me a hunch.�
“Care to share it?�
“NDZ.�
“You know what? I think you’re just bullshittin� when you do that. ‘I got me a hunch,� you say, and then anything we find out later, you can claim you was thinkin� all along.�
“Now you’re catchin� on,� my brother said with as close to a smile as I’d seen on him in many a month. Something seemed to be putting him in an uncommonly good mood all of a sudden. “Come on.�"
And a large dose of rural humor:
"“Mr. Greene,� Old Red said, “I’ve been around cattle all my life, and I’ve spent many a looooonnnnng stretch ridin� behind herds thousands strong. So I’ve come across more cow pies than there are stars in the sky. Bury my head in cheese or stick garlic up my nose, it won’t matter. You put a whiff of plop from a hay-fed Hereford anywhere near me, I’ll know it. And that’s exactly what I got a whiff of.�"
Maybe one to skip if you are not a true fan. This book can be read by itself, but I wouldn’t begin here. See Holmes on the Range. Jan’s review is one I agree with. /review/show...
“There are few combinations more appealing than cowboys and mysteries, and with a large dose of humor thrown in, Steve Hockensmith has hit the nail on the head with this delightful story. Two hard-working, cowpoke brothers in the 1880's American west are enthralled with the tales of Sherlock Holmes, and when a trail boss is found dead, they decide to use their own "deducifying" skills to solve the murder� it's a fun book with good characters and descriptions. An historical mystery with humor and a good mystery that kept me guessing.�
August 7, 2023
Old Red and Big Red are called to the Chicago World Fair. Some benefactors are holding a contest to see who the world's greatest sleuth is, since the death of Sherlock Holmes at Reichenbach Falls. There are detectives from England and France, and Allan Pinkerton is even there.
Things don't go as planned and the game becomes very serious when people start getting murdered.
This is a great series.
Things don't go as planned and the game becomes very serious when people start getting murdered.
This is a great series.
September 27, 2019
I think I need to read the others first. There are pieces of the plot that contain their history and it's a bit tricky without that knowledge. BUT I liked it enough to read the series from the beginning. :)
October 10, 2018
Shucks, I enjoy an occasional western, but golly gee, not this. This wasn't my cup of tea, which happens to us all from time to time. I actually liked the brothers....it was the everything else that I struggled with. I don't recommend the audio, even as much as I have enjoyed this particular narrator in other books, he didn't work for me here. Every character sounded like they were off of the set of the "Beverly Hillbillies" or they were a relative of Don Knotts. No. Please. Stop the nonsense.
Even though I liked the brothers, I just couldn't muster up any feelings for this. The plot was creative, but the character sketches weren't winning any points. So 2 stars.
Even though I liked the brothers, I just couldn't muster up any feelings for this. The plot was creative, but the character sketches weren't winning any points. So 2 stars.
July 30, 2011
I was tempted to read this mystery when I saw it was set in the White City in 1893, having just read The Devil in the White City by Larson. I kept a photographic record of the Chicago World's Fair handy and enjoyed seeing photos of the places depicted in the story.
This was a comical mystery about 2 cowboys who want to follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes and do some 'detectivin'. I'd read more of this series as a refreshing change of pace.
This was a comical mystery about 2 cowboys who want to follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes and do some 'detectivin'. I'd read more of this series as a refreshing change of pace.
December 16, 2013
I had studiously avoided the Holmes on the Range series in the past, but I’m glad I picked up The World’s Greatest Sleuth. As those who know me and my predilection for mysteries set in either historical or modern Chicago will surmise, I read this because the bulk of the “deductin’� takes place at the 1893 Columbian Exposition (aka Chicago World’s Fair, aka White City). The conceit of this series is that a cowboy sleuth and admirer of Sherlock Holmes has had and, in the course of the narration, is having his investigations chronicles in dime novel form by his brother.
In this adventure, several publishers have gotten together after the disappearance of an allegedly historical Mr. Holmes and the expose that one Nick Carter was merely a fictional character. The purpose of this amalgamation of garrulous and publicity-conscious detectives, straight from the pages of their dime novels and pulp magazines, is to determine the appropriate successor to the sobriquet “World’s Greatest Sleuth� as formerly appended to the presumed late Mr. Holmes. The plan is to plant a golden egg somewhere within the fairgrounds and force the would-be detectives to deduce its location via some riddles and puns. As one detective protests that solving riddles is not a true test of one’s ability to investigate, there naturally occurs (or perhaps, more accurately, unnaturally) an opportunity to prosecute a real investigation.
Unfortunately, one William Pinkerton (head of the famous agency and successor to the famous Allan Pinkerton who founded the detective agency) proves unwilling to be upstaged by those he deems as amateurs at best and frauds at worst. So, Pinkerton uses his connections with Chicago’s Finest to keep the protagonists and their associates off the case. Of course, most mysteries offer the trope of detectives being warned off the case, so that’s nothing new. It wouldn’t be a spoiler to say that our “Holmes on the Range� stays on the case.
Of course, even as the cliché of �cherchez la femme� applies to many mysteries, the clue for World’s Greatest Sleuth would have to be �cherchez la motif.� It wasn’t until the two brothers (and their colleagues) began to understand the potential for larceny within the contest that they were able to zero in on the suspected murderer. Until then, the reader is regaled with humor at the expense of the rural cowboys, misdirection, an amazing assortment of real and false beards, and a rather humiliating discovery by the narrator that comes across with considerable amusement.
Personally, I didn’t feel that the author offered sufficient groundwork for his final revelation. I don’t think there were unfair clues, I just didn’t feel there were enough pointers. Even when we’re fooled by the perpetrators, most of us like to be able to think back over the story and remember the groundwork that we might have overlooked in our hurry to chase a “red herring� or when we were distracted by some more immediate threat to the main characters. In this case, nothing particularly comes to mind. As a result, I can say that I’m glad I read this book, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to read another in this series.
In this adventure, several publishers have gotten together after the disappearance of an allegedly historical Mr. Holmes and the expose that one Nick Carter was merely a fictional character. The purpose of this amalgamation of garrulous and publicity-conscious detectives, straight from the pages of their dime novels and pulp magazines, is to determine the appropriate successor to the sobriquet “World’s Greatest Sleuth� as formerly appended to the presumed late Mr. Holmes. The plan is to plant a golden egg somewhere within the fairgrounds and force the would-be detectives to deduce its location via some riddles and puns. As one detective protests that solving riddles is not a true test of one’s ability to investigate, there naturally occurs (or perhaps, more accurately, unnaturally) an opportunity to prosecute a real investigation.
Unfortunately, one William Pinkerton (head of the famous agency and successor to the famous Allan Pinkerton who founded the detective agency) proves unwilling to be upstaged by those he deems as amateurs at best and frauds at worst. So, Pinkerton uses his connections with Chicago’s Finest to keep the protagonists and their associates off the case. Of course, most mysteries offer the trope of detectives being warned off the case, so that’s nothing new. It wouldn’t be a spoiler to say that our “Holmes on the Range� stays on the case.
Of course, even as the cliché of �cherchez la femme� applies to many mysteries, the clue for World’s Greatest Sleuth would have to be �cherchez la motif.� It wasn’t until the two brothers (and their colleagues) began to understand the potential for larceny within the contest that they were able to zero in on the suspected murderer. Until then, the reader is regaled with humor at the expense of the rural cowboys, misdirection, an amazing assortment of real and false beards, and a rather humiliating discovery by the narrator that comes across with considerable amusement.
Personally, I didn’t feel that the author offered sufficient groundwork for his final revelation. I don’t think there were unfair clues, I just didn’t feel there were enough pointers. Even when we’re fooled by the perpetrators, most of us like to be able to think back over the story and remember the groundwork that we might have overlooked in our hurry to chase a “red herring� or when we were distracted by some more immediate threat to the main characters. In this case, nothing particularly comes to mind. As a result, I can say that I’m glad I read this book, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to read another in this series.
March 20, 2012
Another excellent entry in this series featuring the Amlingmeyer brothers, Big Red (Otto) and Old Red (Gustav) as they are off to Chicago to the World's Fair of 1893 to participate in a contest to determine (you guessed it!) the World's Greatest Sleuth. This is not something they volunteered for--Otto's publisher enrolled them to get publicity for his series of books and Old Red, still recovering from an incident that left him blinded for weeks, is NOT happy.
Arriving at the last minute, they aren't sure exactly how the contest works, and they find themselves up against some awfully strange characters, the only friendly face being their old friend Diana Corvus. Both the brothers are hoping to impress her, but it's not exactly turning out that way...and when the man who was writing the contest clues ends up dead--smothered in a Mammoth Cheese--there are actually two contests going on...the sanctioned one, and the unofficial one to find who killed him.
Hilarious and full of wry humor as well as some wonderful information and detail about the Chicago World's Fair, this was a great story and a well-plotted mystery with a bad guy that I didn't figure out nearly til the end. I do hope there will be more of these books forthcoming, although this is currently the last one.
Arriving at the last minute, they aren't sure exactly how the contest works, and they find themselves up against some awfully strange characters, the only friendly face being their old friend Diana Corvus. Both the brothers are hoping to impress her, but it's not exactly turning out that way...and when the man who was writing the contest clues ends up dead--smothered in a Mammoth Cheese--there are actually two contests going on...the sanctioned one, and the unofficial one to find who killed him.
Hilarious and full of wry humor as well as some wonderful information and detail about the Chicago World's Fair, this was a great story and a well-plotted mystery with a bad guy that I didn't figure out nearly til the end. I do hope there will be more of these books forthcoming, although this is currently the last one.
July 10, 2011
I've read probably 1000s of mystery novels in my time, to the point that very few of them break out of the formulaic pattern and rise to the front of my attention. The main characters tend to run together into my mind into one big blur, until I can't keep straight which main sleuth goes with what series. And, I sometimes even find myself reading an entire chapter of a series before realizing, hey, I've read THIS book before. Sometimes I actually have read the book, and sometimes the book is just more or less the same as another few dozen I've read before. Hockensmith, however, really has managed to take a totally original view of the traditional mystery, and create some deep, interesting characters in a fast paced read with some laugh out loud moments. I love this series, and I hope he writes more.
This particular installment isn't particularly deep and meaty, and the plot might wear thin in areas, but because of the sheer originality, the entertaining writing, and the characters I've come to enjoy, I read straight through to the end in a single afternoon. I hope he writes a dozen more.
This particular installment isn't particularly deep and meaty, and the plot might wear thin in areas, but because of the sheer originality, the entertaining writing, and the characters I've come to enjoy, I read straight through to the end in a single afternoon. I hope he writes a dozen more.
October 31, 2016
Currently the last in this amusing series, but hopefully not forever! In this entry it is nice to see Old Red loosen up a bit and begin to get some credit. Underlying the mystery plot and the humor, what really makes this series worthwhile is the true affection between the brothers and the frustration and poignancy of the Amlingmeyers being thwarted by their lack of polish, the assumption that they must be backwards cowboys who don't know anything, and the belief that, in the case of Old Red, an inability to read must mean that he is stupid.
April 26, 2012
That was good fun, and I am pleased to hear that there are four more.
Good characters, decent plot, some pretty good red herrings.
A few slow parts, but nothing serious.
Nice touch at the end with making an appearance.
This isn't Nobel-Prize-for-Literature stuff, and it doesn't claim to be.
To anyone who thinks it's too lowbrow I can only quote Old Red and say, "Feh."
Good characters, decent plot, some pretty good red herrings.
A few slow parts, but nothing serious.
Nice touch at the end with making an appearance.
This isn't Nobel-Prize-for-Literature stuff, and it doesn't claim to be.
To anyone who thinks it's too lowbrow I can only quote Old Red and say, "Feh."
April 28, 2021
The book, World’s Greatest Sleuths, is the fifth book in the series, Holmes on the Range. The Amlingmeyer brothers, Gustav “Old Red� and Otto “Big Red� are invited to the World’s Columbian Exposition held in Chicago, in 1893. They are to compete with other private detectives and solve daily riddles. The individual detective or team of detectives that solve the most riddles will win $10,000 and bragging rights to the title of the “World’s Greatest Sleuth.� They find themselves competing against a detective from France, another one from England, and even a team consisting of people they personally know (from their previous adventures, in previous books). There are sleuths who have been made famous from dime store novels, but do they truly exist? They travel throughout the White City of Chicago viewing the fantastic inventions, the thrilling Ferris Wheel, and the exotic landscapes from around the world, like Little Egypt’s belly dancing. A dead body complicates the competition and causes the Amlingmeyer brothers to concentrate on solving a true crime, rather than solve silly riddles.
I’ve read the other books in this series and this one was as interesting as the others. I enjoyed learning about the World’s Columbian Exposition. It was interesting to see what an impact the various exhibits had on someone from that time. How a giant Ferris Wheel would be intriguing ride, how belly dancing was thought of as an exotic and forbidden dance, and how a giant tower of cheddar cheese could be a murder scene. I highly recommend this book for all Sherlock Holmes fans as well!
I’ve read the other books in this series and this one was as interesting as the others. I enjoyed learning about the World’s Columbian Exposition. It was interesting to see what an impact the various exhibits had on someone from that time. How a giant Ferris Wheel would be intriguing ride, how belly dancing was thought of as an exotic and forbidden dance, and how a giant tower of cheddar cheese could be a murder scene. I highly recommend this book for all Sherlock Holmes fans as well!
October 29, 2020
I listened to this audiobook. This is the 5th in the Holmes on the Range series. They are some of the most delightful, fun books I have read. I highly recommend the audiobook version because William Dufris is the greatest narrator for these books. Gustav (Old Red) and Otto (Big Red) Amlingmeyer are brothers in the 1890’s. Gustav has a dream of being a detective like his hero Sherlock Holmes. Otto has a dream to be an author and Gustav’s Watson. Otto has finally gotten some of his tales published. Now, the brothers are invited by their publisher to come to Chicago to the 1893 World’s Fair to complete for the title of World’s Greatest Sleuth. They are pitted against amateur detectives from across the world. It is a race to decipher clues to find a golden egg hidden somewhere at the fair. Of course, a murder is committed. It is up to Old Red to uncover the murderer. As with all the books, Gustav and Otto are beset with obstacles that are funny and zany. Old Red is rough and gruff, but his demeanor hides just how observant he is. Not only does he discover the murderer, he uncovers fraud within the competition. Big Red is the hilarious narrator and he is Gustav’s support. I love this series.
September 3, 2017
Ugh. Where to begin? The Amlingmeyer brothers (they are cowboys) are great admirers of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, so they have that going for them. And in the first book in this series, Holmes on the Range, they prove themselves adept enough operators. With the second book things went straight to hell, and nor are we out of it. World's Greatest Sleuth! (the fifth book) is set during the 1893 World's Fair, and reads like an atrocious episode of The Beverly Hillbillies. Whatever charms the first book had to offer are diminished at this point to non-existence. Hopefully that is what has happened to this series as well. "Deducifying" is not a word. Cornpone probably isn't either, but that colloquialism is still an accurate description. There is a scene here that should have been the zenith of the series-it is telegraphed almost from the beginning. Instead it is the nadir. Any measure of poignancy one might have felt has been pummeled out of the reader but what has gone before. If there was an award for "Most Annoying Novel" I firmly believe I have found a nominee for that title.
January 1, 2024
A detective competition at the Chicago worlds fair!!!
World's Greatest Sleuth! by Steve Hockensmith is the fifth Holmes on the Range novel…seeing the brothers travel to Chicago for a very special contest�
The first four novels have referenced the 1893 Chicago worlds fair, and after much waiting, the brothers find themselves on a train to the windy city as the urging of a detective magazine publisher.
Throughout the story, they are competing with other “magazine detectives� in an effort to honor the late Sherlock Holmes and prove who the greatest sleuth is�
Throughout, they will follow up clues given to them by the organizer and attempt to solve a special puzzle each day�
It’s odd when the one writing the clues turns up dead after the first day�
Unlike their other adventures, Big Red and Old Red find themselves with competition…both a mix of former associates, “legendary� magazine detectives, and foreign investigators looking to show up the American cowboys�
It’s a fun romp even if the final revelation seems to lose some of its luster�
World's Greatest Sleuth! by Steve Hockensmith is the fifth Holmes on the Range novel…seeing the brothers travel to Chicago for a very special contest�
The first four novels have referenced the 1893 Chicago worlds fair, and after much waiting, the brothers find themselves on a train to the windy city as the urging of a detective magazine publisher.
Throughout the story, they are competing with other “magazine detectives� in an effort to honor the late Sherlock Holmes and prove who the greatest sleuth is�
Throughout, they will follow up clues given to them by the organizer and attempt to solve a special puzzle each day�
It’s odd when the one writing the clues turns up dead after the first day�
Unlike their other adventures, Big Red and Old Red find themselves with competition…both a mix of former associates, “legendary� magazine detectives, and foreign investigators looking to show up the American cowboys�
It’s a fun romp even if the final revelation seems to lose some of its luster�
July 24, 2017
Grabbed audiobook at last minute to listen to on trip. Fantastic reader (William Dufris) and great introduction to Hockensmith and the series. I didn't realize I was starting several books into the series, but even though there were references to earlier events, I never felt it detracted from my enjoyment.
I'm sure reading the books are equally enjoyable, but after starting out with Mr. Dufris' excellent voice characters, I've continued with the audiobooks.
The plot is fine, and sure there's a mystery, but it's the characters I'm hooked on.
I'm sure reading the books are equally enjoyable, but after starting out with Mr. Dufris' excellent voice characters, I've continued with the audiobooks.
The plot is fine, and sure there's a mystery, but it's the characters I'm hooked on.
November 8, 2021
Old Red. Big Red. Chicago’s World’s Fair. Sleuthing contest. $10,000. MURDER. Diana makes an appearance...again. CLUES. Bearded men, EVERYWHERE. I was thinking there might be a tie into the novel Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Sadly no. BUT, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t something nefarious happening. Pinkerton. An egg. A Ferris Wheel. Police. MORE CLUES. And a reference or two to Sherlock Holmes. The boys seem a little out of their comfort zone in the White City...perhaps it’s time to head back to the prairie?!
More reviews at mytossiecup.blogspot.com
More reviews at mytossiecup.blogspot.com
September 19, 2017
Very entertaining (meaning funny).
I have read most of the " Holmes on the Range" books and I think this was the funniest one so far. When the French detective was talking, I had to laugh out loud the way his accent was written. It was confusing about finding the prize egg; I thought there were several eggs, but it turned out that they kept hiding the same egg over and over. I hope more of these books will be written
I have read most of the " Holmes on the Range" books and I think this was the funniest one so far. When the French detective was talking, I had to laugh out loud the way his accent was written. It was confusing about finding the prize egg; I thought there were several eggs, but it turned out that they kept hiding the same egg over and over. I hope more of these books will be written
April 4, 2020
In fairness, I listened to this book while doing work around the house - which is usual for me when listening to audio books. For some reason, I just couldn't get into this one. I thought I would love the way the story blended real people and historic events together in this world's greatest detective competition, but I couldn't. It did have some interesting characters and I enjoyed the descriptions of the Chicago's World Fair, but I enjoyed Devil in the White City a lot more than this book.
June 26, 2021
Hysterical and Heart Warming
Another fabulous adventure for the Red brothers! I LOVE the books in this series - great writing, colorful characters, clever situations, unexpected analogies - funny and full of heart too. These books make my belly laugh and my heart smile. HIGHLY recommend!!!
Another fabulous adventure for the Red brothers! I LOVE the books in this series - great writing, colorful characters, clever situations, unexpected analogies - funny and full of heart too. These books make my belly laugh and my heart smile. HIGHLY recommend!!!
March 27, 2020
Volume 5 recaptures the goofy humour and slapstick nature of the first two books, but lacks the tense, driven plots of previous volumes. Much of the proceedings seem gratuitous or implausible, and it is far less emotionally involving than books 4 or 3.
July 10, 2018
Great end to a great series!
January 4, 2019
Love these books.
January 23, 2019
This might be my favorite in the series so far. Sometimes I think the plots get a bit ridiculous but I love Gustav and Otto and I laugh out loud at least once per chapter.
December 20, 2020
I really enjoyed this series, "Holmes on the Range". I loved the humor. Next year I will have to take a look for more of his book. And see if I can find Book 6, then "Dear Mr. Holmes"
Happy Reading
Happy Reading
July 23, 2021
This one didn't work for me. The writing was as enjoyable as ever, but I didn't much care for the story.
January 18, 2022
Looking for the next one! Enjoying the narration as well.
November 21, 2023
I like the Amlingmeyer brothers and their relationship. I would be honored to know them
April 30, 2025
Cowboy sleuths at the Colombian Exposition, a “cheesy� murder and the city slickers� comeuppance!
March 16, 2017
This wasn’t terrible…okay, it was pretty bad. I threw in an extra star because it was easy to read and the mystery was well-plotted. Otherwise, it was disappointing. Old Red is one of the dullest characters I’ve ever read about, his tedious banality only emphasized by how annoying his younger brother (the narrator) is. In my opinion, a mystery is only as good as the ones trying to solve it, and the Amlingmeyer brothers leave much to be desired. The humor/dialogue was lame, and holy moly, the story was sooo melodramatic, especially at the end.
And apparently, Old Red is supposed to be the ‘Sherlock Holmes� of the ‘range�, which (ha!) was the funniest part of the whole book! Because seriously, that has to be a joke, right? He more so stumbled upon the solution in his tight pants than deduced anything.
And apparently, Old Red is supposed to be the ‘Sherlock Holmes� of the ‘range�, which (ha!) was the funniest part of the whole book! Because seriously, that has to be a joke, right? He more so stumbled upon the solution in his tight pants than deduced anything.
August 8, 2014
What a rip-roaring, fun-filled, action-packed murder mystery! Sherlock Holmes was never as much fun as Old Red and Big Red when it comes to "deducifyin"!
The combination of the wild-West cowboy brothers - who are known as the "Holmes on the Range" - and who are fish-out-of-water in the setting of the 1893 White City of the Chicago World's Fair, with a cast of other colourful characters, all of whom start out participating in a publicity stunt scavenger hunt to solve clues and find hidden eggs, quickly turns into a competition to solve the murder of the puzzle-master, who ends up dead, face-down and suffocated in the world's biggest cheese [from Canada, just for local colour!] is just one big hilarious adventure.
The writer's style [which is presented as being written by one of the crime-solving Reds - who, as luck would have it, happens to be a mystery writer a-la-Dr. Watson and is chronicling this adventure for his next book] is a bit unusual, but so much fun, and is full of clever and sarcastic asides with snarks at the other sleuths, the contest organizers, and even his own brother and himself as well as telling the story. I laughed out loud all through the book.
The characters are all extremely well-written, with unique and interesting voices and personalities and they all add even more entertainment to the story. I liked them all and felt they rounded out our cast of misfits very well, adding to the mystery and the possible suspects, who were also the sleuths.
I should note that I did not realize when I started this book that it is #5 in a series. Although I did not feel like I was lost at all in reading this installment out of order - the author does a great job of giving enough detail and history about the Reds to allow you to enjoy the story even without knowing the previous history of Big Red and Old Red, there were small references to what must be their earlier crime-solving experiences and there are obviously some connections with one of the other characters in this book from the past. So while it was absolutely possible to enjoy this book without reading the earlier ones, if I'd known this was #5, I probably would have started with the first book - Holmes on the Range - first. And now that I know how wonderful these characters are, I will DEFINTELY be going back to the first book and reading the others.
As far as the mystery goes, I'm not good to offer an opinion on how challenging the mystery was, and whether the murder presented sufficient challenge for those who like to try to figure out whodunnit before the killer is revealed. It seemed well-conceived to me, but I don't even try to out-detect the detectives, so I don't know. I do know this was a great read!
This was such a funny, clever unusual and highly entertaining sort of murder mystery - I loved every page of it! I can't wait to go on more deducifyin' adventures with the Amlingmeyer brothers. Highly recommended for readers of murder mysteries, and those who enjoy the turn-of-the-century period in the U.S. or cowboys. Barrels of fun!!
The combination of the wild-West cowboy brothers - who are known as the "Holmes on the Range" - and who are fish-out-of-water in the setting of the 1893 White City of the Chicago World's Fair, with a cast of other colourful characters, all of whom start out participating in a publicity stunt scavenger hunt to solve clues and find hidden eggs, quickly turns into a competition to solve the murder of the puzzle-master, who ends up dead, face-down and suffocated in the world's biggest cheese [from Canada, just for local colour!] is just one big hilarious adventure.
The writer's style [which is presented as being written by one of the crime-solving Reds - who, as luck would have it, happens to be a mystery writer a-la-Dr. Watson and is chronicling this adventure for his next book] is a bit unusual, but so much fun, and is full of clever and sarcastic asides with snarks at the other sleuths, the contest organizers, and even his own brother and himself as well as telling the story. I laughed out loud all through the book.
The characters are all extremely well-written, with unique and interesting voices and personalities and they all add even more entertainment to the story. I liked them all and felt they rounded out our cast of misfits very well, adding to the mystery and the possible suspects, who were also the sleuths.
I should note that I did not realize when I started this book that it is #5 in a series. Although I did not feel like I was lost at all in reading this installment out of order - the author does a great job of giving enough detail and history about the Reds to allow you to enjoy the story even without knowing the previous history of Big Red and Old Red, there were small references to what must be their earlier crime-solving experiences and there are obviously some connections with one of the other characters in this book from the past. So while it was absolutely possible to enjoy this book without reading the earlier ones, if I'd known this was #5, I probably would have started with the first book - Holmes on the Range - first. And now that I know how wonderful these characters are, I will DEFINTELY be going back to the first book and reading the others.
As far as the mystery goes, I'm not good to offer an opinion on how challenging the mystery was, and whether the murder presented sufficient challenge for those who like to try to figure out whodunnit before the killer is revealed. It seemed well-conceived to me, but I don't even try to out-detect the detectives, so I don't know. I do know this was a great read!
This was such a funny, clever unusual and highly entertaining sort of murder mystery - I loved every page of it! I can't wait to go on more deducifyin' adventures with the Amlingmeyer brothers. Highly recommended for readers of murder mysteries, and those who enjoy the turn-of-the-century period in the U.S. or cowboys. Barrels of fun!!
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