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Holmes On the Range #1
Holmes on the Range
Because 1893 is a tough year in Montana, 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 the boys come across a dead body that looks a whole lot like the leftovers of an unfortunate encounter with a cattle stampede, Old Red sees the perfect opportunity to employ his Holmes-inspired deducifyin' skills. Putting his ranch work squarely on the back burner, he sets out to 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.
When the boys come across a dead body that looks a whole lot like the leftovers of an unfortunate encounter with a cattle stampede, Old Red sees the perfect opportunity to employ his Holmes-inspired deducifyin' skills. Putting his ranch work squarely on the back burner, he sets out to 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.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
735 people are currently reading
1,384 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 431 reviews
March 26, 2023
A Wild West Sherlock Holmes works for me!
Unlike so many others of this very specialized but rather crowded niche genre - the parody of Sherlock Holmes - Hockensmith's unique entry, Holmes on the Range amuses, entertains and succeeds wonderfully.
Dateline 1893, Big Sky country in frontier Montana. Two out of work cowpokes, Otto and Gustav Amlingmeyer (known to their friends as Big Red and Old Red) amuse themselves by reading and re-reading Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries in much thumbed copies of the then popular Strand Magazine. Gustav takes it into his head that he's capable of emulating the master's observation skills so when a series of mysterious murders occur on the ranch that recently hired them, Old Red takes advantage of the opportunity to put his "deducifyin' " skills to work.
What a fabulous concept! HOLMES ON THE RANGE provides everything a cozy mystery lover and a Sherlock Holmes fan could ask for. An enormous cast of possible suspects - dusty Wild West cowhands, an albino negro, a stuffed shirt English Duke and his beautiful daughter, a financially embarrassed young British dandy and a Swedish cook - will keep you guessing until the final pages. Wonderfully realistic dialogue complete with a cowboy twang will have you believing you're right there with Old Red and Big Red on the Wild West frontier at the turn of the century. Lots of clues and red herrings will keep even the sharpest reader guessing until the climax arrives with the mandatory drawing room confrontation between Old Red, the cunning detective, and all the suspects. Readers will also be treated to a bonus - a surprisingly realistic depiction of the down to earth daily work of a frontier ranch hand.
Fans of the world's most popular detective will not be disappointed with HOLMES ON THE RANGE. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Unlike so many others of this very specialized but rather crowded niche genre - the parody of Sherlock Holmes - Hockensmith's unique entry, Holmes on the Range amuses, entertains and succeeds wonderfully.
Dateline 1893, Big Sky country in frontier Montana. Two out of work cowpokes, Otto and Gustav Amlingmeyer (known to their friends as Big Red and Old Red) amuse themselves by reading and re-reading Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries in much thumbed copies of the then popular Strand Magazine. Gustav takes it into his head that he's capable of emulating the master's observation skills so when a series of mysterious murders occur on the ranch that recently hired them, Old Red takes advantage of the opportunity to put his "deducifyin' " skills to work.
What a fabulous concept! HOLMES ON THE RANGE provides everything a cozy mystery lover and a Sherlock Holmes fan could ask for. An enormous cast of possible suspects - dusty Wild West cowhands, an albino negro, a stuffed shirt English Duke and his beautiful daughter, a financially embarrassed young British dandy and a Swedish cook - will keep you guessing until the final pages. Wonderfully realistic dialogue complete with a cowboy twang will have you believing you're right there with Old Red and Big Red on the Wild West frontier at the turn of the century. Lots of clues and red herrings will keep even the sharpest reader guessing until the climax arrives with the mandatory drawing room confrontation between Old Red, the cunning detective, and all the suspects. Readers will also be treated to a bonus - a surprisingly realistic depiction of the down to earth daily work of a frontier ranch hand.
Fans of the world's most popular detective will not be disappointed with HOLMES ON THE RANGE. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
May 11, 2012
Wal, I reckon I just done had me a real fine ole read there.
You might not like this if you don't care for characters who say "Yup," but if yer one a them, what in tarnation were ya readin' this here book fer?
This is my second Red/Red novel, and better than the first (which was the one at the Chicago Exposition, and quite good).
The two Reds are a good pair, and the author has done a good job of making them equivalent to Holmes and Watson without being just a knock-off. Their back story is believable and gives their characters good shape.
Any Holmes-like plot has to be complicated, so complicated that only a Holmesian brain can figure it out. This one meets that requirement, and is reasonably plausible. The clues have to be fairly clear once explained, and not so much before that. Check.
I particularly liked the part near the end where Gustav gathers everyone in a room and describes exactly where everyone is sitting. Pure Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe.
I'll be reading the rest of the series, and the short stories, real soon now, y'all hear?
You might not like this if you don't care for characters who say "Yup," but if yer one a them, what in tarnation were ya readin' this here book fer?
This is my second Red/Red novel, and better than the first (which was the one at the Chicago Exposition, and quite good).
The two Reds are a good pair, and the author has done a good job of making them equivalent to Holmes and Watson without being just a knock-off. Their back story is believable and gives their characters good shape.
Any Holmes-like plot has to be complicated, so complicated that only a Holmesian brain can figure it out. This one meets that requirement, and is reasonably plausible. The clues have to be fairly clear once explained, and not so much before that. Check.
I particularly liked the part near the end where Gustav gathers everyone in a room and describes exactly where everyone is sitting. Pure Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe.
I'll be reading the rest of the series, and the short stories, real soon now, y'all hear?
December 3, 2007
I read one of Hockensmith's short stories in Ellery Queen. It was an old west mystery solved by an uneducated but highly intelligent Sherlock Holmes afficionado. When I heard he was expanding the conceit into a novel, I wanted to check it out, although I wasn't sure how well the idea would hold up when stretched to book length. Turns out it makes a damn entertaining yarn.
Holmes on the Range follows the two surviving Amlingmyer brothers as they investigate the strange goings-on at the Bar VR ranch. Old Red (really just 27) is the brains, although he relies on his younger sibling, Big Red, to do any reading or writing that might be necessary, since he never had the benefit of schooling himself. So Old Red takes on the role of his hero Holmes while Big Red plays Watson, following faithfully behind and even, in the end, recounting his brother's crime-solving exploits.
Given my proclaimed aversion to anything folksy, it might seem strange that I enjoyed a mystery told entirely in cowboy patois, but the language suits the characters and the time, and it's just flat-out fun to read.
Holmes on the Range follows the two surviving Amlingmyer brothers as they investigate the strange goings-on at the Bar VR ranch. Old Red (really just 27) is the brains, although he relies on his younger sibling, Big Red, to do any reading or writing that might be necessary, since he never had the benefit of schooling himself. So Old Red takes on the role of his hero Holmes while Big Red plays Watson, following faithfully behind and even, in the end, recounting his brother's crime-solving exploits.
Given my proclaimed aversion to anything folksy, it might seem strange that I enjoyed a mystery told entirely in cowboy patois, but the language suits the characters and the time, and it's just flat-out fun to read.
March 27, 2008
I first came across this book at the famed bookstore Bookpeople in Austin, TX. I came close to buying it there- but 1) I was on vacation, and running short on money. 2) I was in Austin, TX- where money is better spent on beer and music and food. 3) I worked (and still work) in a used bookstore back at home, so I could buy the book for there.
Flash Forward one year. I'd forgotten about the book- well, I'd forgotten the title and author and what the book looked like- so I became one of those people who ask me, "I'm looking for a book, but I don't know the name or the author, but it's about cowboys? I think, and it might be a mystery, or maybe not... it's definitely a book though, can you help me?" Then one day, I was straightening a random bookshelf, and there it was, the book, as if fate (and by fate I mean, having a as of yet to be used art degree- which makes me unemployable, except for my job in a bookstore- where I was straightening a shelf in the mystery section, where I found the book- but I like to think of it more as divine book intervention) had put the two of us together.
I don't normally I don't read mystery books (or rather books found in the mystery section of our store) I'm a book snob. Sorry. And I don't know anything about cowboy-ing.
The story is about two cow punchers (cow wranglers- they really don't punch cows) one who has a fascination with Sherlock Holmes stories (I've never read a Sherlock Holmes story- well, that's not entirely true- I read one in high school- but I don't remember anything about high school).
All that aside- I really liked this book. Good mystery, good writing, good characters (well, if I wanted to by hyper critical- which some people like- most of the characters are kind of generic- but they don't need to be strong characters as the two main characters carry the book)... A +!
(which I know sounds odd, especially after I was being hyper critical- but I just came off a string of not so great self important memoirs- and this was exactly not that. This was light and fun, like me, except not).
As I continued reading the book, and getting into the book, I found myself walking around being privy to conversations that went something like this...
"I'm hungry Jeff."
"Well, let's see if I can't rustle up some grub to feed into that hole of a leg you got."
"What?"
and
"I'm not sure what do to about these reports. The numbers really just don't seem to be adding up."
"Well, I reckon I need to chew on them numbers a bit before I go makin' a call on what should be done, now let me alone and let me cognatize."
"That's not even a real language- those words you just used..."
I started eating beans from the can, started wearing a Stetson, started chewing tobacco.
Then I realized cowboyin's a dirty job, and you have to sleep outside a lot, and really it's just a book... but it's a good book, or rather, I enjoyed it at least.
Flash Forward one year. I'd forgotten about the book- well, I'd forgotten the title and author and what the book looked like- so I became one of those people who ask me, "I'm looking for a book, but I don't know the name or the author, but it's about cowboys? I think, and it might be a mystery, or maybe not... it's definitely a book though, can you help me?" Then one day, I was straightening a random bookshelf, and there it was, the book, as if fate (and by fate I mean, having a as of yet to be used art degree- which makes me unemployable, except for my job in a bookstore- where I was straightening a shelf in the mystery section, where I found the book- but I like to think of it more as divine book intervention) had put the two of us together.
I don't normally I don't read mystery books (or rather books found in the mystery section of our store) I'm a book snob. Sorry. And I don't know anything about cowboy-ing.
The story is about two cow punchers (cow wranglers- they really don't punch cows) one who has a fascination with Sherlock Holmes stories (I've never read a Sherlock Holmes story- well, that's not entirely true- I read one in high school- but I don't remember anything about high school).
All that aside- I really liked this book. Good mystery, good writing, good characters (well, if I wanted to by hyper critical- which some people like- most of the characters are kind of generic- but they don't need to be strong characters as the two main characters carry the book)... A +!
(which I know sounds odd, especially after I was being hyper critical- but I just came off a string of not so great self important memoirs- and this was exactly not that. This was light and fun, like me, except not).
As I continued reading the book, and getting into the book, I found myself walking around being privy to conversations that went something like this...
"I'm hungry Jeff."
"Well, let's see if I can't rustle up some grub to feed into that hole of a leg you got."
"What?"
and
"I'm not sure what do to about these reports. The numbers really just don't seem to be adding up."
"Well, I reckon I need to chew on them numbers a bit before I go makin' a call on what should be done, now let me alone and let me cognatize."
"That's not even a real language- those words you just used..."
I started eating beans from the can, started wearing a Stetson, started chewing tobacco.
Then I realized cowboyin's a dirty job, and you have to sleep outside a lot, and really it's just a book... but it's a good book, or rather, I enjoyed it at least.
August 12, 2008
This is #1 in the ‘Holmes on the Range� historical mysteries series, set in 1890’s Montana. Features “Big Red� Otto Amlingmeyer and his brother “Old Red� Gustav, who are wandering cowboys who take temporary jobs offered by different ranches, and in this book they’re hired by Uly MacPherson, manager of the Castlemere Ranche, commonly known as the Bar VR. It’s not an assignment they’d normally take, as the MacPherson brothers and the Bar VR don’t exactly have a great reputation, but Old Red takes the job for two reasons.
One, the Amlingmeyer brothers are about out of money, and two, Old Red fancies himself a bit of a detective and he smells a mystery afoot. Though Old Red doesn’t read, Big Red does, having been the one member of their family sent off to school and having done some clerking in his time. And what Big Red reads to Old Red around the campfire are Sherlock Holmes mystery stories! Old Red loves ‘em and often uses Holmes� ‘deducifyin methods� and keen observation to ferret out the answers to questions that most folks haven’t even thought to ask. And he’s right about a mystery afoot, for as quick as you can say beans and bacon, there’s two dead bodies and a host of foreigners moving in to Castlemere, and Old Red aims to figure out whodunit.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and for once I can easily understand why it was a finalist for so many different mystery awards the year it was published. (It’s not all THAT often that I agree with the people who make those decisions. LOL) The characterizations felt real to me and I got to know Big and Old Red quite well early on, and the secondary characters were also diverse and well-fleshed.
I also liked that the ‘voices� of these cowboys seemed to be very realistic and no effort was made to pretty them up—for example, one of the characters in the book is a black man, and there is rather liberal use of the “n� word, which although not pleasant, was common at the time as a part of normal speech. So I guess I should add the caveat that if such things would offend you, it's probably best to avoid this book.
While I am not generally a fan of this time period nor a fan at all of so-called westerns (there I go again, jumping out of my niche! LOL) I loved this book and am glad that I’ve already got the second one in the series here on my shelf. A+
One, the Amlingmeyer brothers are about out of money, and two, Old Red fancies himself a bit of a detective and he smells a mystery afoot. Though Old Red doesn’t read, Big Red does, having been the one member of their family sent off to school and having done some clerking in his time. And what Big Red reads to Old Red around the campfire are Sherlock Holmes mystery stories! Old Red loves ‘em and often uses Holmes� ‘deducifyin methods� and keen observation to ferret out the answers to questions that most folks haven’t even thought to ask. And he’s right about a mystery afoot, for as quick as you can say beans and bacon, there’s two dead bodies and a host of foreigners moving in to Castlemere, and Old Red aims to figure out whodunit.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and for once I can easily understand why it was a finalist for so many different mystery awards the year it was published. (It’s not all THAT often that I agree with the people who make those decisions. LOL) The characterizations felt real to me and I got to know Big and Old Red quite well early on, and the secondary characters were also diverse and well-fleshed.
I also liked that the ‘voices� of these cowboys seemed to be very realistic and no effort was made to pretty them up—for example, one of the characters in the book is a black man, and there is rather liberal use of the “n� word, which although not pleasant, was common at the time as a part of normal speech. So I guess I should add the caveat that if such things would offend you, it's probably best to avoid this book.
While I am not generally a fan of this time period nor a fan at all of so-called westerns (there I go again, jumping out of my niche! LOL) I loved this book and am glad that I’ve already got the second one in the series here on my shelf. A+
April 21, 2025
3.5 stars bumped up to 4 stars for the sheer enjoyment of this unique historical mystery set in 1890's Montana, USA. Not great literature although very entertaining. #1 in the series.
Two brothers, Gustav and Otto Amlingmeyer, known as "Old Red" & "Big Red" are cowboys trying to find work as ranch hands. Gustav is the older brother and obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. He can't read so Otto who can read and write reads the Holmes stories to Gustav when they can get their hands on the magazines that published the stories.
They are hired on to work on a ranch that is owned by an aristocratic British family. No spoilers but there is a murder to solve with twists and turns.
At first I assumed this was a cozy mystery because of the humorous and "colorful" dialogue. So a warning that it was grittier then expected. And at times I was uncomfortable as to how people of color were referred to although that would be realistic for the historical setting. Read on Kindle while listening to Libby Audio. Fantastic narration by William Dufris.
Two brothers, Gustav and Otto Amlingmeyer, known as "Old Red" & "Big Red" are cowboys trying to find work as ranch hands. Gustav is the older brother and obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. He can't read so Otto who can read and write reads the Holmes stories to Gustav when they can get their hands on the magazines that published the stories.
They are hired on to work on a ranch that is owned by an aristocratic British family. No spoilers but there is a murder to solve with twists and turns.
At first I assumed this was a cozy mystery because of the humorous and "colorful" dialogue. So a warning that it was grittier then expected. And at times I was uncomfortable as to how people of color were referred to although that would be realistic for the historical setting. Read on Kindle while listening to Libby Audio. Fantastic narration by William Dufris.
January 12, 2013
My husband and I listened to the audio version of Holmes on the Range during a trip to--of all places--Billings, Montana from our home in Idaho to visit his brothers & their families. He was more than a bit skeptical of Hockensmith's ability to pull off a combination of Sherlock Holmes and an authentic Montana cowboy voice. You see, his father had been raised on a cattle ranch at the start of the 20th century and cowboyed in his youth in southeastern Montana, a place that hadn't changed much since the time of Hockensmith's story. My husband had grown up hearing his father's stories and the colorful metaphors that accompanied the tellings.
Well, he howled through Holmes on the Range. Whether the mystery cuts the mustard or not, the narrative voice of Big Red was only a bit of an exaggeration of the language in his father's tales. Somewhat over-the-top but authentic, you can hardly wait to hear how Big Red will describe a situation in cowboy vernacular. I'd call this first book "charming" rather than a great mystery. I'll probably read another in the series. The premise is interesting enough, but I think I'll be listening for my father-in-law's voice ( a man I never had the good fortune to meet) as much as for Hockensmith's.
Well, he howled through Holmes on the Range. Whether the mystery cuts the mustard or not, the narrative voice of Big Red was only a bit of an exaggeration of the language in his father's tales. Somewhat over-the-top but authentic, you can hardly wait to hear how Big Red will describe a situation in cowboy vernacular. I'd call this first book "charming" rather than a great mystery. I'll probably read another in the series. The premise is interesting enough, but I think I'll be listening for my father-in-law's voice ( a man I never had the good fortune to meet) as much as for Hockensmith's.
March 4, 2010
My mother-in-law loved this book and I thought I would take a trip into a fun, fluffy mystery.
Well, shucks. This books is awful. As in, "thars' a rattler in my cornpone and he ain't so gay" awful.
Complete drivel and terrible writing, in my opinion. Here's an excerpt:
"Home sweet home," he signed as he hauled himself up.
"God damn," Anytime spat. "They may as well have us bunkin' in a hole in the ground."
"Ain't been nothin' but snakes in here in years," Pinky added.
"Maybe that's a good thing, I replied, hefting my war bags onto a more sturdy-looking bunk. "I bet it's been empty so long even the lice have died."
Why don't a gun slinger done shoot me now?
My brain atrophies as I read this. One star.
Well, shucks. This books is awful. As in, "thars' a rattler in my cornpone and he ain't so gay" awful.
Complete drivel and terrible writing, in my opinion. Here's an excerpt:
"Home sweet home," he signed as he hauled himself up.
"God damn," Anytime spat. "They may as well have us bunkin' in a hole in the ground."
"Ain't been nothin' but snakes in here in years," Pinky added.
"Maybe that's a good thing, I replied, hefting my war bags onto a more sturdy-looking bunk. "I bet it's been empty so long even the lice have died."
Why don't a gun slinger done shoot me now?
My brain atrophies as I read this. One star.
March 28, 2021
Digital audio narrated by William Dufris
3.5***
From the book jacket: It’s 1893, 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.
My reactions
Well, this was a hoot and a half! I loved the brothers Big Red (Otto) and Old Red (Gustav) and how they worked together. Big Red narrates, as he is the more educated of the two, being able to read and write. But Old Red is the real fan of Holmes and his methods of observation and deduction, and it is he who finally solves the murder.
Hockensmith liberally sprinkles the text with colloquialism and colorful cowboy metaphors, and includes a host of memorable supporting characters (loved the Swedish cook!). The mystery plot was sufficiently complicated to keep me guessing right up to the reveal.
I’ll keep reading this series.
William Dufris does a marvelous job of performing the audiobook. He has a gift for voices / dialects and I particularly enjoyed his interpretation of the Swede,
3.5***
From the book jacket: It’s 1893, 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.
My reactions
Well, this was a hoot and a half! I loved the brothers Big Red (Otto) and Old Red (Gustav) and how they worked together. Big Red narrates, as he is the more educated of the two, being able to read and write. But Old Red is the real fan of Holmes and his methods of observation and deduction, and it is he who finally solves the murder.
Hockensmith liberally sprinkles the text with colloquialism and colorful cowboy metaphors, and includes a host of memorable supporting characters (loved the Swedish cook!). The mystery plot was sufficiently complicated to keep me guessing right up to the reveal.
I’ll keep reading this series.
William Dufris does a marvelous job of performing the audiobook. He has a gift for voices / dialects and I particularly enjoyed his interpretation of the Swede,
June 19, 2009
Holmes on the Range is a mystery starring two brothers working as ranch hands in 1893 Montana. Where is the hook for a reader? Gustav Amlingmeyer, the eldest of the two siblings, has been inspired by the adventures of Sherlock Holmes as read by his brother, Otto, out of Harper's Weekly. Gustav (Old Red) starts to practice his "deducifyin'" techniques when he and his brother sign on as cowhands at a ranch. Gustav knows that something is "afoot" when one of the ranch-hands is found dead in a locked outhouse.
There were twists aplenty to keep me reading and some passages had me laughing as well.
If you can get past Otto (Big Red) and his tendency to speak entirely in cowboy/Old West cliches, you are in for a treat.
Recommended.
There were twists aplenty to keep me reading and some passages had me laughing as well.
If you can get past Otto (Big Red) and his tendency to speak entirely in cowboy/Old West cliches, you are in for a treat.
Recommended.
June 7, 2015
If the cowboy vernacular doesn't irritate you, this is a fun little book. I listened to the audio version and was thoroughly entertained. I had to check and see whether the author was from Montana (he's not) because some of the dialogue was so familiar to me I thought surely he'd listened in on some real Montana cowboys.
April 26, 2025
Niekam ne paslaptis, kad vos išgirdęs Holmso pavardę, pašoku pusmetrį į viršų, tarsi katinas, išgirdęs atidaromos konservų dėžutės garsą. Aišku, negalėjau praeiti pro šalį, pamatęs šitą knygą. Ir lengvai išsidūriau.
Šerlokiana � mano smalsumo ir tyrinėjimų objektas. Bet jei būčiau koks Carlas Linnaeus, privalėčiau sugalvoti kažkokį visiškai naują porūšį tokiems kūriniams, kaip „Holmes on the Range�. Nes Holmso čia nėra, nors jo dvasia plevena virš teksto.
Du broliai � Didysis Redas ir Senasis Redas liko vienui vieni, badui ir potvyniui nusinešus visą jų šeimą. Senasis (tiesiog pravardė, nei jis senas, nei ką) � jau keleri metai darbavosi tai vienoje fermoje, tai kitoje, o jaunėlis Didysis tuo metu šiek tiek pakrimto mokslo. Na, skaityt ir rašyt tikrai pramoko. Kai jis prisijungė prie brolio jo klajonėse, nutiko tai, kas visiems laikams pakeitė Senojo gyvenimą. Vieną vakarą prie laužo Didysis jam balsu perskaitė laikraštyje išspausdintą apsakymą apie Šerloką Holmsą. Didžiojo detektyvo personažas įžiebė Senojo sieloje begalinį susižavėjimą. Ir nedrąsią svajonę tapti tokiu pat.
Kai broliai nusisamdo į rančą, apie kurią sklinda ne patys geriausi gandai, kone tuoj pat atsiranda pirmasis numirėlis. Ir štai čia Senasis nusprendžia radęs terpę savo dedukcijos išbandymui. Mįslių vis daugėja, lavonų (ne taip sparčiai, kaip mįslių), irgi. Bet Senasis, nepaisydamas jam ir broliui kylančios grėsmės, nusiteikęs eiti iki tikslo. Na, o Didysis, ne savo noru tapęs Watsonu, ištikimai seka paskui brolį iki pat atomazgos.
Visai neblogas detektyvas Laukinių Vakarų fone.
Nėr labai jau stebuklas, bet ketverto, kad ir ne pačio tvirčiausio, nusipelnė.
Šerlokiana � mano smalsumo ir tyrinėjimų objektas. Bet jei būčiau koks Carlas Linnaeus, privalėčiau sugalvoti kažkokį visiškai naują porūšį tokiems kūriniams, kaip „Holmes on the Range�. Nes Holmso čia nėra, nors jo dvasia plevena virš teksto.
Du broliai � Didysis Redas ir Senasis Redas liko vienui vieni, badui ir potvyniui nusinešus visą jų šeimą. Senasis (tiesiog pravardė, nei jis senas, nei ką) � jau keleri metai darbavosi tai vienoje fermoje, tai kitoje, o jaunėlis Didysis tuo metu šiek tiek pakrimto mokslo. Na, skaityt ir rašyt tikrai pramoko. Kai jis prisijungė prie brolio jo klajonėse, nutiko tai, kas visiems laikams pakeitė Senojo gyvenimą. Vieną vakarą prie laužo Didysis jam balsu perskaitė laikraštyje išspausdintą apsakymą apie Šerloką Holmsą. Didžiojo detektyvo personažas įžiebė Senojo sieloje begalinį susižavėjimą. Ir nedrąsią svajonę tapti tokiu pat.
Kai broliai nusisamdo į rančą, apie kurią sklinda ne patys geriausi gandai, kone tuoj pat atsiranda pirmasis numirėlis. Ir štai čia Senasis nusprendžia radęs terpę savo dedukcijos išbandymui. Mįslių vis daugėja, lavonų (ne taip sparčiai, kaip mįslių), irgi. Bet Senasis, nepaisydamas jam ir broliui kylančios grėsmės, nusiteikęs eiti iki tikslo. Na, o Didysis, ne savo noru tapęs Watsonu, ištikimai seka paskui brolį iki pat atomazgos.
Visai neblogas detektyvas Laukinių Vakarų fone.
Nėr labai jau stebuklas, bet ketverto, kad ir ne pačio tvirčiausio, nusipelnė.
March 23, 2017
Quite interesting. A cowboy who doesn't know how to read or write, who works with his younger brother, who did receive schooling and clerked for awhile before the rest of their family was washed away in a flood, is taken with the Sherlock Holmes stories that his brother reads him from magazines. Old Red, so called because he's the older brother, and Big Red, who is a tall guy, both have red hair and work for various outfits. Big Red sticks to Old Red because that's all the family he has. Old Red is pretty smart even though he can't read or write - he thinks quite well and a lot.
The book treats Sherlock Holmes as an actual detective and a couple of the characcters in the book have a grudge against Holmes. But that doesn't slow down Old Red and when the manager at the ranch where they have been taken on disappears on a stormy night when they are moving cattle, he is instantly curious about the body they found trampled in the stampede. Then another cowboy on the outfit dies, but it's one of the regular hands who has been making sure the temporary guys stay away from certain places on the ranch, who has been killed.
I want to read some more of the series.
The book treats Sherlock Holmes as an actual detective and a couple of the characcters in the book have a grudge against Holmes. But that doesn't slow down Old Red and when the manager at the ranch where they have been taken on disappears on a stormy night when they are moving cattle, he is instantly curious about the body they found trampled in the stampede. Then another cowboy on the outfit dies, but it's one of the regular hands who has been making sure the temporary guys stay away from certain places on the ranch, who has been killed.
I want to read some more of the series.
April 8, 2018
If you are a fan of the old west and of Sherlock then this is your book. Such a wonderful peak into history and at the same time a cowboy western, and murder mystery all rolled into one. Great quick read!!
September 26, 2018
I did not know what to expect from this highly recommended series, but I jumped in with both feet and was impressed. This is a fun combination of an uneducated but wise cowboy, teamed up with his educated but unwise younger brother.
They are isolated on a ranch in Montana and things are very strange from the start. All of their guns are confiscated and they are given inadequate food and subpar lodgings.
Suddenly a traveling party of British folks arrive and they understand why their first tasks at the ranch was to spruce up the facilities.
Later they began working the hoof stock and it is described in alarming detail.
One of the staff is trampled and the brothers offer to do the burial, in order to get a closer look at the body. When a second staff is found shot in the outhouse, the brothers again find a way to look at the evidence and solve the puzzle.
This was an interesting plot.
I will be suggesting we read this series to my mystery reading group. One of the ladies likes westerns and I think this will delight her.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
They are isolated on a ranch in Montana and things are very strange from the start. All of their guns are confiscated and they are given inadequate food and subpar lodgings.
Suddenly a traveling party of British folks arrive and they understand why their first tasks at the ranch was to spruce up the facilities.
Later they began working the hoof stock and it is described in alarming detail.
One of the staff is trampled and the brothers offer to do the burial, in order to get a closer look at the body. When a second staff is found shot in the outhouse, the brothers again find a way to look at the evidence and solve the puzzle.
This was an interesting plot.
I will be suggesting we read this series to my mystery reading group. One of the ladies likes westerns and I think this will delight her.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
February 19, 2020
I'm probably the last person who would be interested in reading a Western. But the title caught my eye and the possible link to Sherlock Holmes piqued my interest. It is the story of two brothers, cowhands down in their luck, who take a job on a cattle ranch. The younger brother tells the story in first person about their adventures and his brother's love of Sherlock Holmes stories and his ability to take a Holmes' approach in solving crimes occurring on the ranch. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and enjoyed it immensely. William Dufris does an outstanding job on the narration. So even if you don't usually read Westerns, give this book a try. I've already gotten the second in the series.
June 16, 2016
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. Told from the viewpoint of one brother, the Watson stand-in, it's a fun book with good characters and descriptions. An historical mystery with humor and a good mystery that kept me guessing. Highly recommended.
December 27, 2023
Holmes on the Range is the story of the Amlingmeyer brothers, Gustav and Otto. They are ranch hands in 1890s Montana. Gustav, the older, known as "Old Red" is illiterate. Otto, known as "Big Red" reads Sherlock Holmes tales to Gustav. When a ranch hand is murdered. Old Red fancys himself a Sherlock Holmes and gets to "deducifying". The book is narrated by Otto and I laughed out loud while enjoying this book. This is the funniest book I have read in a long time. It's a mystery/historical fiction/western/humor book and I loved it. I highly recommend it and am looking forward to reading the others in the series.
July 11, 2024
Holmes on the Range~~~~
Steve Hockensmith started this delicious mystery series in 2006 and released the latest, the seventh, last year after a break. My thanks to reviewer Mark Baker, formerly of epinions.com, for dropping the clues to the greatness of Hockensmith. I'll be reading the rest of the Sherlock Holmesian series.
Holmes on the Range is a Wild West mystery-adventure with one ranch hand dreaming of being a detective like his hero Sherlock Holmes and his younger brother working with him and, in the end, aspiring to emulate John Watson by writing down the mystery upon its close. While there doesn't seem at first to be much hope for the dreams of Old Red to blossom, he doesn't get discouraged and tenaciously pursues his investigation of the baffling murders that take place.
You may be thinking that murders in the Wild West were as common as butchershops back then and shoot-outs or duels always happening, but these murders out at the ranch far from town were not like that. The first man, supposedly the ranch manager, got stampeded flat pretty much and the other was a hated drover found in the outhouse with a hole in his head from somebody else's derringer that was found at his feet.
Old Red won't theorize until he has all the data, like Holmes will say, but his brother can't take the silence after a while and demands to know what Old Red is thinking. I love their squabbling and repartee showing their love and trust.
There were quite a few characters, not only other ranch hands and foremen, but the owner from England with an investor and a daughter visits. Curious how the manager was killed right before they came!
I had lots of fun reading this. It was like being in the Wild West and among a couple of good friends. The mystery kept me guessing until Old Red had everybody, including the authorities, in the manager's office and explained fairly well how one murder led to another to another. It ended in a shoot-out, of course, but you'll never guess who started it!
Hope you'll check out this series! .
Steve Hockensmith started this delicious mystery series in 2006 and released the latest, the seventh, last year after a break. My thanks to reviewer Mark Baker, formerly of epinions.com, for dropping the clues to the greatness of Hockensmith. I'll be reading the rest of the Sherlock Holmesian series.
Holmes on the Range is a Wild West mystery-adventure with one ranch hand dreaming of being a detective like his hero Sherlock Holmes and his younger brother working with him and, in the end, aspiring to emulate John Watson by writing down the mystery upon its close. While there doesn't seem at first to be much hope for the dreams of Old Red to blossom, he doesn't get discouraged and tenaciously pursues his investigation of the baffling murders that take place.
You may be thinking that murders in the Wild West were as common as butchershops back then and shoot-outs or duels always happening, but these murders out at the ranch far from town were not like that. The first man, supposedly the ranch manager, got stampeded flat pretty much and the other was a hated drover found in the outhouse with a hole in his head from somebody else's derringer that was found at his feet.
Old Red won't theorize until he has all the data, like Holmes will say, but his brother can't take the silence after a while and demands to know what Old Red is thinking. I love their squabbling and repartee showing their love and trust.
There were quite a few characters, not only other ranch hands and foremen, but the owner from England with an investor and a daughter visits. Curious how the manager was killed right before they came!
I had lots of fun reading this. It was like being in the Wild West and among a couple of good friends. The mystery kept me guessing until Old Red had everybody, including the authorities, in the manager's office and explained fairly well how one murder led to another to another. It ended in a shoot-out, of course, but you'll never guess who started it!
Hope you'll check out this series! .
March 10, 2024
This had a great premise. “Sherlock Holmes in the Old West�. So I gave it a shot.
The world is interesting. There are two brothers, Gustav and Otto. Gustav is the older brother, uneducated, but is very observant. He can make connections, and loves Sherlock Holmes stories. His brother, Otto, is bigger, actually has some book learning, but doesn’t have the environmental awareness of his brother. They are wrapped up in a murder at a ranch and must solve the murder before they are the next victims.
It’s a good, well written book. I like the characters. I love the premise and the world that’s built here. Sherlock Holmes isn’t just a literary character in this book’s world. He existed. And Watson was his biographer. Those stories were actual cases. I love that idea. And Gustav, patterns himself after Sherlock. I really like all of that. If I have a nitpick, this book is a little too indulgent in story. The book is 300 pages but could have easily cut out 50-60 pages. The murder that kicks everything into gear, doesn’t happen until 100 pages in.
I enjoyed this, it’s a good mystery and I didn’t necessarily figure out the ending. I’d even read another adventure, but I hope the next few tighten up the plots a little bit.
The world is interesting. There are two brothers, Gustav and Otto. Gustav is the older brother, uneducated, but is very observant. He can make connections, and loves Sherlock Holmes stories. His brother, Otto, is bigger, actually has some book learning, but doesn’t have the environmental awareness of his brother. They are wrapped up in a murder at a ranch and must solve the murder before they are the next victims.
It’s a good, well written book. I like the characters. I love the premise and the world that’s built here. Sherlock Holmes isn’t just a literary character in this book’s world. He existed. And Watson was his biographer. Those stories were actual cases. I love that idea. And Gustav, patterns himself after Sherlock. I really like all of that. If I have a nitpick, this book is a little too indulgent in story. The book is 300 pages but could have easily cut out 50-60 pages. The murder that kicks everything into gear, doesn’t happen until 100 pages in.
I enjoyed this, it’s a good mystery and I didn’t necessarily figure out the ending. I’d even read another adventure, but I hope the next few tighten up the plots a little bit.
November 17, 2021
"Holmes on the Range" was a pure delight. I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and I've been trying to read more Westerns so this was right in my wheelhouse.
The premise: Two Cowboy brothers in Montana in the 1890's try and solve a mystery together. The older is obsessed with Holmes stories (who is real in this world) but is illiterate so has his younger brother read him the stories. The Holmes/Watson relationship is on full display here with the added aspect of them being brothers. The characters feel perfectly at home in both the Western and Holmes genre.
If you have ever loved a Holmes mystery, this one will feel like curling up with a warm blanket on a winter's night. I will definitely read the rest of the series.
The premise: Two Cowboy brothers in Montana in the 1890's try and solve a mystery together. The older is obsessed with Holmes stories (who is real in this world) but is illiterate so has his younger brother read him the stories. The Holmes/Watson relationship is on full display here with the added aspect of them being brothers. The characters feel perfectly at home in both the Western and Holmes genre.
If you have ever loved a Holmes mystery, this one will feel like curling up with a warm blanket on a winter's night. I will definitely read the rest of the series.
February 23, 2018
Man alive was this a great book! Funny, tight prose, fast paced, a great plot, great characters, a great and fresh take on the relationship between the brothers, excellent research on the Old West. Just the total package.
About a week ago, my friend Woody suggested I set reading challenges for myself, to read so many books per year. I was against the idea because I read for pleasure. And this book was a pleasure. I could have plowed on through it, but I read it very leisurely. Enjoying it all the while. Sorry Woody.
I wish we had more Steve Hockensmiths on the shelf, but we don't. And I still have 100s books to read before we need to add anymore to the shelves.
About a week ago, my friend Woody suggested I set reading challenges for myself, to read so many books per year. I was against the idea because I read for pleasure. And this book was a pleasure. I could have plowed on through it, but I read it very leisurely. Enjoying it all the while. Sorry Woody.
I wish we had more Steve Hockensmiths on the shelf, but we don't. And I still have 100s books to read before we need to add anymore to the shelves.
October 15, 2020
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.�
April 16, 2020
Holmes on the range. Well not actually but Holmes makes an appearance as he is emulated by a hard worn, cowboy of few words and his younger brother. Gustav does his deducting on the VR ranch as dead bodies turn up along with English royalty, horses, cattle and a cast of unsavory characters. Well developed characters make the story hum. A fun way to bring Holmes to the Wild West without actually transporting him there. Looking forward to the next story in this aspiring series.
July 7, 2019
I really enjoyed this. It was fun and interesting. My friend loaned it to me and it took me forever to finally read it because I didn’t think it was something I’d like... I was wrong. I should have read it sooner.
October 24, 2020
A new Holmes series for me. What more could I ask for? SH without the man and his biographer, just his theories and JW’s stories to go by. A nice western romp with good guys, bad guys and a surprise ending.
April 29, 2020
3.5 stars! A delightful book about two brothers who in 1893 Montana are offered jobs on a ranch.
Lighthearted and fun to read, one brother decides to play Sherlock Holmes and try to figure out how the ranch manager died. Another book from my shelves just waiting to be read!
Recommended
Lighthearted and fun to read, one brother decides to play Sherlock Holmes and try to figure out how the ranch manager died. Another book from my shelves just waiting to be read!
Recommended
August 31, 2024
I enjoy Holmes pastiches and westerns so this was a perfect book for me. It's also humorous to boot which is always good. Big Red and older brother Old Red are caught up in a mysterious death on a weirdly run ranch. Since Big read the Holmes tales to his brother, Old Red decided that he could solve the mystery and be a detective. There is a good mystery here on top of being a fun western.
Highly recommended, just a fun ride.
Highly recommended, just a fun ride.
January 24, 2016
I read "World's Greatest Sleuth", which is the 5th in this series, first, and I was so impressed, that I went back to this first book in the series. Hockensmith has apparently been writing short stories, many including the Amlingmeyer brothers, prior to this book, which is his first novel. The concept of this series is so different, and refreshing, that it leaves one wondering why no one had thought of it sooner. Two cowboys, in the late 19th century, being so enamored with the "true" stories of a real life Sherlock Holmes, that they realize their calling to be his American counterparts. Throw in the fact that the smarter of the two is illiterate, as an interesting twist, along with the fact that they're down-on-their-luck, makes it even more fascinating, as a mix of "Western", and "Mystery" genres. This book's tone is pithy, serious, and funny, by turns, as well as a page-turner. The mystery also has a unique twist. Having now read the beginning, and latest of the series, I now look forward to reading the 3 in between. Also hoping the author continues this terrific series.
June 27, 2013
Read this for our mystery book club and found it to be quite charming. I was worried that the story- two cowboys start doing some detective work due to a combination of hinky goings-on at a ranch and an obsession with Sherlock Holmes stories- would be overly cutesy, folksy, or a one-trick pony kind of thing. But I ended up getting drawn into the book and really caring about the characters. Especially Old Red. His wish to prove that he can be more than just a hand, despite the cards that life has dealt him, was touching, and a reminder that lack of education does not equal lack of intellect. The brothers' bond was also well-done without edging into pathos.
The mystery itself wasn't necessarily the high point. I didn't figure out everything but I did figure out some elements. For me, the hook of the story was the characters, their thoughts and aspirations.
The mystery itself wasn't necessarily the high point. I didn't figure out everything but I did figure out some elements. For me, the hook of the story was the characters, their thoughts and aspirations.
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