Audiobook9 hours
Holmes on the Range
Written by Steve Hockensmith
Narrated by William Dufris
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
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.
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.
Author
Steve Hockensmith
Steve Hockensmith is the author of a New York Times best seller (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls) and an Edgar Award nominee (Holmes on the Range). He lives in Alameda, California.
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Related to Holmes on the Range
Titles in the series (5)
On the Wrong Track Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Holmes on the Range Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Black Dove Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crack in the Lens Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5World's Greatest Sleuth!: A Holmes on the Range Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Holmes on the Range
Rating: 3.743975821686747 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
166 ratings15 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Holmes has a new incarnation when an western cowboy in 1893 uses his methods. Old Red sets out to deduce of a man was murder. And who killed him.Really enjoyed the characters of Old Red and Big Red.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Some Sherlock Holmes-inspired cowboys do some deducifyin' and I had some good fun following along. The Amlingmeyer brothers are the last survivors of their once-big family, so brawny "Big Red" Otto and his brother "Old Red" Gustav stick together as they travel the west picking up cowboy work wherever they can. They enjoy keeping an eye out for new editions of Harper's that contain the latest of Dr. Watson's accounts of his adventures with detective Sherlock Holmes, who Gustav admires so much that he takes his methods as a model. He might not be educated, but he's smart, and he plans to show it. He gets his chance when some overseers from a notoriously awful ranch ask for seasonal hired help. Unfortunately the rules of the ranch don't provide a lot of leeway for poking around: the hands have to stay together within five miles of the "castle", the ostentatious big house with its bunk houses and barns, unless accompanied by one of the few old hands. Old Red's mystery goes from potential to present when the ranch manager gets trampled in a stampede and the ranch's British owners (who have a loose connection to one of Holmes's cases) show up for a surprise inspection soon after. The trampling might seem suspicious to Old Red, but it's a hard sell as a murder...but the body in the outhouse with a bullet in its brain is undeniable.Hockensmith's fast-paced story is recounted to us by Big Red, the younger but bigger brother who is, for some reason, the only one of the two who can read and write. (I say "for some reason" because there's no given reason why he couldn't have taught the demonstrably intelligent Old Red to read and write as well. But hey, it's a nice wrinkle in the story.) He's got a sense of humor that's cowboy-rude and rough around the edges, and which brought a lot of levity to prevent this from becoming a dreary, gritty western. The case itself ranges far and wide, encompassing a clownish but sincere wanna-be cowboy, the classy Lady Clara, and her domineering father the Duke; a cannibalistic outlaw and some hairy hybrids on the loose; and a rowdy cast of groundling characters including a Swedish cook, the colorfully-nicknamed fellow ranch hands, and the Lady's gossipy maid. It also, to its detriment, includes an unnecessarily albino antagonist (the albinism plays absolutely no role in the story, so it just perpetuates the association of albinism with bad guys), a few n-bombs, and some highly insensitive language about women and American Indians. The latter might be historically accurate, but they are also demonstrably unnecessary: Hockensmith several times has Big Red talk around foul language and rude comments with phrases to the effect of "I won't bother decent folk by repeating what exactly I heard", which are at baffling odds with those that are spelled out. Anywho...This was a fun and light romp, the kind that might not have been much of a mystery to me in the actual who-done-it, but which had plenty of slapstick action, rough-and-tumble talk, and side mysteries to keep me well entertained. The Amlingmeyer brothers are quite a pair, and I certainly enjoyed the way Sherlock Holmes was woven into this story only in reference more than I liked his presence in The Bughouse Affair. I won't go out of my way to pick up the sequels, but I'd happily pick one up if I found it a little free library or used book sale.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was ok as a first book by the author. I will give the next one a go and then see how I feel.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5First novel for Hockensmith I hope he writes more.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5An OK book. Great concept, good writing, just didn't keep my attention when so many other books were calling my name. And since life is too short to force yourself to read something that just doesn't captivate you, I ended up putting this aside. I would consider trying out the series at a later time when I am more in the mood for a mystery or western.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unexpectedly good blend of mystery, western, and comedy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I enjoyed this light-hearted western with its tribute to Sherlock Holmes. It is well written, moderately complex (I didn't guess the plot, for which I am thankful), and has amusing characters.Sherlock Holmes is not fictional in this world, but like in his own stories is a real detective whose exploits are written up and made famous by his sidekick Watson. What he doesn't know is that two cowboys in America are going to be so influenced by reading his cases. Two brothers get caught up in a mystery when the older brother takes up detective work because of his love of Sherlock Holmes. The younger brother, who has read the stories out loud to his older brother (who cannot read) ends up being his brother's Watson--both a sidekick and the chronicler of his tale.While I think there was some repetition of some elements (he hits you over the head with the idea that the younger brother sticks with his older brother because he is the only family he has left) by repeating variations on the same sentence too many times in early chapters, in general the writing is clean and well done.Holmes fans will find plenty to love in this tale with many references to the famous detective's cases.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5First Line: There are two things you can't escape out here in the West: dust and death.When brothers Old Red (Gustav) and Big Red (Otto) Amlingmeyer sign on as ranch hands at a spread known for being secretive, the only things they're expecting are lots of hard work, plenty of bad pay, and a bit of free time to enjoy reading their favorite stories about Sherlock Holmes. When a couple of men turn up dead, Old Red sees it as the perfect opportunity to employ his "deductifyin'" skills, and he sets out to solve the case. Although he doesn't like the looks of it one little bit, Big Red is along for the ride.If you read a lot of crime fiction, you know that there are some prime directives. One of them has to do with the disposition of the corpse. This book is so good that I forgot all about that basic rule.Author Hockensmith has come completely out of left field and scored a home run with this tale of two brothers in the Old West. Old Red was the oldest brother who worked hard to keep food on the table for his mother and younger siblings. As a younger brother, Big Red stayed home and had schooling. He knows how to read and write-- something his older brother never had the chance to learn. The stories of Sherlock Holmes fires the imagination of Old Red, and he believes that this is something he can do even if he doesn't have an education. If he can observe and deduce, he can be every bit as brilliant as the grand detective. Big Red has a rather jaundiced view of the whole thing: "Damn it, Brother," I said. "You're a cowboy, not a detective." Old Red didn't answer with words. He just turned and showed me that little wisp of a grin he slips under his mustache when he thinks he's being clever. Oh? his smile said. A feller can't be both?I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. Hockensmith has a unique voice and vision, and I can't wait to read the further deductifyin' adventures of Old Red and Big Red.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I listened to the audio version narrated by William Dufris. He did a fantastic job on the accents: British for the aristocracy; cockney for their maid; Western for the cowpunchers, etc. This added a lot to the story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gustav and Otto Amlingmeyer are a pair of Montana cowboys in 1893. Gustav has become enamored of the Sherlock Holmes stories being printed in Harper's Weekly. Thoughtful and observant, he is determined to try his hand at emulating his hero and making more of himself than a simple cow puncher. Otto, big, strong, loyal to a fault is, well, the perfect Watson stand in. The two are hired to work on a ranch run by secretive and harsh managers and, when bodies start showing up, Gustav finds the opportunity he desires…assuming they aren't killed first.The blending of the detective and western genres works very well in Hockensmith's hands and the result is a fun, light-hearted and funny story that only aims to provide some entertainment, and succeeds.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Big Red and Old Red are brothers trying to survive in late nineteenth century American wild west. They take jobs as hands for the Sussex Land and Cattle Company. Everything seemed to be going just fine, until the bodies started piling up. Old Red, being a fan of the great Sherlock Holmes, sets out to solve the mysteries of the deaths and the Cantlemere Ranch. Steve Hockensmith has created two fascinating characters in Big and Old Red. Their adventures are interesting and down right fun to read. The story is told primarily through the use of dialogue. Hockensmith has taken great efforts to make the dialogue of the characters representative of the era. This adds to the charm of this book.I look forward to plowing through the rest of the Big and Old Red stories. I can honestly say that Holmes on the Range was my favorite book so far this year.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In Holmes on the Range, two unemployed brothers find work as cow hands on a ranch with some mysterious goings-on. Most hands would ride off for greener pastures when bodies start showing up, but not Old Red and Big Red. It turns out that not only does Old Red thrive on the tales of Holmes' cases, but has a real talent for detectifyin' as well. And because he wants to be something more than a run-of-the-mill cow hand, he sets out to solve the mystery.In spite of the hokey title, Hockensmith has created a pretty good combination of Holmes pastiche and classic western. The story's quite an adventure, the mystery's pretty good, and the characters feel real. I'm looking forward to the sequels now!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I never would have found this gem without Novelist and my public library! This is a new author for me, and this book is really fun and exciting. Big Red and Old Red are wonderful.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A galloping western mystery featuring brothers, Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer. Big Red plays Watson to Old Red's Holmes as they try to untangle the mysterious deaths at the equally mysterious Bar VR cattle ranch.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really hope that there will be sequels to this delightful story of the cowboy detectives.