Holmes on the Range is the first book in Steve Hockensmith's nine-book series of the same name. As such, it serves as a wonderful introduction to the premise of the series along with its two main characters and Hockensmith's prose style. Let's begin with the author's style, as it is immediately displayed in the novel's opening lines:
"There are two things you can't escape out here in the West: dust and death. They sort of swirl together in the wind, and a fellow never knows when a fresh gust is going to blow one or the other right in his face."
The premise of the novels is a simple enough one cleverly applied. The novels are set in the 1890s, the peak of popularity of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels and stories (in this series, Sherlock is a living, breathing real-life detective). A cowboy working as a ranch hand out west has become totally infatuated with Sherlock's accomplishments, and is determined to make himself into a cowboy version of the famous detective.
The narrator of the series is Otto Amlingmeyer, a young redhead most often called "Big Red" who works alongside his older brother, the Sherlock Holmes fanatic who is better known as "Old Red" than by Gustav Amlingmeyer. Old Red never did learn how to read, but he knows everything there is to know about Sherlock from the stories that Otto reads to him at night in the bunkhouse or around the campfire. The brothers are the only survivors of a family that was otherwise wiped out by a horrendous flood.
Holmes on the Range finds the boys working on an isolated ranch where their movement is tightly controlled and restricted only to specific acreage. After the rather nerdy ranch manager (who is more of a bookkeeper than a cowboy) gets himself trampled to death during a thunderstorm, Big Red notices a few oddities about the man's remains - and being the Sherlock Holmes wannabe that he is, he runs with it.
Before this one is over, the English owners of the ranch (including some minor royalty) suddenly show up, and it seems that the more digging Big Red is going to do, the more people are going to die.
Holmes on the Range is fun, exactly what it's meant to be, and it's easy to see how the series has continued to grow since its 2006 debut.
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| Steve Hockensmith |
New book for me. Thanks for the review
ReplyDeleteIt was my first experience with the series, too. It came highly recommended by Cathy over on her blog.
DeleteI love the whole idea of combining that western vibe with a Sherlock Holmes-type mystery. The two cowboys sounds like such fun characters. And the fact that you l liked it makes me even more excited to read it. :D
ReplyDeleteThe two brothers really were a hoot in this one despite the relatively high body count and the danger they were in throughout the book. Hockensmith is really witty, and seems to be a very prolific writer. The only thing I always wonder about after beginning a new series is whether or not the characters will change over time like real people do, or if they will, instead, grow stale three or four books in because I got tired of their schtick.
DeleteI've come across a series or two along the way where I enjoy the schtick so much that I don't particularly care whether or not the characters change-- but that's rare. The Amlingmeyers do change. Their travels take them to new situations, they try new things, even Old Red changes a spot or two of his.
DeleteThat's great to hear, Cathy. I'll move on to the second in the series as soon as I have a slot to work it in. Thanks.
DeleteI read this first book quite a few years ago and enjoyed it but didn't continue. Probably because the library didn't have any more and the Kindle version was over-expensive. I'll check again as it was worth continuing with.
ReplyDeleteWow, Cath...take a look at Kathy's comment down below. I don't remember if you're a Kindle Unlimited member or not, but something like this whole series being free there makes the monthly payment look a lot better all of a sudden.
DeleteHi Sam, I checked and here is the best news. If you have kindle unlimited the entire 7 books are available right now at Amazon as part of your subscription and I checked UK Amazon for Cath and all 7 are available with kindle unlimited there too.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound like a good series because I would like to read more westerns set in the 19th century featuring the lives of cowboys but the ones I have read I have found somewhat dry. This sounds different you get to learn about how cowboys lived but also the two brothers are well drawn characters who solve crimes.
Thanks, Kathy. I do have Kindle Unlimited but don't take advantage of it nearly enough...was even thinking about letting it expire when it comes around again in mid-February. But seeing all those books there makes it easier to justify the monthly payment that I too seldom take advantage of.
DeleteIt's sort of a hybrid western in the sense that it's all about cowboys and cowboy life, but it fancies itself to be a bit of an Arthur Conan Doyle clone, too. It's funny and has some really quirky characters to carry the action, plus the relationship between the brothers is heartening. These are not books anyone will ever take very seriously, but I think that's the whole point of them, really.
Hi Sam, one more thing. I too have wondered about kindle unlimited but it's amazing what's available right now: John Connolly's first book in the Charlie Parker series, China Trade by S J Rozan, Maame by Jessica George, Winter Solstice by Rebecca Pilcher etc and the book I am reading now Beartown by Frerick Backman which is really good.
ReplyDeleteI'm still new to Kindle Unlimited, with my three free month offer ending sometime in the middle of February. In over two months, I've only read two books from there that would not also have been available as an Amazon Prime Read. I think for me, the hard thing is figuring out how to find the good stuff among all the relative garbage that clutters up the choices. It's the same problem I have on Amazon, generally, that if you don't know about a book, you're not very likely to find it by wandering around. It's the whole needle in a haystack thing.
DeleteOne thing I do like is that there are lots of good magazines, especially the short story mags, available for free. I was buying several of those every quarter at seven or eight dollars a piece, so that almost pays of Kindle Unlimited by itself.
Thanks again for the heads-up.