Holmes on the Range Series, Book 1

The great detective Sherlock Holmes finds a lost American cousin in this rollicking entertainment. Narrator William Dufris shuffles accents and characters like a deck of cards. His portrayal of the Amlingmeyer brothers, Gustave, a "Holmes wannabe," and his younger sibling, Otto, a "Doctor Watson stand-in," is emotional and affecting. Few narrators could genuinely pull off a Swedish cook, a pompous English duke and his prissy daughter, and a cowboy with a Cockney accent, sometimes in the same scene. No listener's imagination could come up with a better experience than hearing this title. Let's hope there are more adventures with the Amlingmeyer brothers, inspired by Holmes and Watson. R.O. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Starred review from November 7, 2005
Sherlockians, western fans and mystery lovers who enjoy their whodunits leavened with humor should all be delighted by Hockensmith's captivating debut, which features Montana cowboys and brothers Gustav and Otto Amlingmeyer (better known as Old Red and Big Red, respectively). One night in 1892, Old Red becomes smitten with Sherlock Holmes on hearing his brother read "The Red-Headed League" around the campfire during a cattle drive. Determined to follow in his hero's footsteps, Old Red gets the chance to apply the master's methods after some unsavory characters hire the pair to work at a ranch, whose general manager is soon found dead after a stampede. Another man turns up dead, apparently a suicide, just before the British aristocrats who own the ranch arrive to inspect their property. The melding of genres will remind some of the late Bill DeAndrea's western Nero Wolfe pastiches, while the skillful plotting and characterization augur well for the sequel. Hockensmith writes a monthly column for Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
. Author tour.

Starred review from July 10, 2006
Award-winning narrator William Dufris gives a virtuoso performance on this enormously entertaining tale of Gustave "Old Red" Amlingmeyer, a Montana cowboy who dreams of being a western Sherlock Holmes. When mysterious murders occur on the ranch where he and his brother are working, Old Red sees his chance and immediately sets out to sniff out the culprit. The story is told in first person by the would-be detective's kid brother, Otto ("Big Red"), and with an authentic western drawl Dufris slips into the role as comfortably as an old pair of cowboy boots, conveying Big Red's amiability and frequent befuddlement as he struggles to keep up with his older brother's "deducifyin' ". Dufris creates believable, distinctive voices for a large and colorful cast—among them the gravel-voiced ranch foreman, a Cockney cowboy, a pompous English duke and his ladylike daughter and a Swedish cook—and does it so well that a listener might well believe he's listening to a full troupe of actors. A truly gifted narrator, memorable characters and a tale full of adventure and humor—what more could an audiobook fan ask for? Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 7).

July 1, 2007
While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's followers have found numerous ways to imitate and pay homage to his Sherlock Holmes stories, Hockensmith has come up with a truly original one so good that this book went on to become an Edgar nominee for best first book. On a cattle ranch in 1892 Montana, two deaths are suspicious to cowboy Gustav Amlingmeyer. Gustav, known as Old Red, is a Holmes fan, and, together with his brother, Otto (Big Red), the narrator, he applies the consulting detective's deductive techniques to solving the murders. The climactic scene in which Old Red confronts the suspects is both surprising and satisfying. The corn-pone accent William Dufris adopts for Big Red takes some getting used to, but it suits Hockensmith's lighthearted tone. Dufris also does well with the voices of the other cowboys and especially the British aristocrats who own the ranch. Recommended for popular collections.Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.