Steve Hockensmith seems to be visiting the various sub-genres of mysteries in this Holmes on the Range series, and even with two poorly educated cowhands as Holmes and Watson, it works beautifully. The first book in the series (Holmes on the Range) is a classic mystery with a long list of suspects. The second (On the Wrong Track) is a thriller complete with train robbers and runaway locomotives. The Black Dove is all about the tough private detective trying to unravel a mystery in Chinatown.

These stories are told from the younger Amlingmeyer brother's point of view, and he speaks pitch perfect cowboy. Whenever Big Red slips and uses vernacular that might be a bit ambiguous, he remembers that he's writing these stories for posterity and explains his meaning. Big Red is unvarnished and honest, and has quite the eye for the ladies; his narration has an immediacy and an endearing quality that just draw you right into the story. There are clues to make sense of, dangers to outrun, and-- as always-- plenty of laughter throughout.

If you like mysteries set in the Old West, you can't do any better than Steve Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range. Old Red Amlingmeyer is determined to prove that sometimes a cowboy isn't just a cowboy. Sometimes he's every bit as good as the famous Sherlock Holmes, and this adventure in San Francisco's Chinatown goes a long way to prove it. ( )

It had "Holmes" in the title - so I was a sucker for it !
The first of this series was - "Holmes on the Range"
and it was not exactly what I was expecting, but it was a hoot and although I cringed at the rather 'low' humor - couldn't help but laugh and enjoy the goofy brother and the references to Holmes, fresh twist on cowboy life and the mystery to be solved.
I'll be checking the rest of the series out of the library.
(Will apply this to the others I've read, also).
Read in 2011. ( )

This series just gets better and better! ( )

Wonderful story. This is the third in the series and it continues on where the second story left off. It takes place in Chinatown in San Fransico. A very enjoyable mystery! ( )

Third in the series. Set in San Francisco, much of it in Chinatown. ( )