STRONG MEDICINE

 

HOLMES ON THE RANGE
STRONG MEDICINE
By Steve Hockensmith
Rough Edges Press, July 2026

The A.A. Western Detective Agency rides into Galveston in 1894 Texas, a city of elegant Victorian mansions and dark waterfront secrets, when a wealthy businessman burns to death in his own warehouse under far-too-convenient circumstances.

With Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer on the case, Old Red’s obsession with Sherlock Holmes is finally put to the ultimate test. Their client’s household is crawling with suspects: a brilliant female scientist, an eccentric would-be snake-oil salesman, a volatile socialite, and a charismatic “healer” whose devoted followers will do anything she demands.

As blackmail, madness, and murder tangle beneath Galveston’s gleaming surface, the detectives must separate miracle from menace before the killer delivers another dose of strong medicine.

With threats closing in from every direction, can the Double-A Western Detective Agency smoke out the truth before the next victim goes up in flames?

The last full-length Holmes on the Range book came out in 2023 and a couple of short story collections followed in the same year. The latest novel, Strong Medicine, has links to the previous book in that the Amlingmeyer brothers have agreed to help one of the characters from Hunters of the Dead and are soon involved with a wonderful set of people and creatures as they attempt to solve crimes of murder and blackmail. 

Steve Hockensmith tells his fast-moving tale through the voice of Big Red whose observations on the investigation and life in general had me howling with laughter many times, as did one of the action scenes involving flying vegetables. Descriptions are excellent too and painted very visual images in my mind’s eye – the gardeners and their overseer being particularly vivid. 

I must point out that this is not a comedy western/murder mystery novel. It’s a captivating, twisting, thrilling story that includes humour. There are plenty of tense scenes, one involving scorpions and another seeing the Amlingmeyer brothers on the wrong end of a gun. 

I am purposefully being vague with details about the plot and characters as I just don’t want to spoil anything for those intending to read this terrific edition to the Holmes on the Range series. 

As usual, I gave up trying to work out the who and why of the plot as Steve Hockensmith is extremely good at pointing the finger at just about everyone the Amlingmeyer’s meet. Seemingly meaningless comments and actions will later be revealed as major clues to solving the mysteries facing the brothers, something they will do, no matter the cost to themselves. Oh, and could one of them be falling in love? And then there’s the question of whether nut-butter made from peanuts could ever catch on.

As you’ve probably guessed, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all readers who enjoy whodunit stories. 

American readers can get a copy here.

British readers can get a copy here. 

NO HALLOWED GROUND

 

Double-A Western Detective Agency 2

NO HALLOWED GROUND

By Steve Hockensmith

Rough Edges Press, October 2024

When the A.A. Western Detective Agency needs to hunt men down, it turns to its toughest operatives: former cavalrymen Oswin Diehl and Ira Hoop and their Mescalero Apache scout Eskaminzim. So, when the Double-A is asked to catch bank robbers fleeing across Missouri toward the Indian Territories, it sends the three to head the gang off. Along for the hard ride is Hoop’s wife and Eskaminzim’s sister, Onawa, who’s tired of waiting around to learn who won’t be coming home from the A.A.’s latest assignment.

But when the four reach Missouri, they learn that there’s much more at stake than the holdings of a single bank. The “gang” they’re after is actually a company of former Confederate Cherokees—and they’re backed by a powerful cabal of conspirators bent on avenging the South’s defeat in the Civil War.

What starts out as a chase to track down bandits turns into a battle for the future of the country…one our outnumbered heroes can’t possibly hope to win.

It’s great to see the second book in the Double-A Western Detective Agency series come out so soon after the first one. Hired Guns was a great read and I was left eagerly looking forward to another book featuring Diehl, Hoop, and Eskaminzim. 

The first part of No Hallowed Ground sets up the twisting plot superbly. Diehl and his companions wondering just what they’ve got themselves in to as they pursue the bank robbers in a mission to retrieve the contents of an ice-cream wagon that is being used by the robbers to transport their loot. Each time they met a new person the mystery deepens and it becomes clear that they haven’t been told the truth, but they’ve been assigned to the case and will do their best to get the bank’s property back. It’s only when the second part of the book is reached that the outrageous reality is discovered and the race to stop the gang becomes even more desperate. Trouble is things aren’t going to be that straight-forward as the author has more surprises waiting for his heroes and readers that will add more complications to the mission.

There’s a lot of humorous observations throughout the story, mainly coming from Eskaminzim as he often likes to wind-up his fellow detectives and enemies alike. Having Onawa along for the ride sees Eskaminzim’s competitive side become stronger than we’ve ever witnessed before, such as when he tries to prove he is the best tracker in the group.

Action scenes come thick and fast and these violent acts are often hard-hitting and offer some nail-biting edge of the seat reading, such as those that take place in a hotel. Hockensmith regularly switches from character to character, often leaving them in cliff-hanger situations thus ensuring you’ll keep reading to find out what happens to each of them.  

The final showdown is excellent as all the various factions battle for the contents of the ice-cream wagon and very few people escape the flying lead. This shootout provides some tense reading as everything is resolved in blood and fire. What happened to the loot was shocking but also made me laugh as did how the Double-A detectives decided to conclude their mission.

All I can now hope is that it isn’t too long before Steve Hockensmith writes another book about these operatives of the Double-A Western Detective Agency.

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here

HIRED GUNS

HIRED GUNS

By Steve Hockensmith

Rough Edges Press, September 2024

When former Army officer Oswin Diehl ventures into Mexico in search of fortune, he encounters more than he bargained for-bandits and chaos. Saved by old comrades Ira Hoop and Apache scout Eskaminzim, Diehl is offered a job that leads him to Arizona Territory and a showdown against a powerful conglomerate harassing local mine owners.

As Diehl and his resilient team face off against the hired goons of Consolidated American Mining Corporation, the stakes rise. With the brutal chairman, Kingsley Le May, and an army of operatives led by an old enemy, former Texas Ranger Thomas Breck, the battle turns into a deadly game of wits and survival.

Amidst the dust and gun smoke, alliances are formed, love is kindled, and a desperate struggle for freedom unfolds. Will Diehl, Hoop, Eskaminzim, and the fiery mine owner Catrin Gruffud overcome their adversaries and prevail in the ultimate showdown? The hired guns are locked, loaded, and ready for justice.

This book features detectives working for the Double-A Western Detective Agency. An organization that fans of Steve Hockensmith’s Holmes on the Range series will already be acquainted. This series isn’t about the Amlingmeyer brothers though, but it does star a couple of operatives that have ridden alongside Big Red and Old Red. 

The Holmes on the Range books are told in the first person, Hired Guns is written in the third. This allows Hockensmith to regularly switch between various characters, often leaving them in cliff-hanger situations. Like the other books, this one contains a fair amount of humorous banter and scenes. The main difference is that this book has a lot more violent action as Diehl, Hoop, Eskaminzim and Romo find themselves faced with an enemy that has a small army to help him get what he wants.

Steve Hockensmith paces the story superbly, building to a terrific final showdown. Characterization is excellent and descriptions paint vivid pictures in the mind. The author also pays homage to scenes from a well-known spaghetti western or two. The story also contains some neat twists and turns and a touch of mystery. 

If you like traditional westerns that are packed with tough, brutal action, mixed with elements of humour and have plots that will keep you guessing until the end, then look no further than Hired Guns. Me? I’m really looking forward to the follow-up story, No Hallowed Ground, which I believe is due out this October. 

Oh yeah, who can forget Prince Pudding Paws?

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here 

BLACK LIST, WHITE DEATH

HOLMES ON THE RANGE

BLACK LIST, WHITE DEATH

By Steve Hockensmith

Rough Edges Press, December 2023

This is the tenth Holmes on the Range book and the third to contain more than one story. The contents are as follows:

The novella “Black List” sees the Amlingmeyer brothers ride into the Arizona Territory on a quest to unearth a buried secret, coveted by a ruthless cattle baron. Can Old Red's deductive skills, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, solve the mystery and protect them from the cattleman's hired guns?

This is followed by the short story "Expense Report: El Paso," where Big Red embarks on his first solo mission to collect a bandit's head. But what if the head has other plans?

The final, and longest story of the three is "White Death," in which the Amlingmeyer’s investigate mysterious deaths at a tuberculosis sanitarium deep in the Colorado mountains. As they search for clues, a sinister figure lurks in the shadows. When a sudden blizzard traps them with the patients, staff, and the killer, the suspense reaches its peak.

As usual, the stories are told in the first person through Big Red, and his often-humorous observations had me laughing out loud. Each story is full of suspense and Old Red’s talent for noticing overlooked clues help in solving the mysteries they face. Having said that, Old Red doesn’t appear in Expense Report: El Paso and for most of the third story he is hidden away in quarantine leaving Big Red to do his best to unmask a killer. Can he do this alone? That’s not for me to reveal here, so you’ll just have to read the book and find out for yourselves. The three stories are all very different to each other and to any of the previous Holmes on the Range tales. 

Steve Hockensmith’s well thought-out plots had me guessing (wrongly) as to just what was going on. Even when I thought I was on the right track in Black List, I soon found myself proved otherwise. 

After that, I gave up trying to work out how each story would end and whodunnit, and just enjoyed the twisting storylines that I would have found impossible to unravel, especially the plot of White Death. The author though, has answers for all of the Amlingmeyer’s questions and everything makes perfect sense by the end. The short story had me wondering in disbelief, but the way Big Red signed off his report made everything clear…I think. 

Black List, White Death is another excellent addition to the Holmes on the Range series. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys western mysteries. 

American readers can get a copy here.
UK readers can ger a copy here.

PARTNERS IN CRIME

HOLMES ON THE RANGE 8

PARTNERS IN CRIME

By Steve Hockensmith

Rough Edges Press, November 2023

Saddle up for adventure with the eccentric cowboy detectives, Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer, as they embark on a thrilling journey to establish their dream detective agency in the Wild West.

In this action-packed collection of five stories, join the brothers as they navigate disastrous homecoming trips, strange newspaper feuds, supernatural kidnappings, deadly Christmas celebrations, and a high-stakes conspiracy threatening to tarnish their budding careers.

With their Sherlock Holmes-inspired wit and determination, can they crack the cases and outsmart the culprits?

Contents:

Partners in Crime

My Christmas Story

Curious Incidents

Bad News

Can the Cat Catch the Rat?

This is the second collection of short stories featuring the Amlingmeyer brothers, the first collection being Dear Mr. Holmes. Four of the tales were originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, with the other being a brand-new story. Like before, each tale is told through a letter written mainly to Big Red’s editor Mr. Smythe of Smythe & Associates Publishing, Ltd., who publish the Amlingmeyer stories in Smythe’s Frontier Detective Magazine. 

One of the greatest draws for me in this series is Big Red’s humorous observations in his narration of the brothers’ latest cases and the words he speaks during these events, which had me laughing out loud often. 

The title story takes us back to their hometown in Kansas and readers are filled in a little more about their past, before they became cowboys, which in turn lead to them becoming detectives. 

Each of the five tales offers a very different storyline, one changing quite dramatically mid-way through. Not all their cases involve murder either, which helps keep the stories fresh and individual. I don’t really want to say anything more about the stories as I don’t want to spoil what happens in them, other than to say there are some great twists to some of the plots. There are also lots of references to Sherlock Holmes and his methods of investigating a crime, with Old Red trying to use Holmes’ approaches to solve their own mysteries. 

Partners in Crime is another extremely entertaining read from Steve Hockensmith, and I can only hope he has many more adventures lined up for his fans. 

HUNTERS OF THE DEAD

HOLMES ON THE RANGE 7

HUNTERS OF THE DEAD

By Steve Hockensmith

Rough Edges Press, October 2023

The A.A. Western Detective Agency takes on a new case in 1894 Wyoming, a land of bandit gangs and rustlers, when a group of scientists come to town in the hopes of rustling up something very different – dinosaur fossils. 

With Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer on protection duty, Old Red's obsession with Sherlock Holmes is forced to take a back seat. Until a human body is shockingly discovered during an excavation, that is. 

As the mystery deepens, these cowboy detectives must put their sleuthing skills to the test to catch a killer stalking their client's dig site. 

With death lurking around every corner, can the Double-A Western Detective Agency catch the killer before it's too late?

It's been a few years since the Amlingmeyer brothers last rode the range, so it’s great to see them return in a new adventure involving rival groups of palaeontologists squabbling over the discovery of the bones of the largest and most complete diplodocus ever found. It’s the remains of this dinosaur that the Amlingmeyer’s have been hired to guard, but when Old Red unearths a much newer corpse buried in the dig site the job becomes much more complicated as a murderer has to be unmasked. Old Red is soon in his element as he sets to discover just who the killer is and why, using methods learnt from reading how his idol, Sherlock Holmes, goes about identifying murderers. 

The story is told in the first person, through Big Red, and his humorous observations are a delight to read and gave me many laugh-out-loud moments. Big Red’s relationship with one of the other operatives from the A.A. Western Detective Agency, Eskaminzim, also had me grinning as the Apache proved over and over again how easy it would be to kill Big Red.

It doesn’t take long for Steve Hockensmith to make readers suspicious of all the characters. Any one of them could be the killer. Old Red mostly keeps his deductions close to his chest, unless he needs to reveal one of them to get a reaction that could lead to another clue. This puts both him and his brother is some very sticky situations that could easily lead to their deaths.

I gave up trying to work out who the murderer was and what was the motive behind the killing, and just read the book for pure enjoyment as I became captivated by the twisting plot and marvelled at how the smallest observation could become a major clue in solving the case. 

Although this story is mainly a murder mystery tale, it keeps a western feel throughout, and includes some excellent gunplay. The end of the book resolves everything neatly and also sets up another case for the Amlingmeyer brothers to solve. Hopefully I won’t have too long to wait before that story is published and, in the meantime, I’m off to munch on a nut butter sandwich.

American readers can get a copy here
British readers can get a copy here

The Double-A Western Detective Agency

Holmes on the Range #6:

by Steve Hockensmith

Independently published, Dec. 2018

Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer’s dream has come true: The Sherlock Holmes-worshiping cowboy brothers are finally in business as professional detectives. But their fledgling A.A. Western Detective Agency faces a few challenges. Their partner, Col. Crowe, is almost as cantankerous and secretive as Old Red himself. The colonel’s daughter, Diana, insists on tagging along for the Amlingmeyers’ first assignment. And that assignment lands them smack dab in the middle of a range war — with Big Red and Old Red expected to shoot it out with rustlers rather than rustle up clues and solve a mystery.

When the violence claims an unexpected victim, however, the Amlingmeyers are called upon to holster their guns (for a moment) and use their “Holmesifying” skills to track down the killer. But someone else is tracking them...someone who seems to set one ambush after another for the brothers. Will the Double-A Western Detective Agency’s first case also be its last?

It's been just over two years since the last Holmes on the Range book appeared which was more mystery than western, but this time Steve Hockensmith was writing it for fun rather than a mystery imprint so he decided to ‘pump up the western vibe’. Due to that decision this book certainly reads like a western that contains a couple of mysteries that need solving as only the Amlingmeyer’s can.

As usual the story is told through Big Red Amlingmeyer, his many humorous observations making me laugh out loud. The tale seems to be a typical range war type of plot but it soon becomes clear it’s much more than that and it spirals into a twisting and complex storyline that provides Old Red with plenty of opportunity to use his deducifying skills. I can’t really say anymore about that without giving to much away and thus spoiling the book for those intending to read it.

The story moves forwards at a fast pace and chapters often end on a cliff-hanger that will keep you turning the pages. There is also plenty of action – standoffs, gunplay, fistfights and other tense situations – that will be enjoyed by all western fans. Something that really caught my attention was the town a lot of the tale takes place in, it’s unusual set up being one I can’t remember reading the likes of before. 

If you’ve not yet read any of the Holmes on the Range books then this is certainly a great place to jump in as it seems to mark a new beginning for the Amlingmeyer’s due to it being their first assignment for their new Double-A Detective Agency. Let’s just hope that Mr. Hockensmith doesn’t keep us waiting too long to find out what their next job will be.

Also available as an ebook

The Crack in the Lens

By Steve Hockensmith

Minotaur Books, January 2011

It’s 1893 and things finally seem to be going right for Otto “Big Red” Amlingmeyer and his brother Gustav “Old Red.” After years of hard knocks, they have a bit of money and some spare time – time enough to take a hard look at something from Old Red’s past. Years before, Old Red lost his fiancée to a brutal killer and the local authorities swept the case under the rug. Now, Old Red is determined to find out what really happened and to secure a measure of justice for his beloved. But everyone in town wants the secrets of the past to remain buried forever…and possibly have the brothers buried with them! It’s a puzzle that’s twisted enough to confound even that most unconfoundable of men, their mutual inspiration: Sherlock Holmes.

This is the fourth book to feature the Amlingmeyer brothers.

Steve Hockensmith presents the reader with a murder mystery that sees some very emotional revelations about Old Red that will not only surprise long time readers of this series, but Big Red too. With no real leads to help them solve this five-year-old murder case the brothers find themselves in all kinds of danger from people unknown. For instance the book opens with them both about to be strung up. How they escape being imprisoned and/or death makes for some very exciting reading.

The story is told through the eyes of Big Red, and as always he has many humorous views on events that befall them. The comical moments contrast well with the darker, more sinister, developments of the investigation. Events move forwards at a cracking pace and most chapters end with a cliff-hanger situation for our heroes.

Not only are the Amlingmeyer brothers very memorable characters but so are the supporting cast, even how Steve Hockensmith has one of his female characters speak – you’ll have to read the book to see what I mean. All the clues are there but I didn’t pick up on them until the author wanted me to, thus the suspense was kept high, urging me to keep reading.

The case is finally cracked in a dramatic and deadly scene that sees one of the brothers suffering a setback, an injury that it seems he will carry into the next story, which means I’ve just got to start reading that one very soon to see if he fully recovers. What I do know is that I’m sure I’ll find the next book just as entertaining as this one. Highly recommended.

Dear Mr. Holmes

By Steve Hockensmith

April 2011

For fans of Steve Hockensmith’s Holmes on the Range series this collection of short stories is something you should not miss. For those who’d like to discover just why so much praise is directed at Steve Hockensmith’s books, then this is the perfect place to start.

Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer have starred in five "Holmes on the Range" novels, rustling up award nominations and fans aplenty as they cracked mysteries using the methods of their hero, Sherlock Holmes. How did these Old West drifters first discover Holmes, though? What were they doing before their novel adventures began? And how did their early, awkward stabs at "deducifying" turn out? These seven short stories provide the answers.

In "Dear Mr. Holmes," Old Red first gets the itch to turn detective -- and just in time, too, because a killer's stalking him and his brother along a Kansas cattle trail. In "Gustav Amlingmeyer, Holmes of the Range," Old Red's attempt to settle down and open his own "cafay" goes haywire when one of the customers gets a side order of arsenic with his steak and potatoes. In "Wolves in Winter," Big Red and Old Red go up against deadly predators of both the two- and four-legged variety. And the adventure continues in four more stories…

Here are the stories you’ll find in this collection:

Dear Mr. Holmes

Gustav Amlingmeyer, Holmes of the Range

Wolves in Winter

Dear Dr. Watson

The Water Indian

The Devil’s Acre

Greetings from Purgatory!

All but one of these tales was previously published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. The odd one out being “The Water Indian” which first appeared in the anthology Ghost Towns.

Each tale is presented as a letter to either a publisher or a specific person: Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Watson for instance. All are fast moving stories of mystery and suspense in a western setting. All are told in an entertaining and laugh-out-loud, easy to read, style that makes it impossible to stop reading them until you’ve reached the end. There are many memorable moments too, such as the Amlingmeyer’s encounter with a vicious dog – this painted some hilarious images within my mind.

Dear Mr. Holmes has just been released as a paperback and ebook earlier this week, and is definitely worth spending a few dollars on.

Interview: Steve Hockensmith

Today we’ve got a change of pace for you: an interview with Steve Hockensmith, creator of the “Holmes on the Range” mystery/Westerns. And Steve’s not the only special guest here, because he’s being interviewed by one of the stars of his series, Otto “Big Red” Amlingmeyer. Big Red and his brother Gustav (a.k.a. “Old Red”) are former cowboys who roam the 19^th century West solving mysteries in the style of their hero, Sherlock Holmes. They’ve starred in five novels, the latest of which, World’s Greatest Sleuth!, came out January 18. We supplied Big Red with a list of questions for Steve but left it up to him to conduct the interview as he pleased.

Big Red: Let’s see. “When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?” it says here.

Hockensmith: Oh, that’s something I always knew. I started creating my own little comic books and fiction magazines around the time I was 11, and in high school I got serious about journalism, which eventually became my college major and my first career. But I didn’t try to sell fiction professionally until --

Big Red: [flutters eyelids, feigns snoring]

Hockensmith: Hey, you asked.

Big Red: Yeah. To be polite. If I’d known your answer was going to be so danged boring, though, I would’ve brought my bedroll with me.

Hockensmith: Why don’t you just move on to the next question then?

Big Red: Alrighty. Let’s see. “Did anyone encourage you to be a writer, and if so…?” You know what? I’m skipping that one.

Hockensmith: Why?

Big Red: I want to save it for tonight. In case I have trouble falling asleep. I figure your answer’d have me sawing logs within seconds.

Hockensmith: Look, if you’re just going to be insulting, we’ll find someone else to --

Big Red: Wait wait wait, now! Hold on! This next question I want to ask you in all seriousness, alright? I would really, truly like to hear your answer.

Hockensmith: [warily] O.K.

Big Red: “Which writers influence you?”

Hockensmith: [opens mouth]

Big Red: Cuz I know what better be the first name outta your mouth.

Hockensmith: [muttering under breath] Here we go.

Big Red: I do all the work Watsoning for my brother, writing up our adventures and sending ’em off to be published. But then when they end up in print, somehow they’ve got your name on ’em. And me -- I ain’t the author anymore. Oh, no! I’m just the narrator.

Hockensmith: We’ve been through this before. You’re fictional.

Big Red: You remember how “fictional” it feels when my boot meets your backside?

Hockensmith: The writer who has influenced me most is the great Otto Amlingmeyer! He makes Mark Twain and William Shakespeare look like half-witted children scribbling on the sidewalk with chalk! I myself only know the alphabet up to j! I am nothing! Otto Amlingmeyer is like unto a god! All hail Otto! I can but bow down before him and lick his boots!

Big Red: Please don’t lick my boots.

Hockensmith: Well, are you satisfied now? Was that effusive enough for you?

Big Red: [muses] Yes. Next question --

Hockensmith: Thank god.

Big Red: “How much importance do you place on research?”

Hockensmith: You’re going to let me answer? Without interrupting?

Big Red: Absolutely. I said my piece.

Hockensmith: O.K., then. Good. So. Research. I place a lot of importance on it, actually. It’s always the second step in the process for me. The first is deciding on a setting. Once I’ve got that, I do a ton of research, and the plot grows out of what I learn. I’ll give you an example. While sifting through background material for my first novel, Holmes on the Range, I learned that European aristocracy once owned more than half the range land in the West. That led to a brainstorm: What if some of those hoity-toity titled types came out to Montana to inspect their property…and what if they’d known Sherlock Holmes? That allowed me to weave elements from the Arthur Conan Doyle story “The Noble Bachelor” into my own story set on a cattle ranch. The latest book, World’s Greatest Sleuth!, takes place at the Columbian Exposition -- the 1893 world’s fair in Chicago -- and that required weeks and weeks of reading and web-surfing to get a handle on, because the setting is so specific and so spectacular. It was a big challenge to bring that to life. But a fun challenge.

Big Red: You wanna know how I do research?

Hockensmith: I can guess.

Big Red: I remember. No reading or “web-smurfing” needed. Cuz, you know, it happened to me. That comes in right handy when spinning a yarn. You got no call to put your brand on someone else’s stories that way.

Hockensmith: Could we get to the next question, please?

Big Red: What? You’re not enjoying yourself?

Hockensmith: [through gritted teeth] I’m having a ball.

Big Red: Me, too! Now let’s see -- here’s a good one. “You seem to find humour in many situations. Are there any themes you’d avoid including in your stories as you don’t think they suit a humorous approach?”

Hockensmith: That is a good question. I guess there are a few subjects that would be hard to handle with a light touch. In the “Holmes on the Range” series, I’ve acknowledged the pervasiveness of casual racism in 19^th century society, and in the first book the “n word” even gets bandied about a couple times. That really pissed some readers off, and even though I was just trying to be true to the times I’d think twice about using such language again. And certainly there’s nothing funny about lynchings or the treatment of Native Americans. Prostitution plays an important role in both the third and fourth books, and I tried to handle that in a humane, heartfelt way, too. Saloon “chippies” are often thrown in as simple props or clichés, and I didn’t want to do that. Those women endured horrific abuse and degradation, and that shaded how I wrote the prostitute characters in my books. I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve, though. There’s no preaching. First and foremost, the books are supposed to be fun.

Big Red: Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Hockensmith: Thank you.

Big Red: In fact, it makes me wonder if I did say all that somewhere. I’m not entirely certain you could come up with it yourself.

Hockensmith: [sighs]

Big Red: Moving on. “How many short stories are there featuring the Amlingmeyer brothers, and where can they be found?”

Hockensmith: There have been seven short stories about the guys. Six of them originally appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and the seventh was in the recent anthology Ghost Towns. The first, “Dear Mr. Holmes,” is available as a free download on my website. Here’s a link. Two of the others have appeared in year-end “best of” collections: “Gustav Amlingmeyer, Holmes of the Range” was in Wolf Woman Bay and 9 More of the Finest Crime and Mystery Novellas of the Year, while “The Devil’s Acre” was reprinted in Between the Dark and the Daylight and 27 More of the Best Crime and Mystery Stories of the Year. One of these days, I’m going to do an ebook collecting all seven stories, but I can’t say when I’ll get around to it.

Big Red: An “ebook”?

Hockensmith: Yeah. It’s…you know, maybe we’d better just move along to the next question.

Big Red: [yawns] Fine by me. That last answer of yours made me awful drowsy again, and I’d sure like to get some coffee.

Hockensmith: [glowers, spins hands in the air]

Big Red: “Some of the ‘Holmes on the Range’ book covers seem to portray them as Westerns and others seem to give them the look of historical crime novels. Why the difference?”

Hockensmith: There are two things at work there. (1) You’ve got the marketing department trying to figure out how the heck to sell these things. (2) Two of the books -- The Black Dove and World’s Greatest Sleuth! -- take place in big cities, so the Western approach wouldn’t have been appropriate. The other three books are much more Westerny: Holmes on the Range takes place on a Montana ranch, On the Wrong Track is set on a train travelling through the Sierra Nevadas and The Crack in the Lens takes place in the Texas Hill Country. First and foremost, though, all the books are historical mysteries. That’s their structure. Collecting clues and solving puzzles is what they’re about. There just happens to be enough Old West flavor and action to qualify most of them as Westerns, too. 

Big Red: I like to think Old Red and I West-up any place we happen to go.

Hockensmith: That’s true. The cowboy outlook comes through no matter what setting you’re in.

Big Red: Alright, last question or I’m gonna have to nail my eyelids open.

Hockensmith: [rolls eyes] Yeah, it’s been a delight chatting with you, too.

Big Red: “Are you a fan of Westerns, and if so do you have any favourites in books and films?”

Hockensmith: Oh, yeah! I love a good Western. My dad’s to thank for that. When I was a kid, if there was a Western on TV, dad was watching it. (He’s also a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, so he can take credit for my whole publishing career.) My favorite Western films are probably Little Big Man and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but I’m also very, very fond of the more traditional Westerns that were coming out of Hollywood in the ’50s and ’60s. Rio Bravo, Shane, The Big Country, The Tall T, Bend of the River, Ride the High Country -- those are all favorites of mine. I’m not as well-versed in Western books, but Thomas Berger’s Little Big Man had a huge impact on me, and I recently read and loved Charles Portis’s True Grit. (I think both film versions are pretty great, as well.) Cottonwood, by the noir writer Scott Phillips, is a wonderfully odd gothic Western, and of course Elmore Leonard’s Western books are dynamite. I’ve also sampled Westerns by American crime writers like Ed Gorman, Bill Crider, Bill Pronzini, Loren Estleman and Bob Randisi, and it’s all fun stuff indeed. Unfortunately, I read really slowly, so I haven’t sampled any genre as widely as I’d like. But one day I hope to --

Big Red: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Hockensmith: Alright, I’m leaving.

Ghost Towns

Edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Russell Davis

Pinnacle, July 2010

The sound of a crowed saloon… The cry of a train coming through the night… The pounding of horses ridden by friends or foe… From the searing sun to snow-steeped winters, towns called Sentinel, Iron Mountain and St. Elmo stood strong and fierce – before they finally died.

From a soldier on the run from the fires of war… From a gambler who has long since played his last hand to a solitary, singing rifle man protecting a besieged town… With dreamers and schemers, with men and women of courage, conscience and faith – here is a collection of adventures that see these ghost towns return to life.

Contents:

The Water Indian by Steve Hockensmith

The Ghosts of Duster by William W. Johnstone, with J.A. Johnstone

St. Elmo in Winter by Margaret Coel

Mr. Kennedy’s Bones by Johnny D. Boggs

Gunfight at Los Muretos by Bill Brooks

Iron Mountain by Candy Moulton

The Defense of Sentinel by Louis L’Amour

Paradise Springs by Sandy Whiting

Silent Hill by Larry D. Sweazy

End of the Line by Lori Van Pelt

The Town That Wouldn’t Quit by Deborah Morgan

Now We Are Seven by Loren D. Estleman

Contention City, 1951 by Jeff Mariotte

The Ghost of Two Forks by Elmer Kelton

Kiowa Canyon by James A. Fischer

This anthology brings together a fine selection of tales that are all extremely well written; all offering elements of the supernatural thus blending the western with ghost stories. Like any collection I have my favourites and there are a couple I wasn’t sure about – in fact there was one I gave up on. Not all the stories are set in the Old West, some are set right up to the present day, although these do have links to the past.

Most of the authors above will be familiar to western readers and fans of the Johnstone books should be pleased to discover that the story The Ghosts of Duster features Bo Creel and Scratch Morton from the Sidewinders series. Similarly fans of Steve Hockensmith’s two would be detectives, Big Red and Old Red from his excellent Holmes on the Range series should be equally pleased to find another story about them here.

I’ve always found it disappointing that the editors and/or publishers of anthologies like this feel the need to include yet another, already widely published, story by Louis L’Amour. The only reason I can see for doing this is hoping his name will help sell more copies of the book. L’Amour’s story, as expected, is well told and is in fact one of my favourites in the collection, but it is the tale that doesn’t quite fit in with the theme of ghost towns as well, if at all, as the others.

Other than wanting to read all the work I can by authors I enjoy, the main reason I read anthologies is to try writers that are new to me, or those I’ve been meaning to try for some time. And, as should be the case, I know have a longer list of authors I want to explore further.

On the Wrong Track

by Steve Hockensmith
St. Martin’s Minotaur paperback edition, January 2008
(the second Holmes on the Range Mystery)

It’s 1893, the modern world is in full swing, and Gustav “Old Red” Amlingmeyer is determined to take a stab at professional “detectifying,” just like his hero Sherlock Holmes. So Old Red and his brother, Otto (a.k.a. “Big Red”), take the only positions that come close – guarding jobs for the railroad.

Soon, Big Red and Old Red find themselves trapped on a thousand tons of steam-driven steel, summiting the Sierras en route to San Francisco with a gang of outlaws somewhere around the next bend, a baggage car jam-packed with deadly secrets, and a vicious killer hidden somewhere amongst the colourful passengers. And things aren’t going to get any easier any time soon.

Steve Hockensmith has come up with a superb mix of a western and detective story with this, the second book in his Holmes on the Range series. Old Red’s dream of being an investigator like his idol Sherlock Holmes, with help from his somewhat reluctant brother, makes for some very exciting reading, laced with many humorous situations, observations, and comments.

Along with the two “Red’s” the book is filled with engaging characters, such as Dr. Chan, Kip, the Give-‘em-Hell Boys, Miss Caveo, and Burl Lockhart, many who may or may not be who they say they are, thus making for a long list of suspects. And it’s not just people who add captivating intrigue to the story, there’s the strange variety of the baggage car’s contents. Not forgetting the trackside discoveries, such as a china cup and toupee that could be the clues that Old Red needs to solve the mysterious events aboard the train.

It’s not just Old Red’s “deducifying” attempts that pull the reader into the story, there’s the exciting action sequences too, such as that involving a snake, the train robbery that isn’t, and the final showdown.

On the Wrong Track has got to be up there with the best books I’ve ever read and has me very eager to read the third one, The Black Dove and get a copy of the first one: Holmes on the Range. The fourth book The Crack in the Lens, will be available at the end of July.

An entertaining and informative interview with Steve Hockensmith can be found here: part-1 and part-2