Hunters of the Dead: Holmes on the Range Mysteries, Book 7

by Steve Hockensmith

Sherlock Holmes Meets the Old West in This Fast-Paced Murder Mystery That Unearths More Than Just Fossils.

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?

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published October 24, 2023

About the author

Steve Hockensmith is the author of the New York Times bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls and several other novels, including the Edgar Award finalist Holmes on the Range. He lives in Alameda, California.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The deducifying was rather slow. Big Red and Old Red are a few miles outside of Wamsutter, Wyoming as guards to a paleontological survey. However, there’s another team of paleontologists with guards as well and there’s bad blood between the two. Soon there’s a murder. It escalates. It took forever to wrap up but the brothers have already secured a client for their next escapade.

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

For their first assignment as part of the A.A. Western Detective Agency, Old Red and Big Red are being sent to Wyoming to help with security at a dinosaur dig. You wouldn’t think it would be a hot bed of crime, but as the brothers learn when they arrive, there is another group of paleontologists nearby, and the two groups do not get along at all. Still, keeping watch in the middle of the night sounds like a boring job, until Old Red finds a dead body. Will he figure out what happened before a killer strikes again?

It’s been several years since the previous book in this series came out, but it wasn’t long before I was back in this world. And it was delightful to return. As always, the plot seems to wander a bit, but at the end, we see that everything was important. I love watching Old Red weave everything together to solve the case. Likewise, the characters come to life as the book goes along. I appreciate the humor we get along the way. With the setting, it’s no surprise that we get a little more foul content than I typically read, but it feels realistic. This book teases the next case for the brothers, and I hope we get it soon. But for now, fans will be glad the series is back. If you haven’t tried these books yet, I recommend you change that today.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Steve announced Book 7 in the Holmes on the Range series, I pre-ordered it right away. My husband, who is blind, is factually Steve Hockensmith's #1 fan. He's even had a character in a previous book named after him. I surprised him with my purchase and told him I would read it to him. (I used to read things to him often, but over the years, especially with technology advances, recorded books became more accessible and he now easily reads about 100 books a year on his own.) Hunters was a treat for the both of us--even though I am far from a professional reader! Old Red and Big Red are such fun characters; it was terrific to get reacquainted and see how they've grown and changed. The characters, from the brothers to the minor characters like Cherry the cook, were all fun to be around. There wasn't a whole lot of action in this story but there was a lot of humor, which is really enjoyable when you're sharing a book with someone in real time. I always recommend this entire series to people. They are being reissued with new covers, which are pretty spiffy. If you like something unusual (some detective, some mystery, some history, some humor), you probably won't be disappointed in these books. While I suppose they can be read as standalone books, I'd suggest reading them in order.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The return of the Amlingmeyer brothers brightens my month. This series is smart and light-hearted and the perfect escape from the intensity of life. In this installment the brothers are charged with defending an archeological dig site in Wyoming. The dinosaur isn’t the only thing that turns up dead, though. Deducifying ensues. Chock full of Hockensmith’s signature humor, rich characters, and fascinating plot twists, Hunters of the Dead is a worthy addition to the Holmes on the Range series. Chuck Galco narrates the audiobook with a perfect tone. His performance is atmospheric without being over the top or silly. He is a highly believable Big Red.

[FredM2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another A.A. Western Detective Agency story with the Amlingmeyer Brothers . The always seem to get to the bottom of the problem but not with a little trouble of their own. It keeps the story interesting. The story has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. No two books are the same, the author keeps coming up with new situations to keep you reading and not wanting to put the book down. I really enjoyed it.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The AA Detective Agency has a new client. At the behest of a cashew butter baron, they are to go to Wyoming, and guard a dig site for fossils. It needs guarding, as rival diggers have gunslingers on the payroll.

Of course, Old Red finds a body, and starts deducifying.

More gunwork than in most of these novels, but the mystery is still the best part.

[Dy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank goodness they are back!

Love this series. Wonderful characters and witty writing. Interesting plot. Great addition to the series. Very cliche, but can't wait for the next one, and hope it will arrive sooner than this one.

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent; Continuing characters: Amlingmeyer brothers; while providing protection for one group of paleontologists excavating a site in the old west, Gustav and Otto discover a body, soon to be followed by numerous others

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always fun to read a new Holmes on the Range. Big Red's loquaciousness and dry humor and Old Red's grumbling brilliance make for an entertaining read.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a pleasure to immerse myself in Steve Hockensmith's Old West with the Amlingmeyer brothers. In Hunters of the Dead, there are characters going incognito, bad guys with guns, the lucrative nut butter business, an Apache named Eskaminzim who reminded me a bit of Inspector Clouseau's valet, Kato, and Old Red (Gustav) Amlingmeyer teaching himself to read.

For me, the icing on the Hockensmith cake is the fact that there's always something to learn while I'm enjoying the story; in this case, the cutthroat early days of paleontology. And as for Eskaminzim, he has one of my favorite lines in the book: "You whites have so many words for stupid. I guess you need them."

There seems to be a trip to Texas in the Amlingmeyer brothers' future, and I'm looking forward to that. Get your hands on this series if you're in the mood for some lighthearted (yet educational) deductive fun set in the Old West. It's a treat.