The Double-A Western Detective Agency

Holmes On the Range #6

by Steve Hockensmith

Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer’s dream has come 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?

Genres: Mystery, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Detective, Historical Mystery

253 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2018

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

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well the Amlingmeyer brothers (Otto and Gustav ) now have their own detective agency….but they have a partner(s), Col. Crowe and his daughter Diana who have done investigations for the railroad. Our boys are itching to get investigating but the Colonel is holding the reins. He finally relents and sends them down toward the Mexican border to investigate a case involving “cattle rustling.”

This novel, a mixture of thriller and mystery, can be read as a “stand alone” but it won’t tell you quite enough about these two “cowpokes turned detectives” who were inspired by the Sherlock Holmes cases and Holmes' methodology. For that you should start with Holmes on the Range.
The shift of venue from foggy London and the moors of southern England to the dry plains of the USA’s west is a big leap, but Hockensmith makes it work.

Diana Crowe has a realistic view of the brothers: "“My father wanted me to ‘tag along’ because, believe it or not, this…” Diana waved a hand at the dry, yellow landscape dotted with tufts of green yucca and prickly pear cactus. “…is nothing new to me. In addition, running a professional investigation is a game I know how to play and you and your brother do not. You two have gotten as far as you have through a combination of natural talent, luck, and bluster. That’s not going to be enough anymore. If you want the AA to survive, you’ll need to accept help and learn. And not only will you have to work for ‘assholes’ from time to time, you’ll have to stop acting like one yourself.”"

Her addition adds a nice dimension to this adventure: "Old Red should’ve known abandoning Diana in town wasn’t going to stop her. There was much we still didn’t know about her, but more than once, she’d mentioned growing up on the frontier around soldiers and other rough-and-ready types. And though she was every inch the lady, you don’t stay an agent of the Southern Pacific Railroad Police by getting the vapors and fainting every time things don’t go your way."

The brothers reach their destination and find that the situation isn’t quite as was described; there is a “range war” heating up and the town is divided between those favoring the indigenous land owners and those who are beholden to the rich white cattleman. In fact, divided is carried to extremes with the town having duplicate services lined up opposite each other along Main Street.

The brothers’ investigations get them into some tight spots but also some humorous ones: "My brother locked eyes with the Apache and contorted his fingers into a series of shapes. It looked like he was trying to make shadow puppets without the benefit of a wall and candle. I figured it was Indian sign language, probably for, “We’re just a couple harmless cowboys passin’ through. Why not wish us good day and let us go on our way?” The Apache lifted his left hand—the one that was keeping the barrel of his Winchester steady—and began fluttering it spastically before his face. He was making fun of my brother’s attempt to communicate, and just to make sure we got the point, he ended his hand-flapping with his middle finger upraised in a salute one needed no knowledge of sign language to interpret."

The mystery is, at least, adequate and the journey is entertaining.

3.5*

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cowboy brothers turned detectives Big Red and Old Red have started a new detective agency with Diana and her father, Colonel Crowe. There's just one problem, the lack of paying customers. So when they are hired to travel to DeBatge, New Mexico, and catch some cattle rustlers, Old Red reluctantly agrees to go even though it's not the kind of case he wants to take. With Diana tagging along, the brothers set out. However, when they arrive, they discover a town divided with tensions running high. The source of this powder keg? Their client. Then a dead body turns up, igniting the fuse. Can Old Red figure things out before the town explodes? Will the trio get caught in the crossfire no matter what happens?

I was so glad when I learned author Steve Hockensmith was writing a new adventure for these two cowboys. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of traveling back to the 1890's with them, you are in for a treat. The characters are wonderful. Since we don't have too many recurring characters, that leaves plenty of room for new characters, and figuring out if they are friend or foe drives so much of the plot. Yes, there is a mystery, and Old Red does a great job of figuring out what is going on. He was certainly several steps ahead of me. However, the added stress of the conflicts in town adds to the tension and puts Big Red and Old Red's lives in danger on a regular basis. The humor from the earlier books is still here as well and helps defuse the tension a little.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long wait for this newest book in the Holmes on the Range series, and it couldn't come at a better time. I get more enjoyment from Old Red and Big Red Amlingmeyer than I do Conan Doyle's Holmes and Watson. (Hopefully, the Sherlockian purists won't invite me to a necktie party for saying that!)

This time around, Old Red is in a funk because Holmes has taken a header off Reichenbach Falls, so this case in New Mexico is just what he needs. When they arrive in DeBarge, they immediately know something's not right. The town is sharply divided along racial lines: all the white folk and their businesses are on one side of the main street, and everyone else is on the other. And it certainly doesn't set well when they learn that they've been hired to fight in a range war. As Sheriff Alf Hinkle tells them, "Where there's beeves, there's thieves." Old Red and Big Red still don't want any part of that, so it's a good thing that there is soon a mystery for them to solve. It's a good one, too-- one that I didn't figure out. I loved seeing how the Amlingmeyers managed to put things to rights.

Between the mystery that stumped me, the new characters, and the Amlingmeyers' new circumstances, there's a lot to enjoy in The Double-A Western Detective Agency-- and I haven't even mentioned Hockensmith's talent in giving a real feel for the Old West OR his wonderful sense of humor. These books are just plain fun, and I can't wait for the next one.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Almingmeyer Brothers take their first case as real detectives, and find themselves in a range war. The usual land hog hires the agency to find out who is stealing his cattle. He has a patsy, the biggest other ranch in the area. Those people accuse him of smuggling.

Then someone backshoots the marshal.

A great series.

[Elizabeth A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the sixth entry in the series, author Steve Hockensmith has taken the Amlingmeyers back to their roots in The Double-A Western Detective Agency in such a way that makes it easy for new readers to jump in and hit the ground running. (Though you’ll undoubtedly want to go back and read the entire series once you do.)

As with all installments in the Holmes on the Range series, and indeed all of Hockensmith’s writing, The Double-A Western Detective Agency presents an exquisite blend of scene setting (this is classic Old West, complete with cattle rustlers, a two-horse dusty town, whiskey-soaked saloons, and guns-drawn standoffs), plot (twists and turns aplenty, along with a colorful cast not always clearly identifiable as friend or foe), pacing (once the trio hits town things progress like a runaway freight train) and humor (narrator Otto’s wry observations are peppered throughout, and even the chapter titles are things of humorous beauty in and of themselves). All of which makes following the adventures of the Amlingmeyer brothers an absolute delight.

If you like mysteries, especially of the Sherlock Holmes variety, or Westerns, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of The Double-A Western Detective Agency and get to deducifyin’ and detectin’ alongside Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Hockensmith is truly the first to think of the concept "Holmes on the Range," then shame on the rest of us but kudos to him, as he should be able to ride this train all the way to retirement.

Set in the Sherlock Holmes universe, brothers and former cowpokes Gus and Otto Amlingmeyer decide to become detectives after reading Dr. Watson's stories about the great detective. Clever conceit, and the mystery itself is maybe 3 stars at best - but that "HotR" tagline earns it a whole extra star. This is the sixth - i.e., most recent - book in the series, and so not sure why the one I read first; but there it is. The others are all available as audibooks from Hoopla, and these seem frothy enough that they'd probably make good listens without having to concentrate too hard - so I'll probably read at least 1-2 more, although no time soon.

Separately - not sure when "funny murders" became a whole genre, but books like this and the "Chet & Bernie" series certainly make sleuthing sound fun, huge body counts aside.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Hockensmith has written a million-bajillion books (his words) and I've read many of them and enjoyed all of those a great deal. That's the one perpetual problem with Steve's books: When I finish reading one, I want the pleasure to continue but it's too often a long wait for the next book in each series. Oh, well. I've urged his books on lots of other people, so I share the pain with them. This Holmes on the Range series book will forever have a special place on our permanent bookshelf. Because my husband has not yet read this one, I can't reveal why, but it's, well, personal.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series has really been picking up since after The Crack in the Lens. Another great tale!
————
It is my personal headcanon that someday Gustav and Diana will marry and have adorable twins

Otto (Little Red)...


...and Gertrude (Spunky Red) Amlingmeyer.


Review to come.

(I don't own either artwork, but huge kudos to the real artists!)

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

I just live Steve Hockensmith's writing. Especially his Big Red and Old Red detective books. I was worried that the series was petering out, but this one is every bit as wonderful as the first ones. I love his other series too, but Sherlock has a special place in my heart, and Hockensmith does him proud.

[Almeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being much of a fan of Westerns, I am surprised that I can always count on these two brothers and their "deducifying a la Holmes" to entertain me. I never miss an installment in this series.

[Dave Donahoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Amlingmeyers are back! Hell yeah, so much fun!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fun listening and ‘deducifying’. My Rating 4.25.

Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer have finally managed to establish their own detective agency with the help of a partner, Col. Crowe. The Double-As are big fans of Sherlock Holmes but on their own have only had limited chance to use their skills. Cantankerous Old Red provides the detecting expertise while Big Red provides the muscle, reading and support skills. Although they resisted teaming with Crowe’s daughter, Diana, she provides the charm, sophistication and calm.

Now they have secured a legitimate, paying case to help uncover cattle rustlers. They arrive in town to find a highly divided and tense situation. They walk in on a band of bullying gunmen threatening the local sheriff and innocents. Big Red and Old Red stand to help the sheriff and step right into the middle of a range war. It turns out the bullies they anger are the newly hired gunman for the man who hired the agency.

When a man is unexpectedly murdered, the fingers are pointing at the accused elder son of their employer’s opposition. But the clues and evidence are pointing to the employer’s bully. Big Red and Old Red are off the case of the alleged rustlers but hired by opposition to investigate the murder to protect of the accused.

As the two begin their investigation they get attacked, first by two mysterious strangers and then by a gentleman dandy who appears as a friend of Diana. Old Red suspects that Diana is reporting behind their back while she is frustrated that they are keeping details from her. It might sound a bit convoluted, but it makes for fun detecting and “deducifying” as Big Red states. I enjoyed the friction and banter among the brothers and Diana. I also liked the mystery and the trail of clues. This is apparently book six in a series but read fine as a standalone. I would be interested in reading/listening to more in the series. There are quotes and references to Holmes’ cases which make it more fun for mystery and Holmes’ fans.

Audio Notes: John McLain does a nice job with the narration. His voice and tone fit the rough western setting. He provides distinct voices and successfully delivers the humor in the brotherly ribbing. The narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

Source: Received Audible Credit March 2019 from the author for review.

[Charles Prepolec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished Steve Hockensmith's The Double-A Western Detective Agency: A Holmes on the Range Mystery last night. While it's been a stretch since the last book, I'm delighted to find that Gustav (Old Red) and Otto (Big Red) Amlingmeyer have lost none of their charm during the interim. The Boys are back in town! Literally! Well, 'a' town, and they aren't really 'back', since this is their first visit, but you get the idea. Semantics aside, I'm really happy to have them back.

If you aren't familiar with the Amlingmeyer boys, the basic series premise is that you've got a couple of youngish, red-haired cowboy brothers trying to make their way in the world of 1890s America, when they come across these stories about a certain consulting detective in The Strand Magazine, and Old Red, an illiterate, gets his brother to read them to him, and realizes he's got some pretty good observational and deducifyin' skills himself. Brother Otto turns out to have a flair for writing stories. Any of this sounding familiar? Adventures ensue that eventually lead up to them joining a detective agency and the new book is their first big case for the Double-A Detective Agency. They, and the boss's daughter, head off to a small town, ostensibly hired by a cattle baron to work against rustler's, to find a town literally divided along racial lines. From there I won't say more about the plot, except that it becomes the literary equivalent of a Howard Hawks western - I'm looking at you, Rio Bravo - and it's just a rollicking good time right through to a satisfying end. It's all told in Hockensmith's deceptively breezy and chatty style, masking some biting observations about heavy social issues, and it's never anything less than a fun read. Looking forward to the next one!

[Linda Brue · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE DOUBLE-A WESTERN DETECTIVE AGENCY, Steve Hockensmith, 2019
Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer have started their own detective business, in partnership with Colonel Crowe and his daughter Diana. But they seem to lack paying clients. Old Red is out of sorts because his hero, Sherlock Holmes, has taken a deadly fall off Reichenbach Falls, and when the Colonel wants to send them to New Mexico to catch some cattle rustlers, he is less than pleased. This isn't the type of job that needs his detectifying, and worse yet, the Colonel insists on his daughter tagging along to manage them. But it's a paying job, so off they go, only to find themselves in the middle of a range war, and their client is actually on the wrong side of justice. So naturally the boys join the OTHER side. Besides getting regularly shot at and Big Red getting beat up regularly, Old Red needs all his detectifying skills when Sheriff Al Hinkle is shot and killed.

I've been waiting for ages for another in the Holmes on the Range series--well since 2010, when the World's Greatest Sleuth was published. I don't know what the Amlingmeyer brothers have been doing the last few years, but it's awfully good to have them back. These stories all take place in the 1890s, and Hockensmith does a good job of setting his scenes of the west in that time period. The dialog between the two brothers keeps you laughing, as well as the near-death encounters that seem to crop up time after time. These boys have more than 9 lives! Big Red does a good job with his detectifying skills, at least he was way ahead of me.

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For mystery originality, Steve Hockensmith's crime-solving cowboys, Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer, are hard to beat. While working their old jobs as cowpunchers, Big Red would read Sherlock Holmes stories to his illiterate big brother Old Red. Taken with the famous detective's analytical crime-solving, Old Red decides that is the career for him. Big Red, whose narration of the books reveals his high regard for both his intelligence and appeal to women, of course has to join in. Over the previous books in this fun series, they begin to hone their sleuthing skills. Now, they have finally set up their own agency, the A.A. Western Detective Agency. To do so, they took on a partner, Colonel Crowe, who holds his secrets as close as Old Red. His daughter Diana tags along on their first job. This case throws them into a range war, one in which they are in danger from rustlers. They need their detective skills to find a killer before they are the next victims.

The delight of this series lies in the constant bickering between the brothers. The Amlingmeyers are a marvelous combination of legwork, analysis and determination. They are a constant delight as they build unlikely careers for themselves. This book shows the series still has plenty of life. I look forward to more from Big Red and Old Red.

[Marie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the Holmes on the Range series. Gustav “Old Red” Amlingmeyer, his younger brother Otto “Big Red” Amlingmeyer, and Diana Crowe are sent to help Clayton Haney, a rancher, stop cattle rustlers, but when they arrive they discover that a range war is eminent. The city seems to be divided, one side of the town supports one rancher, the other side supports the other. The cowboys-turned -detectives use the principles of their idol, Sherlock Holmes, to discover the cause of the range war and who is responsible for the murders that have occurred. This case appears to be the most difficult case yet for the Double-A Western Detective Agency. Not only must they solve the case, they have to avoid getting killed while doing it. Several new characters are introduced that may or may not help them solve this case.
I enjoyed this book in the Holmes on the Range series. It was nice to see that after several adventures, the Amlingmeyer brothers have accomplished their dream of opening up their own detective agency but they have to learn to work with others, not just themselves.

[Lori McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old Red. Big Red. A new partnership. A new mystery to solve. A range war. New Mexico territory. Power. Control. Greed.

This sixth installment was the most troubling for me. Not the mystery to be solved. Not Diana, the dude, or the bear and Cochise. No, it was the duplicity of the town of DeBarge. A town split down the middle. A town working against itself for an ideal that no longer existed. “It’s starting to look like America here, not some mongrel Mexican mishmash.” - Clayton Haney (158) I checked to see when Hockensmith published (2018) - was there a message to be learned? Or was he simply holding up a mirror to our nation? Hatred. Community. Healing. The ending left me feeling...hopeful.


More reviews at: mytossiecup.blogspot.com

[Jim Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good western novel and a very good mystery novel.

As this is the seventh "Holmes on the Range" novel, you would expect some really fleshed out characterizations, but not so much. Since I've read them all I know these bumbling western sleuths very well, but I could have enjoyed a little more background. It's been a while since reading the last one, and I don't think a new reader would ever really get how these guys bicker and back each other.
On the other hand I wasn't sure of the solution(s) until the RIP-roaring finale. It's multi layered and complex. I recommend this book to western and mystery lovers alike. Hoozah for the A.A. Detective agency

[Theunis Snyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually four and a half stars. The two detective cowboy brothers solve a case once more. There is lots of mystery, surprises and comedy which makes this a delightful story to read. This is a historical detective story. The only problem with this genre is that there should be congruency between words and the time in which they are used. And here there is such a discrepancy. The words “pissed of” originated during World War Two. But here it is used in the mouth of a character which lived in the 1890’s. This loses the book half a star.

[Zoid 72 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing continuation of the story. The characters have spent 5 books developing in intriguing ways, but all of that seems to cease in this book. For example Diana, previously one of my favorite characters and love interest of both main characters, is downgraded to a side character that seems more of a nuisance to the Amlingmeyers than their partner, and is more often left behind than included in the story. The mystery is not as engaging and is not unraveled very well, leading to a dissatisfying ending.

[Kiran Digavalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decidedly more serious than book 5, and reminiscent of book 1 in its bleak backdrop. I found it less compelling than the first 4 books, but nonetheless a return to form after the rather overblown and goofy fifth volume.

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Good; Continuing characters: Amlingmeyer brothers; Gustav and Otto, now lead detectives in an agency, are sent to handle a range war, but choose to switch sides once they get the lay of the land

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yea, Big Red and Old Red are back! Humorous with witty observations and a clever plot. And issue about who has a right to be in this country was as true in the 1890s and in the 2010s.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so happy that this series has another entry. I feel as though this is a bridge book. I hope we don't have to wait so long for the next one!

[Victor Catano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yee-haw! Old Red and Big Red are back!

This series is a delight. I'm a big fan of these cowboys turned consulting detectives and I'm thrilled that after a hiatus, they've come back for another round up. The Amlingmeyers are on their first professional case, and it lands them smack in a cattle war. Another excellent installment, hope there are more to come.

[Belinda A. Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a joy to read Steve Hockensmith’s Holmes on The Range Mystery Series. Really looking forward to his next book with what may be a lot of adventure and laughs with more new characters.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series!

[Matt Kelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun entry in the series.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are just fun!

[John MacDiarmid]

Good yarn told in the same easy reading style as previous books in the series.