The Black Dove: A Holmes on the Range Mystery » (Unabridged)

Steve Hockensmith writes a monthly column for "Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine,""" and stories featuring Big Red and Old Red appear regularly in "Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine,"" "He has been a finalist for the Shamus Award for his short-story writing. "Holmes on the Range" is his first novel.

William Dufris have extensive experience on stage and screen.

In this hilarious follow-up to Steve Hockensmith's critically acclaimed novel On the Wrong Track, crime-solving cowboys Gus "Old Red" and Otto "Big Red" Amlingmeyer are wandering around San Francisco when they stumble onto another mystery to be solved: the death of their acquaintance Dr. Chan. It turns out that no one wants this mystery solved, but that doesn't stop the brothers from riling up the locals with their heavy-handed investigations. Wild chases ensue until Old Red and his helpers finally put the clues together for a showdown on the waterfront.

Publishers Weekly

William Dufris provides an appealing down-home delivery to his narration of Hockensmith's third adventure featuring the Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson—emulating brothers, Gustov "Old Red" and Otto "Big Red" Amlingmeyer. The summer of 1893 finds the cow-punching detectives out of work, out of funds and out of sorts as they try to navigate wicked San Francisco. When an old acquaintance from their short time with the railroad is murdered, the brothers use their "detectiving" and "deducifying" skills to search for the killer. The investigation leads them deep into Chinatown, where they encounter ruthless hatchet men, Chinese crime lords, dark opium dens, corrupt cops and deadly tongs. Dufris imbues "Big Red"'s Watsonesque narration with a twangy cornpone accent that borders on caricature, but enhances the laugh-out-loud humor laced throughout. He impressively drops the accent quickly and completely to portray the wide variety of characters populating this highly entertaining romp. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 5). (Mar.)

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