The
Crack in the Lens
A
Holmes on the Range Mystery
Steve
Hockensmith
St.
Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-312-37942-0 (0312379420)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-37942-1 (9780312379421)
Publication Date: July 2009
List Price: $24.99
Synopsis (from
the publisher): In 1893, Otto "Big Red" Amlingmeyer and his brother
Gustav, "Old Red" find themselves in a situation that they never
expected. They have a bit of money and time to do something other than
scramble. It's enough to confound even that most unconfoundable of men,
their mutual inspiration, Sherlock Holmes.
So Old Red decides that it's time for the for the two of them to head
off to the Texas Hill Country, to San Marcos, and deal with the
greatest tragedy of Old Red's life. Five years ago, when Old Red was a
cowpoke in San Marcos, he had a sweetheart—a fallen woman at
the local house of ill repute. They had made plans but before they made
their big move, his fiancée was murdered and the case swept
under the rug by the local authorities. Now, Old Red is determined to
find out what really happened and to finally find a measure of justice
for his beloved. But Big Red and Old Red find themselves facing a wall
of silence and in some of the worst situations of their lives: ensnared
in a riot at the local cathouse, on the wrong end of a lynching party
and perhaps worst of all—having to do the one thing you never
want to do in the state of Texas: steal horses.
Review:
A
Crack in the Lens is the
fourth engaging mystery in the Holmes on the Range series by Steve
Hockensmith, this time with brothers Gustav ("Old Red") and Otto ("Big
Red") on a quest to settle an old score.
Five years ago Gustav's fiancée Adeline was murdered,
brutally killed while he was on a cattle drive. She worked as a lady of
the night so the authorities didn't spend much time looking for her
killer and no one was ever arrested for the crime. The brothers have a
little money in their pockets, Otto having sold a short story, so they
decide to leave California for Texas where Adeline died. Gustav is an
admirer of Sherlock Holmes, whose exploits have been recently
chronicled. He believes he and Otto can do a little sleuthing
themselves, possibly "deducify" what happened. But before they even
reach their destination they're met by three hooded men who hang them
from a tree. They escape, of course, but as Otto explains, they were
meant to. If the men had intended to kill them, why hide their
identities? Old Red and Big Red continue into town, but it's very
different than what they remember, and they're considered unwelcome
outsiders by the community. There's law and order ... and religion. But
there's still crime outside city limits. Someone who fancies himself as
Jack the Ripper has been targeting prostitutes. Old Red and Big Red try
to investigate but are tossed into jail for crimes they've allegedly
committed. But locked up, how will they be able to use Old Red's
"Sherlockery" to close the cases of the murdered women?
A
Crack in the Lens is a
wonderful, funny story wrapped around a clever murder mystery. The
influence of the famous consulting detective is clearly felt
throughout, albeit with a Texas twang and swagger. The characters and
setting all have an authentic ring to them, and the narrative and
dialog will have the reader grinning shamelessly. This delightful novel
should be on everyone's summer reading list.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Crack in the Lens and to St. Martin's Minotaur for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read The Crack in the Lens? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Holmes
on the Range
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), February 2006
ISBN-10: 0-312-34780-4 (0312347804)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34780-2 (9780312347802)
On
the Wrong Track
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), March 2007
ISBN-10: 0-312-34781-2 (0312347812)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34781-9 (9780312347819)
The
Black Dove
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), February 2008
ISBN-10: 0-312-34782-0 (0312347820)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34782-6 (9780312347826)
The Crack in the Lens
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), July 2009
ISBN-10: 0-312-37942-0 (0312379420)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-37942-1 (9780312379421)
Omnimystery
keywords for The Crack in the Lens
...
Location(s) referenced: Texas.
