Plot summary
In 1892, cowboy Gustav "Old Red" Amlingmeyer listens to aCharacters
* Gustav Amlingmeyer aka "Old Red" - Elder of the Amlingmeyer brothers, inspired by the tales of Sherlock Holmes to use his methods of observation and deduction to elevate himself to become a consulting detective. Quiet and reserved, he earned his nickname for having a "crabby old man" sort of attitude, despite only being 27 years old. * Otto Amlingmeyer aka "Big Red" - Younger of the Amlingmeyer brothers, he follows Gustav on his detective dreams out of obligation to Gustav who represents the only family Otto has left in the world. He has taken to become Gustav's "Doc Watson" by chronicling his exploits. Cantlemere Ranch * Mr. Perkins - General Manager - A quiet and closed-off figure. Rarely seen outside of his office. * Uly McPherson - Foreman - A large and intimidating man, Uly runs the Cantlemere with an iron fist and a short temper. * Ambrose "Spider" McPherson - Uly's younger brother. A sinister looking gunman who earned his nickname from his odd habit of catching flies out of the air and eating them. * Boudreaux - Ranch Hand - An albino African-American. Boudreaux, also known as "Boo" or "Spook" by the other hands, is extremely quiet and aloof. When he does speak, his voice is low and rumbling and he keeps his words to a minimum. * The Swede - Ranch cook - An expert cook with an inexpert grasp on the English language. * The Peacock - a well-dressed cowboy who does very little work. Hornet's Nest Hires * Tall John Harrington - a tall, lanky cowboy with a slow wit and a penchant for flatulence humor. * Pinky Harris - a small-statured cow hand with a rosy-pink complexion. Has a weakness for alcohol. * Swivel-eye Smith - a level-headed cowboy with crossed eyes. * Crazy Mouth Nick Dury - a transplanted cowboy from London, England. Earned his nickname from his thick cockney accent which none of his fellow drovers can understand. * Anytime McCoy - a gruff and surly cow hand with a reputation of being the "biggest a**hole in the territory. Investors & staff from England * Richard St. Simon, The Duke of Balmoral - Co-Owner of the Cantlemere Ranch. A pompous and vain aristocrat with a weakness for gambling. Called "Old Dicky" by his staff behind his back. * Mr. Edwards - Co-Owner of the Cantlemere Ranch. An overweight, upper-class Bostonian. Just as pompous and vain as the Duke. * Mr. Brackwell - Co-Owner of the Cantlemere Ranch. Sent by his family to inspect the ranch. Quite taken with the Western lifestyle, he has taken to wearing outlandishly gaudy western clothing. * Emily - Maid and hand servant to Lady Clara. Given to gossip and flirting. * Lady Clara - The picture of the perfect High born Lady of Quality Other characters * Jim Weller - An African-American cowboy, friend to the Amlingmeyers. He is rejected by the McPhersons' when they are hiring new employees and turns to bounty hunting. * "Hungry" Bob Tracy - An escaped convict, wanted for six counts of cannibalism. * Jack Martin - Preening, but not entirely unreasonable, deputy U.S. marshal.Release Details
*2006, USA, St. Martin's Minotaur (), Pub Date February 7, 2006, Hardcover *2006, USA, Thorndike Press (), Pub Date May 10, 2006, Large Print Hardcover *2006, USA, Tantor Media (), Pub Date March 1, 2006, Unabridged Audiobook CD edition *2007, USA, St. Martin's Minotaur ({{ISBN, 0312358040), Pub Date February 6, 2007, Softcover 2006 American novels Western (genre) novels Sherlock Holmes pastiches Western United States in fiction Fiction set in 1892 2006 debut novels