It may be 1893 and the modern world may be in full swing, but cowboy Gustav "Old Red" Amlingmeyer is an old-fashioned kind of guy: He prefers a long trail ride even when a train could get him where he's going in one-tenth the time. His brother Otto ("Big Red"), on the other hand, wouldn't mind climbing down from his horse and onto a train once in a while if it'll give his saddle-sore rear end a rest.

So when it's Old Red who insists they sign on to protect the luxurious Pacific Express, despite a generations-old Amlingmeyer family distrust of the farm-stealin', cattle-killin', money-grubbin' railroads, Big Red is flummoxed. But Old Red, tired of the cowpoke life, wants to take a stab at professional "detectifying," just like his hero, Sherlock Holmes, and guarding jobs for the railroad are the only ones on offer.

So it is that Big Red and Old Red find themselves trapped on a thousand tons of steam-driven steel, summiting the Sierras en route to San Francisco with a crafty gang of outlaws somewhere around the next bend, a baggage car jam-packed with deadly secrets, and a vicious killer hidden somewhere among the colorful passengers....

What folks are saying about On the Wrong Track:

"...hilarious...uproarious...As this fast-moving express hurtles toward a spectacular ending, Gustav searches for ways to apply Holmes's crime-solving genius to the comic bedlam." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The second entry in this wonderfully entertaining series builds on the comic successes of the first via the sardonic and observant narration of Otto, whose affection for his curmudgeonly brother is ever slowly inching towards admiration. As a lively Holmes take-off, as an inventive melding of mystery and Western genres, and as a new source of damn good reading, this series demands attention." --Booklist (starred review)

"No sophomore slump in Big Red and Old Red's second case: crackling pace, lots of humor and appealing Wild West flavor." --Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will gladly go along for the ride as these red-headed brothers do their best to find the killer and discover who on board is in cahoots with the train robbers. Hockensmith has written a delightful, hilarious, action-packed tale....." --Jackie Houchin, Mystery Scene Magazine

"Steve Hockensmith has hit the story's bull's eye with a fusillade of crackling humor, hefty suspense and the unexpected." --William Garwood, True West Magazine

"When not inciting guffaws, California writer Steve Hockensmith manages to establish enough of a plot -- complete with red herrings, gunplay and bad guys -- to keep this story on the straight and narrow, and chugging full steam ahead....This is a fun and entertaining entry in a successful, growing series that might have Sherlock laughing -- if, of course, Sherlock did that sort of thing." --David Thayer, January Magazine

"In a second book-length appearance even better than their Edgar-nominated first, illiterate would-be Sherlock Holmes Gustav ("Old Red") Amlingmeyer and his lettered brother Otto ("Big Red") bend their cowboy principles to take a job with the Southern Pacific railroad in 1890s California. This serio-comic variation on the lively subgenre of passenger train mysteries enthralls from start to finish...." --Jon L. Breen, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

"While the title is On the Wrong Track, Hockensmith is definitely on the right track. His sophomore effort is even better than his debut." --Robert C. Hahn, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

"...an unusual mystery that will keep you grinning." --Jenni Mortin, The Saskatoon Star Phoenix

"...the private detective novel meets the Western with broad humor ladled throughout. While that unusual combination normally doesn't work, Steve Hockensmith's plot and his affection for the Old West and his characters hit the right tone...The humor works well in On the Wrong Track, but even more outstanding is Hockensmith's vision of the Old West of 1893, the open spaces that are now cities, prejudice against minorities, women's roles and the farmers' hatred of the railroad companies...." --The Newport (Va.) Daily Press

"Cowboy detectives Gustav and Otto Amlingmeyer, the heroes of last year's delightfully offbeat Holmes on the Range, are back on the trail in Steve Hockensmith's On the Wrong Track...While the humorous asides are less frequent than in the last book, they are just as welcome...Grade: B." --Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly.com

"The plot twists like a coiled rope and the suspense is as thick as campfire smoke in this fast moving Western Whodunit. If you like a little trail dust on your detectives then this book is for you. A hoot to read!" --Laurie Wood, Roundup Magazine

"Steve Hockensmith is on the right track with, er, On the Wrong Track, an immediate sequel to last year's Holmes on the Range....[T]here's a twist in every chapter and a laugh on every page." --Rod Lott, Bookgasm

"This is one for rail aficionados, fans of Old West mysteries, and Holmesians, and certainly anyone who likes a good belly laugh along with their mysteries. You can read the books out of order, but do yourself a favor -- if you haven't met the Amlingmeyer brothers, get both books. You won't regret it." --Linnea Dodson, Reviewing the Evidence

"On the Wrong Track is something different in the mystery world and is a top pick for discriminating mystery libraries looking for an outstanding blend of vivid plot, high drama and strong characterization." --Diane C. Donovan, Midwest Book Review

"Thought Hockensmith couldn't serve up a confection just as entertaining as his debut? Think again. The Amlingmeyer boys are back, traipsing through the Old West solving crimes in the best tradition of Old Red's hero, Sherlock Holmes, strengthening their sibling bond and finding all sorts of new ways to brighten their spirits -- and ours. Unlike so many, this series really does have the potential to go on for many, many installments." --Sarah Weinman, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind