It's late 1893, and things finally seem to be going right for Otto "Big Red" Amlingmeyer and his brother Gustav (a.k.a. "Old Red"). After years of hard knocks, Big Red's started selling stories about their adventures as would-be detectives following in the footsteps of their hero: Sherlock Holmes. Which means for once Big Red and Old Red have a bit of money in their pockets and time on their hands. So why is Old Red so edgy? Because he's got unfinished business, that's why. And he reckons now's the time to finish it.

Five years before, when Old Red was a cowhand in San Marcos, Texas, he had a sweetheart -- a "soiled dove" at the local house of ill repute. But before they could run off together and get married, the girl was brutally murdered, and the local law swept the case under the rug.

Now, Old Red hopes he's got the "deducifyin'" know-how to find out what really happened and bring the killer to justice. But even the great Sherlock Holmes never had to face anything like this. Big Red and Old Red soon find themselves in the middle of a riot at the local cathouse, on the wrong end of a lynching party and forced to commit the greatest crime a man can in the state of Texas : steal horses.

Eventually, however, they uncover a bizarre link to one of the world's most infamous madmen -- just as Old Red seems to be coming apart under the strain of his quest for vengeance. It's enough to make his brother wonder: Will Old Red crack the case...or crack up himself?

What folks are saying about The Crack in the Lens:

"Excellent...The personal stake Old Red has in catching the murderer adds an emotional dimension to the puzzle, which Edgar-finalist Hockensmith nicely leavens with witty prose and cliffhanging chapter endings." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Two late-19th-century cowboy brothers who become so caught up in 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' that they turn themselves into Wild West 'deducifiers' in the manner of Holmes and Watson -- how cute is that? Not only cute but clever, as Steve Hockensmith demonstrates in The Crack in the Lens and three previous books in his idiosyncratic series featuring Old Red Amlingmeyer (the gloomy, thoughtful brother) and his irrepressible younger sibling, Big Red (the one who knows how to read and write)...Hockensmith makes sure that readers get a lightly comic taste of Old West manners and morals, so be prepared for some lively lynchings and saloon brawls -- and a whole lot of spitting." -- Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times

"A suitably Holmes-ian investigation that is seasoned with a goodly serving of laughs." -- Texas Monthly

"The dialogue is snappy, and the conclusion is satisfying and believable." -- Booklist

"...hilarious...the winner for readers seeking a laugh is Hockensmith's The Crack in the Lens, the fourth in his well-written series with those cowpokes turned 'deducifiers' -- the Amlingmeyer brothers. It's not easy to create unique sleuths. Most of the archetypes are taken, but rascally Otto 'Big Red' Amlingmeyer and his gloomy brother Gustav, a.k.a. 'Old Red,' are fresh, funny, original detectives." -- The Dallas Morning News

"Hockensmith's humorous, dry approach...keeps the reader rooted in the Old West. Otto's constant knack for turning his words around, adding a dash of sawdust and tumbleweed, makes for a lively gallop through time and place. The Amlingmeyers' world is one where Sherlock Holmes lives and breathes. Hockensmith does an admirable job of bringing the deductive theories standard to a Holmes tale across an ocean and a continent." -- The Alameda Sun

"...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." -- Mystery Books News

"Another winner...." -- Crimespree