| Mystery |
Summary
Summary
Gustav "Old Red" Amlingmeyer is an old-fashioned kind of guy: He prefers a long trail ride even when a train ticket can get him where he's going in one-tenth the time. So when it's Old Red who insists on guarding the Pacific Express, despite a generations-old family distrust of the farm stealin', cattle-killin', money-grubbing' railroads, Big Red is flummoxed. But as usual, he'll follow his ornery brother just about anywhere.Trapped on a thousand tons of steam-driven steel, Old Red and Big Red find themselves riding with a crafty gang of outlaws, a baggage car jam-packed with secrets, and a killer hidden among the colorful passengers. Filled with all the wit, flavor, humor, and suspense that made Holmes on the Range such a critical hit, On the Wrong Tack will have you rushing to the station!
Reviews (1)
Kirkus Review
Sherlock wannabes track a killer on a train. Despite having solved a devilish murder just a year ago (Holmes on the Range, 2006), the Amlingmeyer brothers are out of work and rubbing their last nickels together in the Utah Territory in 1893. Gustav, known as Old Red, still dreams of being a frontier Sherlock Holmes. His younger brother Otto, Big Red, plays Watson by faithfully recording their exploits. They get turned down at the Pinkerton Office, but famous lawman Burl Lockhart offers them a second chance as part of a special team on the Pacific Express, just arrived in Ogden. The boys are chagrined to find themselves stuck on the train as glorified security guards. Others on board include dignified Dr. Chan, a victim of loutish fellow passengers' racism, and Diana Caveo, a lively love interest. When a disreputable passenger literally loses his head, Otto swings into full Holmes mode, methodically questioning witnesses and searching the train. An eloquent tramp who calls himself El Numero Uno, "The King of the Hoboes," is seized as the likeliest suspect, but Otto neatly deduces that Numero Uno could not have committed the crime. When Numero Uno himself is murdered, the tension ramps up and the brothers get down to some serious sleuthing. No sophomore slump in Big Red and Old Red's second case: crackling pace, lots of humor and appealing Wild West flavor. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
