Books by Steve Hockensmith

Holmes on the Range (Holmes on the Range Mysteries)

by Steve Hockensmith

Because 1893 is a tough year in Montana, any job is a good job. When Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer sign on as ranch hands at the secretive Bar VR cattle spread, they're not expecting much more than hard work, bad pay, and a comfortable campfire around which they can enjoy their favorite pastime: scouring Harper's Weekly for stories about the famous Sherlock Holmes.

When the boys come across a dead body that looks a whole lot like the leftovers of an unfortunate encounter with a cattle stampede, Old Red sees the perfect opportunity to employ his Holmes-inspired deducifyin' skills. Putting his ranch work squarely on the back burner, he sets out to solve the case. Big Red, like it or not (and mostly he does not), is along for the wild ride in this clever, compelling, and completely one-of-a-kind mystery.

Holmes on the Range (Holmes on the Range Mysteries)

by Steve Hockensmith

"Dazzling. Sherlock Holmes in a Stetson turns out to be a dandy idea."
―Boston Globe
1893 is a tough year in Montana, and any job is a good job. When brothers Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer sign on as ranch hands at a secretive ranch, they're not expecting much more than hard work, bad pay, and a few free moments to enjoy their favorite pastime: reading stories about Sherlock Holmes.
When another hand turns up dead, Old Red sees the perfect opportunity to employ his Holmes-inspired "deducifyin'" skills and sets out to solve the case. Big Red, like it or not (and mostly he does not), is along for the wild ride in this clever, compelling, and completely one-of-a-kind mystery.

The Black Dove: A Holmes on the Range Mystery

by Steve Hockensmith

In the summer of 1893, Gustav “Old Red” Amlingmeyer and his brother Otto (a.k.a. “Big Red”) find themselves down and out in San Francisco. Though cowpokes by training, the brothers are devotees of the late, great Sherlock Holmes and his trademark method of “deducifying.” But when they set out to land jobs as professional detectives, they land themselves in hot water, instead.
First their friend Dr. Chan mysteriously takes a potshot at them, fatally wounding Big Red’s new hat. Then a secretive young woman from their past pops up and convinces them that Chan’s in trouble -- and they’re just the men to get him out of it. Unfortunately, they’re too late: By the time they track Chan down again, he’s dead. The police call it a suicide. Old Red calls that a lie. When he and his brother set out to prove it, they put themselves on a collision course with shady S.F.P.D. cops, brutal Barbary Coast hoodlums and the deadly Chinatown tongs. Before long, all sides are in a race to uncover the secret that could rock the city. And their only clue to what’s actually going on is the enigmatic, exotic and extremely difficult to find “Black Dove.”

The Crack in the Lens 1st (first) edition Text Only

by Steve Hockensmith

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.

On the Wrong Track: A Holmes on the Range Mystery (Holmes on the Range Mysteries)

by Steve Hockensmith

It might be 1893 and the modern world may 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 guard 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 amongst the colorful passengers.
On the Wrong Track, Old Red and Big Red's much anticipated return, is filled with all of the wit, flavor, humor, and suspense that made Hockensmith's debut, Holmes on the Range, so beloved by critics and fans alike.

The Black Dove: A Holmes on the Range Mystery (Holmes on the Range Mysteries)

by Steve Hockensmith

In the summer of 1893, Gustav "Old Red" Amlingmeyer and his brother Otto (a.k.a. "Big Red") find themselves down and out in San Francisco. Though cowpokes by training, the brothers are devotees of the late, great Sherlock Holmes and his trademark method of "deducifying." But when they set out to land jobs as professional detectives, they land themselves in hot water, instead.
First their friend Dr. Chan mysteriously takes a potshot at them, fatally wounding Big Red's new hat. Then a secretive young woman from their past pops up and convinces them that Chan's in trouble -- and they're just the men to get him out of it. Unfortunately, they're too late: By the time they track Chan down again, he's dead. The police call it a suicide. Old Red calls that a lie. When he and his brother set out to prove it, they put themselves on a collision course with shady S.F.P.D. cops, brutal Barbary Coast hoodlums and the deadly Chinatown tongs.
Before long, all sides are in a race to uncover the secret that could rock the city. And their only clue to what's actually going on is the enigmatic, exotic and extremely difficult to find "Black Dove."

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls (Pride and Prej. and Zombies)

by Steve Hockensmith

Complete with romance, action, comedy, and an army of shambling corpses, this prequel to the hit mash-up novel will have Jane Austen rolling in her grave—or crawling out of it!

Four years before the events of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the Bennet sisters are enjoying a peaceful life in the English countryside, reading, gardening, and daydreaming about future husbands—until a funeral at the local parish goes strangely and horribly awry. Suddenly, corpses are springing from the soft earth—and only one family can stop them. As the bodies pile up, Elizabeth Bennet grows from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. Along the way, two men vie for her affections: Master Hawksworth is the powerful warrior who trains her to kill, while thoughtful Dr. Keckilpenny seeks to conquer the walking dead using science instead of strength. Will either man win the prize of Elizabeth’s heart? Or will their hearts be feasted upon by hordes of marauding zombies?

Nick and Tesla's Special Effects Spectacular: A Mystery with Animatronics, Alien Makeup, Camera Gear, and Other Movie Magic You Can Make Yourself!

by Steve Hockensmith, Bob Pflugfelder

What do a pair of kid inventors with a knack for science and electronics do when Hollywood comes to town? Why save the day, of course!

In Nick and Tesla’s Special Effects Spectacular, 11-year-old siblings Nick and Tesla Holt find themselves on the set of a big-budget superhero movie. But someone’s sabotaging the onscreen debut of their favorite comic book hero, so the brother and sister sleuths must crack the case with the help of a fresh assortment of homemade special-effects gadgets. This cinematic saga features instructions for all-new movie magic projects that kids can build themselves, such as camera gear, stunt dummies, make-up magic, and more. Science and electronics have never been so much fun!

“How do you connect students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) with fiction reading? Look for science adventures. Get started with the Nick and Tesla series. Each book contains an engaging adventure revolving around a ‘build-it-yourself’ science project.”—Teacher Librarian

“Real project blueprints are included along with this tale of 11-year-old siblings who create outrageous contraptions and top-secret gadgets.”—Los Angeles Times

Scream and Scream Again!: Spooky Stories from Mystery Writers of America

by R.L. Stine, Bruce Hale, Steve Hockensmith, Heather Graham, Wendy Corsi Staub, Chris Grabenstein, Beth Fantaskey, Emmy Laybourne, Tonya Hurley, Daniel Palmer, Lisa Morton, Carter Wilson, Ray Daniel, Phil Mathews, Doug Levin, Jeff Soloway, Joseph S. Walker, Alison McMahan, Stephen Ross

A harrowing array of scary stories that all have one thing in common: each either begins or ends with a scream!
R.L. Stine—the godfather of Goosebumps—and some of the most popular authors today bring an unrivaled mastery of all things fearsome, frightening, and fantabulous to this terrifying anthology of all-new scary short stories.
Scream and Scream Again! is full of twists and turns, dark corners, and devilish revenge. Collected in conjunction with the Mystery Writers of America, this set includes works from New York Times bestselling authors telling tales of wicked ice-cream trucks, time-travelling heroes, witches and warlocks, and of course, haunted houses.
Read it if you dare! With twenty never-before-published scary stories from some of the most popular authors today—including Chris Grabenstein, Wendy Corsi Staub, Heather Graham, Peter Lerangis, R.L. Stine, Bruce Hale, Emmy Laybourne, Steve Hockensmith, Lisa Morton, Ray Daniel, Beth Fantaskey, Phil Mathews, Carter Wilson, Doug Levin, Jeff Soloway, Joseph S. Walker, Alison McMahan, Daniel Palmer, Tonya Hurley, and Stephen Ross—it’s sure to leave readers screaming for more.

Nick and Tesla's Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove: A Mystery with a Blinking, Beeping, Voice-Recording Gadget Glove You Can Build Yourself

by Steve Hockensmith, Bob Pflugfelder

Einstein is running amok! Darwin is losing his head! The science museum in Half Moon Bay is in big trouble because its robotic replicas of history’s greatest scientists keep going kablooey! As 11-year-old amateur inventors Nick and Tesla Holt try to uncover the cause, they’ll need to keep adding all-new gadgets to their latest creation, a customized super-cyborg glove. Follow the action, and then follow the illustrated instructions to build your own gadget glove with four incredible functions: LED signal light, emergency alarm, sound recorder, and UV secret-message revealer!

Nick and Tesla's Secret Agent Gadget Battle: A Mystery with Spy Cameras, Code Wheels, and Other Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

by Steve Hockensmith, Bob Pflugfelder

After foiling a gang of kidnappers and fending off an army of robots, 11-year-old siblings Nick and Tesla Holt could use a little rest! But as their third mystery opens, they discover there’s a spy in their midst, searching for secrets in the home of their beloved (and slightly crazy) Uncle Newt. Is it the new laboratory assistant? The exterminator? The housekeepers? Or someone completely unexpected? To expose the mystery agent, Nick and Tesla must engineer all kinds of outrageous contraptions, from code wheels and fingerprint powder to spy cameras and burglar detectors. Best of all, instructions are included throughout the story, so you can build the projects, too!

Scream and Scream Again! Spooky Stories from Mystery Writers of America

by R. L. Stine, Bruce Hale, Steve Hockensmith, Heather Graham, Wendy Corsi Staub, Chris Grabenstein, Beth Fantaskey, Emmy Laybourne, Tonya Hurley, Daniel Palmer, Lisa Morton, Carter Wilson, Ray Daniel, Phil Mathews, Doug Levin, Jeff Soloway, Joseph S. Walker, Alison McMahan, Stephen Ross

A harrowing array of scary stories that all have one thing in common: each either begins or ends with a scream!

R.L. Stine--the godfather of Goosebumps--and some of the most popular authors today bring an unrivaled mastery of all things fearsome, frightening, and fantabulous to this terrifying anthology of all-new scary short stories.

Scream and Scream Again! is full of twists and turns, dark corners, and devilish revenge. Collected in conjunction with the Mystery Writers of America, this set includes works from New York Times bestselling authors telling tales of wicked ice-cream trucks, time-travelling heroes, witches and warlocks, and of course, haunted houses.

Read it if you dare! With twenty never-before-published scary stories from some of the most popular authors today--including Chris Grabenstein, Wendy Corsi Staub, Heather Graham, Peter Lerangis, R.L. Stine, Bruce Hale, Emmy Laybourne, Steve Hockensmith, Lisa Morton, Ray Daniel, Beth Fantaskey, Phil Mathews, Carter Wilson, Doug Levin, Jeff Soloway, Joseph S. Walker, Alison McMahan, Daniel Palmer, Tonya Hurley, and Stephen Ross--it's sure to leave readers screaming for more.

Nick and Tesla and the Secret Agent Gadget Battle A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

by Steve Hockensmith, Bob Pflugfelder

Uncover a secret agent and build spy gadgets with twin sleuths Nick and Tesla in this zany, action-packed adventure by Science Bob for readers ages 9 to 12.

After rescuing a kidnapped heiress and taking down a robot army, 11-year-old twins Nick and Tesla could really use a break. But before they can kick back and relax, the young sleuths discover there's a spy in their midst! Someone in the town of Half Moon Bay is spying on their Uncle Newt, an eccentric inventor. To uncover the true identity of this secret agent, Nick and Tesla must build their own spy gadgets, from burglar alarms and code wheels to a water balloon trap and more.

This third book in the popular Nick and Tesla series features laugh-out-loud jokes, fun illustrations, and five DIY science projects with step-by-step instructions for readers to try at home.

Nick and Tesla and the Robot Army Rampage A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

by Steve Hockensmith, Bob Pflugfelder

Join twins Nick and Tesla as they build homemade robots and race to solve a mystery in this zany, action-packed adventure by Science Bob for readers ages 9 to 12.

It’s up to Nick and Tesla to save the day–again! When a rash of robberies hits the town of Half Moon Bay, the two young sleuths head straight to their Uncle Newt’s science lab. They’ll have to build their very own battlebots, robo-bugs, and hoverbots to outsmart a criminal mastermind. Can Nick and Tesla crack the case before it's too late?

This second book in the popular Nick and Tesla series features laugh-out-loud jokes, fun illustrations, and five DIY science projects with step-by-step instructions for readers to try at home.

Nick and Tesla and the Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

by Steve Hockensmith, Bob Pflugfelder

Build a super-cyborg gadget glove and save the science museum with twin sleuths Nick and Tesla in this zany, action-packed adventure by Science Bob for readers ages 9 to 12.

Just like their eccentric genius Uncle Newt, 11-year-old twins Nick and Tesla love science—and they can't wait for the grand reopening of the science museum in Half Moon Bay. But when someone sabotages the new Hall of Genius exhibit, the animatronic replicas of history's greatest scientists go haywire. The two young sleuths must engineer their very own DIY super-cyborg gadget glove—complete with a false-alarm alarm, a UV-light secret message reader, and more—to catch the culprit and save the museum.

This fourth book in the popular Nick and Tesla series features laugh-out-loud jokes, fun illustrations, and four DIY science projects with step-by-step instructions for readers to try at home.

Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab A Mystery with Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

by Steve Hockensmith, Bob Pflugfelder

Solve mysteries using DIY science projects with twin sleuths Nick and Tesla in this zany, action-packed adventure by Science Bob for readers ages 9 to 12.

Summer break is about to get weird. After their parents disappear, twins Nick and Tesla are sent to live with their Uncle Newt, an eccentric inventor with his very own science lab. Soon, the young sleuths find themselves investigating a mysterious family right in their own neighborhood. As they race to uncover the truth, Nick and Tesla must build a bottle rocket launcher, a 9-volt battery burglar alarm, and an electromagnet picker-upper to save the day.

The first book in the popular Nick and Tesla series features laugh-out-loud jokes, fun illustrations, and five DIY science projects with step-by-step instructions for readers to try at home.