The Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith
I’ve enjoyed Steve Hockensmith’s short stories and Holmes on the Range novels a great deal, so it’s no surprise that I like his latest, The Crack in the Lens, out just a few weeks ago from Minotaur Books.
The book opens much like its predecessors, with the amiable Amlingmeyer brothers, Gustav (Old Red) and Otto (Big Red) near the end of their ropes –only this time, it’s literal. But before we find out how the boys cheat the hangman, good natured narrator Big Red takes us back in time and we learn about the events both recent and long past that brought them to such a dangling precipice. It’s a device Hockensmith has used before but I thought it worked better with this story than any other.
This time I also appreciated the intensely personal nature of the mystery and how it threatens our heroes, Old Red especially, on an emotional level. Some readers may see where Hockensmith is headed early on, but that shouldn’t take away from the thrilling nature of the ride. With polished smooth prose, the story is funny when it needs to be, serious where it ought to be, and packed with excitement throughout.
With that in mind, this fourth books in the series seems like the perfect jumping on point for anyone who enjoys mystery, traditional westerns or darned fine story-telling. I think it’s Hockensmith’s best.
(So, y’know, Steve, no pressure at all on the next one.)
One Response to “The Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith”
David Cranmer - August 13, 2009
And I still haven’t read HOLMES ON THE RANGE. I have some catching up to do because this sounds good.
Terrific cover.
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