Sherlock Holmes influenced generations of would-be detectives, but none more than the Amlingmeyer brothers, Old Red and Big Red. These down-on-their-luck cowboys follow the Holmesian theory of "detectifying" in this droll, laugh-out-loud historical mystery set in an 1890s San Francisco Chinatown. The story unfolds at a trot as the brothers set out in search of a detective job and run into an old acquaintance who shoots a hole through Big Red's new bowler, then invites them to a Chinese feast. Soon a dead body appears, clues are discovered in fortune cookies, and this little reunion begins a convoluted hunt for the someone called the Black Dove and their friend's murderer.

Unexpectedly Big Red's fantasy female detective, Diana Corvus, materializes and transforms the madcap duo into a titillating threesome. Old Red comes up with some Holmes-worthy deductions that take reader and characters on a merry chase through an era ripe with racism, sexism, gang violence and cops on the take.

The book is third in the Edgar and Shamus-nominated series that also includes Holmes on the Range and On the Wrong Track. Like its predecessors it is a winner on many levels, and worth a look just to read such passages as: "Chan was so gobsmacked I could've stuffed a string of firecrackers down his pants." Narrated by the loveable, loyal Big Red, this is an adventure that tickles the funny bone while emphasizing honor and moral choices.