2 comments about Miracles in Maggody.

1. Serendipity is one of my favorite states of mind and finding Joan Hess and her sheriff/heroine Arly Hanks was a serendipitous treat a few years ago. In the latest edition that I picked up in paperback, Miracles in Maggody, Arly is once again the oasis of sanity in the odd little town of Maggody, Arkansas, as she takes on evangelist Malachi Hope and his entourage which includes his wife Seraphina and "adopted" daughter Chastity. The plot won't be much of a surprise to mystery lovers--or even television or movie watchers (I thought of the Steve Martin movie Leap of Faith while reading). But if you are unacquainted with the genre of comic mysteries, the Arly Hanks series is about as good as you'll get for a starting point. Like many authors who write a series centered on a main character, Ms. Hess allows the reader to pick up any single edition and feel comfortable with the charaters, their background, and the setting. The Maggody series is so place-specific, though, that I highly recommend reading them in order. This town is full of the rarest of characters, many of them in-bred, and each book seems to build on their collective quirks and foibles and unexpected delights--to say nothing of belly laughs--so reading them in order is more like moving to Maggody and getting to know the town characters over a period of time. Don't expect sex (well, not much and not really x-rated) or rough language or even convoluted plot lines. But the mystery hangs together well enough to keep you intrigued, as well as the subsidiary plot lines. And even though I guessed the "bad guy" long before the denouement, it didn't spoil the fun of getting away to the backwoods of Arkansas for a few hours.



2. Miracles in Maggody is one of a series of mysteries set in the mythical town of Maggody, Arkansas. Joan Hess has created a town full of interesting (and very funny) people. Living in Maggody might be hell; reading about Maggody is heaven. If you were turned off by the Claire Malloy series by Hess (and who isn't irritated by heroines who can only unmask a killer by doing something incredibly stupid), don't worry. The Maggody series is blessed with humor, wit and charm and a likable heroine. Miracles in Maggody unfairly stereotypes fundamentalist Christians. But Hess unfairly stereotypes most other ethnic and religious groups -- and does it with so much light hearted style -- that even a dyed in the wool fundamentalist like me enjoyed the book.

5 comments about Misery Loves Maggody.

1. A friend found an autographed copy of this book and gave it to me for a housewarming gift. I waited until I was moved in and dug into the first page. I live 15 miles south of Memphis, and I just knew this book would "knock my socks off." Like several others, I was disappointed in this latest Arly mystery. Perhaps the Maggody books are best when set in Maggody with its familiar, quirky residents. I still had some laughs and was interested in the plot and new characters, but this would not rate as the best in the series. Joan Hess, however, on her worst day tops many of the rest. I love the Maggody residents better than I love my own kin, and the townspeople of Maggody are much more entertaining!



2. A very enjoyable book well written, excellent story development. I am glad I bought and read it! However - more crude than usual - I will not be so quick to pass it on to my daughter or recommend it to friends. Hess gives us a paragraph or two on her personal feelings on some social issues as well. Not too strong, just noticable and not there in earlier works. I do hope Hess goes back to the light humor with out the soap box that made her stories so enjoyable!



3. Despite the fact that this book had some "formula" style plot lines (very similiar plot to Maggody in Manhatten") I loved the Elvis references (and "sightings!") and the strange, strange, world of the Buchannons. It was a good quick read and I enjoyed it, although it was probably not the strongest book in the series.



4. The Joan Hess Maggody books, set in and around the fictional town of Maggody, Arkansas, are all delightful if you are looking for light, entertaining fiction. In this book, the murder takes place away from Maggody while some of the most enjoyable Maggadonians are on an Elvis tour. Maggody Chief of Police Arly Hanks winds up at the crime scene and finds herself up to her wry smile in mystery. If you can't laugh at the weird way Americans view our world, avoid this book. If you have a good sense of humor and don't mind that some of the humor is directed at your own values, read it and enjoy it. If you have not read any of the Maggody books, you might find the books more enjoyable if you started with the first book in the series and worked your way forward.



5. The combination of a mystery along with Joan Hess's humorous descriptions of Maggody Arkansas, make for delightful reading.

1 comments about First Cases: First Appearances of Classic Private Eyes.

1. "First Cases" is a collection of the first short stories by classic private eye writers featuring their heros (or heroines). That should be the book's caveat, as many of the protagonists had already appeared in full length novel form before these stories were published. The lineup includes such luminaries as Loren Estlemen's Amos Walker, Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder, Bill Pronzini's "Nameless" and Editor Robert J. Randisi's own Miles Jacoby. All of the series characters featured are currently ongoing (or at least were as of 1996, when the book was published). Editor Randisi knows his stuff, having been the founder of the Private Eye Writers of America.

   All that said, the quality of the stories varies. Some of the writers had yet to really find their voice and some (especially the older) stories are somewhat by-the-numbers. Nevertheless, the book is an inetersting historical artifactfor those who want insight on how their heros developed. My personal favorites are Block's and Estlemen's. They show again why they are, for my money, the two best and most consistent private eye writers currently working in the genre.

No comments about Great Cat Mysteries: No Hard Feelings, Nine Lives to Live & the Maggody Files: Hillbilly Cat.

No comments about Muletrain to Maggody (An Arly Hanks Mystery).

4 comments about O Little Town of Maggody: An Arly Hanks Mystery.

1. Despite the small town of Maggody's inability to pull itself into the sophisticated world of today. Arly manages just fine. When a country music star and his entourage arrive for a Christmas special, things get kinda weird. Not to worry though, Arly has everything under control. Disappearing people and dying mannequins? Do not miss this Christmasy murder mystery.



2. A country and western music star is scheduled to visit his claimed home town and visit his dear old great-aunt. The usual Maggody misadventures and murders familiar to all ardent Hessians take place.
   I think this is a series that gets better as it goes on. There is a certain crudity and dependence on cliches and stereotypes in the earlier character drawing. The fat girl Delia is greedy; the preacher is a hypocrite. The later ones have more subtlety.
   "She had her cat, Pussy Toes, her apartment in a quiet neigborhood, her meetings of the genealogical society, her knitting projects for nieces and nephews, and her annual vaction to a family-run hotel in Mexico where she remained drunk out of her mind for ten days straight." You might accuse Hess of making fun of alcoholism in that portrait of Miss Vetchling but it has a certain style and sharpness.



3. I have been reading all of the Arly Hanks books in order and at first they were there cute little novels with charming characters from AR. This one I actually gave up on. Everything has become a cliche and just overdone.
   I am sorry Ms. Hess - normally I love your work but this one I just could not get through.



4. ISBN 0451404572 - You know those people who tell sort of bad jokes and find themselves wildly amusing, while all you can do is roll your eyes? That's this Joan Hess book for me. And surely someone out there finds her amusing, because someone's buying the books - but I'm just rolling my eyes.
   
   Arly's always got her hands full in Maggody, but this Christmas things are getting a little more hectic. The town is slowly dying, but there's hope on the horizon in the person of Matt Montana, Maggody's own prodigal son. He's serving his own career and the people of Maggody would benefit from a bit of tourism... so Matt's on his way to town. The problem is that Matt's Aunt Adele has gone missing. Arly is also trying to riddle out the moving city limits sign, deal with Dahlia's jealousy and suspicions about what Kevin's up to, the return of Hammett and a myriad of other goings-on in Maggody.
   
   Arly Hanks reminds me of Isle of Dogs, but not quite as awful. In fact, not awful at all, just... dumb. The same "this is funny, really, you should laugh" feeling runs through both books, but they're just not - to me. The characters are so stereotypical that they're miles beyond amusing and closer to stupid. If you enjoy the tongue-in-cheek style, lightly mocking the mystery genre, you're going to enjoy Hess, and fans of Arly Hanks will like the book far more than I. Hess herself gave me a quote I couldn't pass up: "Writers ...they're so goofy nobody cares what they do."
   
   - AnnaLovesBooks

No comments about murder@maggody.com Unabridged Audiobook on 7 Cassette Tapes.

No comments about Deceptions / Dead on Arrival (Stellar Audio).