🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Joan Hess
This is the first book from Arly Hanks Series that earned the most of the fame and success for Joan Hess. The story is about a character Arly Hanks who is a police officer who is trying to recover from a divorce. Life in Maggody was slow and peaceful as she wanted and the only crime in the area was a car wreck on highway once a month. But she faced a challenging day when she came across two big cases on a single day. A convict escapes the prison and a sewage treatment plant specialist who is posed as a threat to the neighborhood goes missing. With no support from the residents, the lady officer takes control of the situation to solve these mysteries. Joan Hess has tried her best to add spice to the novel with a good quantity of humor and mystery.
All Book Series by Joan Hess
The Merry Wives of Maggody
Latest in the series · book 16 of 16 · published 2009
Crocodile on the Sandbank
Series opener · book 1 of 20 · published 1975 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Curse of the Pharaohs
Book 2 of 20 · published 1981 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Deeds of the Disturber
Book 5 of 20 · published 1988 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Last Camel Died at Noon
Book 6 of 20 · published 1991 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog
Book 7 of 20 · published 1992 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Hippopotamus Pool
Book 8 of 20 · published 1996 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Ape Who Guards the Balance
Book 10 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Falcon at the Portal
Book 11 of 20 · published 1999 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
He Shall Thunder in the Sky
Book 12 of 20 · published 2000 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
Children of the Storm
Book 15 of 20 · published 2003 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
Guardian of the Horizon
Book 16 of 20 · published 2004 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Serpent on the Crown
Book 17 of 20 · published 2005 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
Tomb of the Golden Bird
Book 18 of 20 · published 2006 Anthology · Elizabeth Peters
The Painted Queen
Latest in the series · book 20 of 20 · published 2014 Co-authored · Elizabeth Peters
Death of a Romance Writer and Other Stories
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2002
The Deadly Ackee and Other Stories of Crime and Catastrophe
Book 3 of 4 · published 2003
Caveat Emptor and Other Stories
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2016
The Year's 25 Finest Crime & Mystery Stories, Sixth Edition
Series opener · book 1 of 19 · published 1988
The Fine Art of Murder: The Mystery Reader's Indispensable Companion
Book 5 of 19 · published 1993
Tales of Obsession: Mystery Stories of Fatal Attractions and Deadly Desires
Book 7 of 19 · published 1994
The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories 1993
Book 9 of 19 · published 1994
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Joan Hess?
This is the first book from Arly Hanks Series that earned the most of the fame and success for Joan Hess. The story is about a character Arly Hanks who is a police officer who is trying to recover from a divorce. Life in Maggody was slow and peaceful as she wanted and the only crime in the area was a car wreck on highway once a month.
Which Joan Hess series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Amelia Peabody series, the earliest of Joan Hess's multi-book series: it opens with Crocodile on the Sandbank (1975) and runs to 20 books across 1975–2014, ending with The Painted Queen (2014). Joan Hess's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Joan Hess written?
Joan Hess has 86 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1975 and 2016. 59 of them belong to 4 named series — the largest being the Claire Malloy series with 21 books — and 27 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Joan Hess's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Joan Hess's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Amelia Peabody (1975–2014, 20 books), Claire Malloy (1985–2015, 21 books) and Theo Bloomer (1986–1988, 2 books), plus 1 more.
How are Joan Hess's books organised into series?
This guide splits Joan Hess's 86 books into 4 named series and 27 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Claire Malloy (21 books, 1985–2015); Amelia Peabody (20 books, 1975–2014); Arly Hanks (16 books, 1987–2009); Theo Bloomer (2 books, 1986–1988).