🎯 Where Should I Start?
Best Starting Point
Publication Order of Hank the Cowdog Books
Start with: The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog (1980)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Hank's Ranch Life Books
Start with: Cowboys and Horses (2017)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Riley McDaniels Books
Start with: Moonshiner's Gold (2001)
ⓘ About John R. Erickson
John R. Erickson is an American author best known for writing the Hank the Cowdog series. The long-running series features a smelly and smart-aleck cowdog who is the Head of Ranch Security. The children’s books have sold over seven million copies and give the readers a unique look at what daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle is like. Erickson was born in Midland, Texas on October 20, 1943. He was the youngest of three children. Early in his life, his family moved to Perryton, Texas where he still lives to this day. Erickson and his wife live in Perryton on a cattle ranch. The couple has three children and four grandchildren. He came up with the Hank the Cowdog series when he first got Hank into the pages of The Cattleman.
All Book Series by John R. Erickson
1
The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
Series opener · book 1 of 90 · published 1980
Buy on Amazon1980
2
The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
Book 2 of 90 · published 1983
Buy on Amazon1983
3
It's a Dog's Life
Book 3 of 90 · published 1984
Buy on Amazon1984
4
Murder in the Middle Pasture
Book 4 of 90 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
6
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Book 6 of 90 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
7
The Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob
Book 7 of 90 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
8
The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse
Book 8 of 90 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
9
The Case of the Halloween Ghost
Book 9 of 90 · published 1987
Buy on Amazon1987
10
Every Dog Has His Day
Book 10 of 90 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
11
Lost in the Dark Unchanted Forest
Book 11 of 90 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
12
The Case of the Fiddle Playing Fox
Book 12 of 90 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
13
The Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve
Book 13 of 90 · published 1989
Buy on Amazon1989
14
Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business
Book 14 of 90 · published 1990
Buy on Amazon1990
15
The Case of the Missing Cat
Book 15 of 90 · published 1990
Buy on Amazon1990
16
Lost in the Blinded Blizzard
Book 16 of 90 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
17
The Case of the Car-Barkaholic Dog
Book 17 of 90 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
18
The Case of the Hooking Bull
Book 18 of 90 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
19
The Case of the Midnight Rustler
Book 19 of 90 · published 1992
Buy on Amazon1992
20
The Phantom in the Mirror
Book 20 of 90 · published 1993
Buy on Amazon1993
21
The Case of the Vampire Cat
Book 21 of 90 · published 1993
Buy on Amazon1993
22
Moonlight Madness
Book 22 of 90 · published 1994
Buy on Amazon1994
23
The Case of the Black-hooded Hangmans
Book 23 of 90 · published 1995
Buy on Amazon1995
24
The Case of the Kidnapped Collie
Book 24 of 90 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
25
The Case of the Night-Stalking Bone Monster
Book 25 of 90 · published 1996
Buy on Amazon1996
26
The Mopwater Files
Book 26 of 90 · published 1997
Buy on Amazon1997
27
The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper
Book 27 of 90 · published 1997
Buy on Amazon1997
28
The Case of the Haystack Kitties
Book 28 of 90 · published 1998
Buy on Amazon1998
29
The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook
Book 29 of 90 · published 1998
Buy on Amazon1998
30
The Case of the Garbage Monster from Outer Space
Book 30 of 90 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
31
The Case of the Measled Cowboy
Book 31 of 90 · published 1999
Buy on Amazon1999
32
Slim's Good-bye
Book 32 of 90 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
33
The Case of the Saddlehouse Robbery
Book 33 of 90 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
34
The Case of the Raging Rottweiler
Book 34 of 90 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
36
The Case of the Missing Bird Dog
Book 36 of 90 · published 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
37
Tales and Tunes from Hank the Cowdog
Book 37 of 90 · published 2003
Buy on Amazon2003
38
The Case of the Shipwrecked Tree
Book 38 of 90 · published 2003
Buy on Amazon2003
39
The Case of the Burrowing Robot
Book 39 of 90 · published 2003
Buy on Amazon2003
40
The Case of the Twisted Kitty
Book 40 of 90 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
41
The Dungeon of Doom
Book 41 of 90 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
42
The Homeless Pooch
Book 42 of 90 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
43
The Case of the Falling Sky
Book 43 of 90 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
44
The Watermelon Patch Mystery
Book 44 of 90 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
45
The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies
Book 45 of 90 · published 2006
Buy on Amazon2006
46
The Case of the Monkey Burglar
Book 46 of 90 · published 2006
Buy on Amazon2006
47
The Kitty Cheater
Book 47 of 90 · published 2006
Buy on Amazon2006
48
The Case of the Blazing Sky
Book 48 of 90 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
49
The Quest for the Great White Quail
Book 49 of 90 · published 2008
Buy on Amazon2008
50
The Cookie Moon
Book 50 of 90 · published 2009
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51
Drover's Secret Life
Book 51 of 90 · published 2009
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52
The Case of the Dinosaur Birds
Book 52 of 90 · published 2009
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53
The Case of the Secret Weapon
Book 53 of 90 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
54
The Case of the Coyote Invasion
Book 54 of 90 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
55
The Dancing Cowboy
Book 55 of 90 · published 2010
Buy on Amazon2010
56
The Valentine's Day Robbery
Book 56 of 90 · published 2010
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57
The Case of the Perfect Dog
Book 57 of 90 · published 2012
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58
The Runaway Windmill
Book 58 of 90 · published 2012
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59
The Case of the Mysterious Voice
Book 59 of 90 · published 2012
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60
The Big Question
Book 60 of 90 · published 2012
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61
The Disappearance of Drover
Book 61 of 90 · published 2012
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62
The Case of the Most Ancient Bone
Book 62 of 90 · published 2012
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63
The Case of the Booby-Trapped Pickup
Book 63 of 90 · published 2012
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64
The Case of the Tricky Trap
Book 64 of 90 · published 2012
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65
The Case of the Prowling Bear
Book 65 of 90 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
66
The Case of the Deadly Ha-Ha Game
Book 66 of 90 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
67
The Secret Laundry Monster Files
Book 67 of 90 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
68
The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado
Book 68 of 90 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
69
The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting
Book 69 of 90 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
70
The Ghost of Rabbits Past
Book 70 of 90 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
71
The Return of the Charlie Monsters
Book 71 of 90 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
72
The Case of the Three Rings
Book 72 of 90 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
73
The Three Rings
Book 73 of 90 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
74
The Almost Last Roundup
Book 74 of 90 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
75
The Christmas Turkey Disaster
Book 75 of 90 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
77
The Secret Pledge
Book 77 of 90 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
78
The Case of the Wandering Goats
Book 78 of 90 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
79
The Case of the Troublesome Lady
Book 79 of 90 · published 2017
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80
The Case of the Monster Fire
Book 80 of 90 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
81
The Case of the Three-Toed Sloth
Book 81 of 90 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
82
The Case of the Buried Deer
Book 82 of 90 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
83
The Frozen Rodeo
Book 83 of 90 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
84
The Case of the Red Rubber Ball
Book 84 of 90 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
85
The Case of the Missing Teeth
Book 85 of 90 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
86
The Case of the Lost Camp
Book 86 of 90 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
87
The Incredible Ice Event
Book 87 of 90 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
88
Double Trouble
Book 88 of 90 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
89
The Case of the Airborne Invasion
Book 89 of 90 · published 2024
Buy on Amazon2024
90
The Case of the Poison Toad
Latest in the series · book 90 of 90 · published 2025
Buy on Amazon2025
1
Cowboys and Horses
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
2
Ranching and Livestock
Book 2 of 4 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
4
Ranch Weather
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
1
Moonshiner's Gold
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2001
Buy on Amazon2001
2
Discovery at Flint Springs
Book 2 of 3 · published 2004
Buy on Amazon2004
3
Fear's Return
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2011
Buy on Amazon2011
1
Cowboys Are Partly Human
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 1983 Co-authored · Gerald L. Holmes
Buy on Amazon1983
3
Ace Reid Cowpoke
Book 3 of 7 · published 1984
Buy on Amazon1984
5
Cowboys Are A Separate Species
Book 5 of 7 · published 1986
Buy on Amazon1986
6
Cowboys Are Old Enough to Know Better
Book 6 of 7 · published 1988
Buy on Amazon1988
7
Cowboy Fiddler in Bob Wills' Band
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 1991
Buy on Amazon1991
1
The Devil in Texas and Other Cowboy Tales
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1983 Co-authored · Gerald L. Holmes
Buy on Amazon1983
2
Alkali County Tales
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 1984 Co-authored · Gerald L. Holmes
Buy on Amazon1984
1
Through Time and the Valley
Series opener · book 1 of 14 · published 1978
Buy on Amazon1978
2
Panhandle Cowboy
Book 2 of 14 · published 1980
Buy on Amazon1980
3
The Modern Cowboy
Book 3 of 14 · published 1981
Buy on Amazon1981
4
Essays on Writing and Publishing
Book 4 of 14 · published 1985
Buy on Amazon1985
5
The Long Look
Book 5 of 14 · published 1987 Co-authored · David W. Ray
Buy on Amazon1987
7
Some Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys
Book 7 of 14 · published 2000
Buy on Amazon2000
10
Prairie Gothic
Book 10 of 14 · published 2005
Buy on Amazon2005
13
Bad Smoke, Good Smoke
Book 13 of 14 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
14
Porch Talk
Latest in the series · book 14 of 14 · published 2021 Co-authored · Douglas K. Boyd
Buy on Amazon2021
1
A Sweet, Separate Intimacy: Women Writers of the American Frontier, 1800-1922
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 2000 Anthology · Susan Cummins Miller
Buy on Amazon2000
2
A Sweet, Separate Intimacy: Women Writers of the American Frontier, 1800–1922
Book 2 of 7 · published 2000 Anthology · Susan Cummins Miller
Buy on Amazon2000
3
Texas Dance Halls: A Two-Step Circuit
Book 3 of 7 · published 2007 Anthology · Andy Wilkinson,Gail Folkins,J. Marcus Weekley
Buy on Amazon2007
4
In My Father’s House: A Memoir of Polygamy
Book 4 of 7 · published 2009 Anthology · Andy Wilkinson,Dorothy Allred Solomon
Buy on Amazon2009
5
Rightful Place
Book 5 of 7 · published 2011 Anthology · Amy Hale Auker,Linda M. Hasselstrom
Buy on Amazon2011
6
Light in the Trees
Book 6 of 7 · published 2015 Anthology · Andy Wilkinson,Gail Folkins
Buy on Amazon2015
7
Ordinary Skin: Essays from Willow Springs
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2017 Anthology · Amy Hale Auker
Buy on Amazon2017
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is John R. Erickson?
John R. Erickson is an American author best known for writing the Hank the Cowdog series. The long-running series features a smelly and smart-aleck cowdog who is the Head of Ranch Security. The children's books have sold over seven million copies and give the readers a unique look at what daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle is like.
Which John R. Erickson series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Hank the Cowdog series, the earliest of John R. Erickson's multi-book series: it opens with The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog (1980) and runs to 90 books across 1980–2025, ending with The Case of the Poison Toad (2025). John R. Erickson's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has John R. Erickson written?
John R. Erickson has 127 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1978 and 2025. 104 of them belong to 4 named series — the largest being the Hank the Cowdog series with 90 books — and 23 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should John R. Erickson's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. John R. Erickson's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Hank the Cowdog (1980–2025, 90 books), Voice in the American West (2000–2017, 7 books) and Riley McDaniels (2001–2011, 3 books), plus 1 more.
How are John R. Erickson's books organised into series?
This guide splits John R. Erickson's 127 books into 4 named series and 23 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Hank the Cowdog (90 books, 1980–2025); Voice in the American West (7 books, 2000–2017); Hank's Ranch Life (4 books, 2017–2020); Riley McDaniels (3 books, 2001–2011).
