Long before I started writing, I was a voracious reader of cozy mysteries (I still am, but sadly I don’t have as much time to devour them like I used to). There was this great mystery bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin, where you went in and told them what you liked, and they presented you with books. One of those books was MALICE IN MAGGODY, by Joan Hess. From the first page, I was hooked.
Recuperating from a disastrous marriage in New York City, Arly Hanks, returning to her hometown of Maggody, Arkansas, to become its first woman sheriff, is shocked when murder and mayhem turn the town upside down.
Maggody, a small town of about 700 peculiar residents, sets a hilarious backdrop for Arly’s investigations. I found myself laughing out loud many times as I worked my way through all sixteen books in the series. The first book came out in 1987, with the last book in the series, The MERRY WIVES OF MAGGODY coming out in 2009.
If you love to laugh and want to escape into a small town filled with quirky characters, this is the series for you. I own all the books and one day, hope to dive into Maggody once again. Sadly, Joan Hess is no longer with us, but her books are a legacy of laughter and the perfect escape.
I think you’ll enjoy your stay in Maggody.
Why the hell not?
Leslie Langtry does not like to write bios. Seriously, she’s just not good at it. You’d think that after fifty books, she’d be able to pull off a few sentences, but no, she can’t. It’s very disappointing. At least her books are good, which counts, in her mind, as a win.
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