First in the series of police chief Arly Hanks in small town Arkansas. What a hoot of characters. The 2 bit crimes, the banter, the things poor Arly has to put up with are enough to make a girl cry. I like how she breaks down the stories from the people she talks with to come up with the facts. Great series and look forward to reading more. Highly recommend.

Before Stephanie Plum there was Arly Hanks, chief of police in the town of Maggody, Arkansas, population 755. Licking her wounds from a divorce and loss of her marital New York City penthouse, Hanks has returned to her roots, where her mother Ruby Bee owns the local diner and motel, and where everybody in town has a story so strange only Joan Hess can tell it in this reprint of her 1987 novel.

At 34, Hanks spends her days carving a duck from a block of wood and dealing with a police force of two, one of which is desperate to join the state police. When the town council and Mayor Jim Bob kidnap an EPA bureaucrat to stop a new law that will pollute the town’s creek, Hanks is the last to know, even when it turns out her mother is part of the operation. As Hanks digs deeper into the kidnapping, and an associated tragic murder, we meet some of the most interesting and nutty characters ever to step out of a novel, with nary a computer, tablet or cellphone in sight.

Sometimes a trip to Maggody, where like a Sue Grafton novel, the 21st Century is still years in the future, is necessary in order to understand that in our recent past, friendship and family, even laced with outrageous backwoods eccentricity, were more important than anything else. An importance Chief Hanks (and Joan Hess) is not afraid to acknowledge.

Although the first installment in the Arly Hanks Series by Joan Hess was released in February, 1987, Malice in Maggody has been re-released as a paperback and kindle edition. Arly Hanks is the chief of police in the hillbilly town of Maggody, population 775, and is resented by many of the residents, especially the citizens who live up to the hillbilly stereotype and prefer to sidestep the law. However, when a woman is murdered outside of a hotel room where an EPA official is being held hostage, and the dead woman’s husband has escaped prison, Arly is on the hook to solve the crimes without the help of the city council (or anyone else, for that matter).

If readers have wondered what it would be like to live the lifestyle of a hillbilly, this is the book for them. While there is humor, the characters are developed well-enough that they are believable; their morals are what we would expect, and although Arly and her half-wit deputy are very likeable, the other characters are a bit suspect, which adds to the suspense, because almost everyone in the town is most likely up to unconscionable behavior, including Arly’s mother, who runs the town restaurant with her best friend. As expected, most of the politicians are less than honest (that seems to be the case no matter what kind of a town you’re in), and several of the powerful in the town are more worried about the EPA messing up their favorite fishing hole than being arrested on kidnapping charges. While there is building suspense, it is on the humorous side, and readers won’t worry too much about whether or not Arly and the other upstanding characters are actually in danger.

Maggody is an interesting town for the setting of suspense/mystery books, and while this, the first, is a bit farcical, it has led to several subsequent novels that are also fast, humorous reads with a bit of charm as far as the hillbilly lifestyle is portrayed. Not suitable for young suspense readers, due to the sexual innuendo that seems to permeate the lifestyle of some of the main characters, it is, nevertheless a fun novel. Readers who are looking for something a bit different, or are curious about just how hillbillies live (assuming the author portrays it right – it does seem to ring true), will want to pick up this book. It’d be a great summer read while on the beach, or while traveling on a plane, and will make everyone thankful for their non-hillbilly lifestyle and that they don’t live in Maggody.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

The start of a new series by one of my favorite authors. I can't wait for the next Arly Hanks book! I'm hooked.

Malice in Maggody by Joan Hess is the first book in the Arly Hanks Mysteries series and was definitely a laugh out loud ride. I know this series has been out for quite a while now; but I was happy to have the opportunity to begin this series as it's being re-released now.

Arly (Ariel)Hanks is Chief of Police in the small town of Maggody, AR. Arly left home to go to college, married, and then lived in Manhattan until her divorce. She's now returned home to lick her wounds and try to decide what to do with the rest of life. While contemplating her life, she's taken on the job as Chief of Police which means she is often bored as nothing much happens in Maggody. Maggody is a small town filled with the usual plethora of good ole boys who love to hunt and fish. I liked Arly as she was honest with herself and others and her sarcastic sense of humor made me laugh. She is surrounded by a great cast of characters that added to the fun and the twists of the plot. The mystery kept me guessing until the reveal and the ending was kind of sweet. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

Malice in Maggody is as hilarious today as it was when Joan Hess first published it. Maggody is the epitome of a hick town, filled with bizarre characters that you can’t help but like - well maybe not “like” but reading about all of the wild goings on is a pleasure. Arly Hanks, Maggody chief of police, is a voice of sarcastic reason, while her mother Ruby Bee and her mother's best friend Estelle manage to contribute to the chaos by “helping” Arly with her investigations.

Malice in Maggody is a fine introduction to Hess’s popular series. Mayor Jim Bob Buchannon and the rest of the city council have a plan to save Maggody. Needless to say it goes awry. I can’t even begin to describe what happens. Yes there is a murder, but it is second to all the comedic mayhem accompanying the disappearance of a local official. (The murder happens about ⅔ in). I can say that the ending is fantastic. It is a literal zoo of comings and goings.

The amount of sexual references make Malice in Maggody inappropriate for younger mystery lovers. If you don't mind lots of redneck jokes, and don't take yourself too seriously you will have a wonderful time reading Malice in Maggody. It is a pleasure to see it back in print.

5/5

I received a copy of Malice in Maggody from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Laugh out loud funny. Characters that will make you ask is that my home town. Soild mystery with great character description .

What a hoot! Southern redneck craziness. Wacky mystery that kept me turning the pages. I am looking forward to reading more of the series. Yes, there is foul language, but there are also funny lines.

This was a very enjoyable book. Somehow I have missed reading this series, but I will definitely pick it up now!

Arly Hanks is the main character. She moves back to small town, Maggody, Arkansas and becomes police chief. Just like any other small town there are secrets, lies and politics. When a woman turns up dead at the local motel, an EPA official is missing and a convict is on the run. Arly has to put the pieces together. I never did figure out the killer was until it was revealed.

I was given an eARC by Open Road Integrated Media through NetGalley.

This isn't Joan Hess' first book, but it's the first in a series set in a little town called Maggody. The residents are all very unique. The main character is Chief ARly Hanks, the Chief (and one of two employees) of the Maggody Police force. She doesn't get any support from Mayor Jim Bob Buchanon and his zany bunch of crazy town council members.

The mystery is who killed a young woman resident of Maggody, Jaylee. A state police Sargent is Arly's 'partner' while trying to find the killer. Add in Arly's mother Ruby Bee Hanks, who seems to have a penchent for getting in trouble.

It was a very busy story, lots of subplots that sort of came together to make the main plot. Sometimes it got a bit choppy here and there, but it was done well overall. The scenes also went between third person and the first person from Arly's point of view. It took a bit to get used to that, but after a bit it flowed smoothly and I barely noticed the change between the point of view.

What was annoying was just how pretty much all the characters were jerks, dismissive, even mean. I can take having a few of those characters in a story, but not all. The 'everyone's against Arly' also started getting on my nerves by the end of the novel.

It was an okay read, an interesting, but slightly weird three stars.

I got this book through Netgalley on behalf of Open Road Integrated Media.

This is a fun series. Arly has returned to small town Arkansas as Sheriff. Maggody is a small southern town filled with quirky characters. Arly is hoping for some peace and quiet but instead finds herself solving a murder. The townsfolk are being less than helpful. This mystery is a lot of fun with lots of humor. Enjoy your visit

If you enjoy a laugh out loud cozy mystery, then this is the one for you.
Arly Hanks is such a colorful character and her mom Ruby Bee and friend Estelle add even more laughter in this book.
When the town is up in arms about a sewage treatment plant invading their town, the officials take it upon themselves to take care of business.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley.