What do you think?
Rate this book
Arly Hanks #13
Maggody and the Moonbeams
Enforcing law and order in the Ozarks just got tougher for Arly Hanks: chaperoning the church youth group, she must keep ten hormonally-challenged teens in line on a retreat to Camp Pearly Gates. It's a hellish assignment sure to have Arly and her fellow travelers -- Mrs. Jim Bob Buchanon, the mayor's wife; the high school shop teacher; and preacher Brother Verber -- praying for strength. But adolescent angst soon turns to shocking revelation when the body of a white-robed woman turns up on the campgrounds. She belonged to the quirky cult Daughters of the Moon -- and now Arly, fishing for clues with a handsome angler named Jacko, must walk a narrow path to snare a killer who works in mysterious ways....
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
358 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
Joan Hess
115 books337 followersJoan Hess was the author of both the Claire Malloy and the Maggody mystery series. Hess was a winner of the American Mystery Award, a member of Sisters in Crime, and a former president of the American Crime Writers League. She lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Joan Hess also wrote a mystery series under the pseudonym of Joan Hadley.
Series contributed to:
. Crosswinds
. The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories
. Malice Domestic
. Deadly Allies
. Sisters in Crime
Joan Hess also wrote a mystery series under the pseudonym of Joan Hadley.
Series contributed to:
. Crosswinds
. The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories
. Malice Domestic
. Deadly Allies
. Sisters in Crime
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 23, 2016
I enjoyed this read. It was a murder and kid knapping mystery. There were some pretty funny charicters throughout.
I recommend this book if you like some light reading.
Enjoy and be Blessed.
Diamond
I recommend this book if you like some light reading.
Enjoy and be Blessed.
Diamond
August 21, 2015
I could almost hear the banjos playing. Deep in the Ozarks, Arly Hanks, Chief of Police of Maggody, gets roped into chaperoning a group of raucous teens on a retreat. When a body turns up in the woods, it's determined that she's one of the "Beamers", a strange cult of women who live in the woods with their children. Several LOL moments and headshakes accompanied my reading. Anyone who can name one of their characters Sifalus isn't all bad in my book.
February 3, 2018
I got the impression the main character, female police chief of a small town, is not impressed by the men she comes in contact with either socially or otherwise. I did not like how the story jumped around from the main plot in first person to two other subplots in third. By the end of the book, the main plot was resolved, but the other two were left hanging. Maybe they were supposed to lead into the next book, but they were not intriguing enough to me to want to look for more by the author.
September 5, 2021
Cozy mysteries are wonderful in that they are light, easy to read, not violent and pretty easy to solve on your own.
Most are fairly good for an afternoon or two of reading and great breaks from dark and dramatic thrillers, heavy history or biographies or multiple book family tales.
And some are very funny to read, such as Joan Hess' Maggody series featuring much put upon Arly Hanks, the police chief who presides over the small and slowly dying town of Maggody, Arkansas.
In this adventure, Arly is roped into playing chaperone to a church youth group spending a week working at Camp Pearly Gates — but instead of making sure that the female teens stay in line (and not scamper into the boys' cabins), Arly finds herself overseeing a murder of a member of the quirky cult Daughters of the Moon.
Every character from the teens, suspects, her own mother and other assorted persons are improbable and hilarious. At times it feels like Arly has been dropped into an insane asylum and yet, there is a method of sorts as she tries to figure out just what the heck has happened and that there aren't additional body counts.
This is a silly, wacky story and while I wasn't convinced this was great writing, it was awfully fun to read and for a while just go with the crazy story and characters. I liked it more than I expected and truly was satisfied when Arly came up with the solution to the whole story. I didn't even try to solve it on my own.
Most are fairly good for an afternoon or two of reading and great breaks from dark and dramatic thrillers, heavy history or biographies or multiple book family tales.
And some are very funny to read, such as Joan Hess' Maggody series featuring much put upon Arly Hanks, the police chief who presides over the small and slowly dying town of Maggody, Arkansas.
In this adventure, Arly is roped into playing chaperone to a church youth group spending a week working at Camp Pearly Gates — but instead of making sure that the female teens stay in line (and not scamper into the boys' cabins), Arly finds herself overseeing a murder of a member of the quirky cult Daughters of the Moon.
Every character from the teens, suspects, her own mother and other assorted persons are improbable and hilarious. At times it feels like Arly has been dropped into an insane asylum and yet, there is a method of sorts as she tries to figure out just what the heck has happened and that there aren't additional body counts.
This is a silly, wacky story and while I wasn't convinced this was great writing, it was awfully fun to read and for a while just go with the crazy story and characters. I liked it more than I expected and truly was satisfied when Arly came up with the solution to the whole story. I didn't even try to solve it on my own.
February 1, 2020
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 6: A book with a form of transportation on the cover.
I've been reading books about Maggody, Arkansas by Joan Hess for years. Always fun, because of the back-woodsy characters in the stories. Everyone is somewhat of a stereotype and true to type. There are intriguing side stories like Raz and his prize pig. I was saddened to learn that Joan Hess departed the earth 3 years ago. I don't think I have read them all, but I am probably almost to the end. This book finds the Maggody Crew at a church camp sprucing it up for use by handicapped children. The baldheaded members of a religious cult hiding there with their children do not pose a problem until one of them is killed. Fortunately, Arly Hanks the Maggody police chief is on the scene to solve the crime. I wish you luck keeping it all straight for Hess tries her best to distract you, the reader.
I've been reading books about Maggody, Arkansas by Joan Hess for years. Always fun, because of the back-woodsy characters in the stories. Everyone is somewhat of a stereotype and true to type. There are intriguing side stories like Raz and his prize pig. I was saddened to learn that Joan Hess departed the earth 3 years ago. I don't think I have read them all, but I am probably almost to the end. This book finds the Maggody Crew at a church camp sprucing it up for use by handicapped children. The baldheaded members of a religious cult hiding there with their children do not pose a problem until one of them is killed. Fortunately, Arly Hanks the Maggody police chief is on the scene to solve the crime. I wish you luck keeping it all straight for Hess tries her best to distract you, the reader.
May 14, 2019
I found the characters of this book to be difficult to like, even for their quirkiness. The main character Arly isn't very believable in her role of police officer for Maggody and many of the other characters didn't seem quite believable either. And I've lived in small towns with plenty of quirky people. The plot was weak too, even by cozy mystery standards. Unfortunately I won't be picking up any more Arly Hanks mysteries.
March 2, 2020
It will grab your attention
There is a lot of slapstick comedy, a kind of unusual female police chief named Arly, and loads of other characters. I recommend you write their names down as they come on the scene in an attempt to keep track of all of them. There is a cult of women who shave their heads, and a bunch of teenagers who are scheduled to do some work on a summer camp...oh yes, and one murder. Have fun reading it!
There is a lot of slapstick comedy, a kind of unusual female police chief named Arly, and loads of other characters. I recommend you write their names down as they come on the scene in an attempt to keep track of all of them. There is a cult of women who shave their heads, and a bunch of teenagers who are scheduled to do some work on a summer camp...oh yes, and one murder. Have fun reading it!
July 8, 2018
This is one of my favorite Maggody books. Even though there are a couple of subplots, one involving Raz Buchanon and one involving Dahlia and Kevin, there is a lot less jumping around than is usual in the series. Arly remains the only non-irritating character, but it’s a good little light-hearted mystery.
November 8, 2018
Chief Arly Hanks gets rope into chaperoning the church youth group by none other than Mrs. Jim Bob Buchanon (the mayor's wife). They are going to help fix up the soft ball complex at Camp Pearly Gates. When strange visions are being reported Arly needs to keep the teenagers out of trouble and find out what else is going on at the camp.
April 24, 2019
When Arly gets roped into chaperoning a group of teens on a mission trip to Camp Pearly Gates she has no idea what she is getting herself into. There is a handsome fisherman, a group of strange women and an inept police department. There are a lot of teenagers, an uptight church woman and a drunken preacher. All this adds up to a wild adventure.
March 2, 2020
You have to read and wonder how she could come up with all these characters.
This book is outrageous. The characters are so typecast, it is totally ridiculous. Sheriff Arly Hanks is the closest one to normal in the whole book. Dealing with abusive wives, children in need, murder, and most probably idiots,( a real intelligence category).
This book is outrageous. The characters are so typecast, it is totally ridiculous. Sheriff Arly Hanks is the closest one to normal in the whole book. Dealing with abusive wives, children in need, murder, and most probably idiots,( a real intelligence category).
March 25, 2020
It will scratch a good itch
In other words, if you enjoy a bit of zany with your murder mystery and comedy, then settle in. This will keep you mesmerized. One in the series set in Maggody in the South, the comfortable characters keep showing up - except those that have been murdered.
In other words, if you enjoy a bit of zany with your murder mystery and comedy, then settle in. This will keep you mesmerized. One in the series set in Maggody in the South, the comfortable characters keep showing up - except those that have been murdered.
September 7, 2021
Arly is drafted into supervising a youth group trip to a church camp. She comes across a body and begins investigating what's either a cult or a group of women hiding from the world. I figured out who was the likely murderer fairly quickly. The quirky characters are amusing, but I'm not sure they would be if unfamiliar with the series.
July 19, 2019
The characters in the book are well-rounded and well-written, but for some reason the Maggody series just doesn't hook me. It's not a bad book, but I like her other series better. I don't know why.
Though I will say that although I guessed one villain, I didn't guess the other. So that's good!
Though I will say that although I guessed one villain, I didn't guess the other. So that's good!
January 16, 2020
A quirky cozy with all the Southern traditions
An interesting read with authentic Southern dialogue and customs. A must read it you like who did it but the ending will catch you by surprise.
An interesting read with authentic Southern dialogue and customs. A must read it you like who did it but the ending will catch you by surprise.
March 3, 2020
Another Great Story
Joan Hess wrote great mysteries with the comical antics of the residents of Maggody. I’ve read the entire Maggody series and continue to read them over and over!
Joan Hess wrote great mysteries with the comical antics of the residents of Maggody. I’ve read the entire Maggody series and continue to read them over and over!
May 14, 2017
Finished it but was too silly.
May 28, 2017
I keep reading these books because they are truly Hilarious.
July 9, 2017
enjoyed this one
January 22, 2018
Got out of Maggody and into another town. One of the better ones in the series.
April 4, 2018
Very entertaining. I still don’t know how Arly figured out who the killer was. It was like a chapter was accidentally omitted.
December 1, 2018
Probably the best of the series. No spoilers. Just finished the last one last night and kinda sorry there won't be anymore adventures of Arly and Ruby Bea.
February 23, 2020
Mildly amusing.
Read
January 31, 2021This was a fun book to read. It is light reading. It has the southern slang.
April 8, 2021
One of the better Maggody/Arly Hanks books. Good mystery, fun subplots, lots of action. Bonus: unlike the previous book (murder@maggody.com), Joan Hess tied up all the loose ends and subplots.
March 5, 2017
Arle gets shanghaied into chaperoning the youth group doing repairs to a camp that will be for ill children. Along with Mrs. JimBob and Brother Verber she is to ride heard on 10 of Maggody's finest teens. Of course they find a cult of bald women with their children hiding out on the camp along with a stray camper. But then one of them is found dead and Arle is left to investigate.
March 3, 2017
Too 'cute' for me.
Lots of twists which is usually a good thing but so much was just plain silly. I was looking for a nice light mystery but this book at best should have been a short story. Three stars may even be generous.
Lots of twists which is usually a good thing but so much was just plain silly. I was looking for a nice light mystery but this book at best should have been a short story. Three stars may even be generous.
February 23, 2017
Like many comic mysteries, the Maggody books are slight--I didn't recall that I'd read this one previously until the answer to whodunit leaped into my head at the 3/4 mark--but fun all the same. Maggody, Arkansas is full of dim-witted miscreants of various varieties, a source of both exasperation and job security for police chief Arly Hanks. This book was a typical outing for the series, making me laugh out loud a time or two. Maybe it's because it reminds me--just a little--of the small town in Maine where I grew up.
March 5, 2011
I'd have given this two stars, but "it was ok" is an overstatement. I've read a few of Hess' Claire Malloy books, and this series appears very different, in several negative ways. Or maybe I just got the lamest book of the Maggody series.
Arly gets roped into chaperoning some horny teenagers up at a youth camp for a week, where they mess around, scream, fight, and build a few bleachers. Some cute guy wanders in now and again, and several of the locals at the nearest town and among the Moonbeams have secrets that Arly must learn. And for some reason, a handful of people back in Maggody, 75 miles away, get subplots completely unrelated to the murder. Go figure.
Book themes: everyone either is horny or believes everyone else to be horny; people who have never lived outside Maggody/Dunkicker are uneducated, inbred backwater hicks with thick accents and mental faculties that run slower than molasses in February; all religious people have something to hide/are hypocrites, and the protagonist, being an atheist, is the only sane person around.
I get that this is supposed to be a comedy, but I couldn't ever find the groove where anything that happened in the book amused me. I expect it's just a cultural gap I couldn't bridge, not being familiar with the Southern school of thought. Between hillbillies and the Bible Belt, I'd imagine that a lot of the humor in the book was self-deprecating. But it all felt foreign to me.
I couldn't find much reason to like Arly. All of the youth group kids and chaperones seemed to be little more than caricatures, reduced to a single overblown feature. I had no idea why the book followed characters who had nothing to do with the murder plot or any of its subplots. Their scenes appeared in third person, and occasionally head-hopped. It appeared to be series creep, which I've only encountered in fantasy thus far: the author doesn't know when to stop writing about minor characters' lives (see WoT, aSoIaF), making subsequent books longer and longer and straying further from the central plot.
The plot itself was generally sufficient, but between the preponderance of teenage histrionics, religious freak-outs and other minor distractions of similar caliber, it was hard to make room for the actual case. In fact, the actual guilty party and their motive made for quite an awesome plot. Unfortunately, the reveal was pretty well buried. The dramatic conclusion was related by one character through flashback dialogue.
Lowbrow comedy and murder do not mix for me. Give me Dorothy Cannell's Ellie Haskell any time, but I'm just not the target audience for Arly and her town of Maggody.
Arly gets roped into chaperoning some horny teenagers up at a youth camp for a week, where they mess around, scream, fight, and build a few bleachers. Some cute guy wanders in now and again, and several of the locals at the nearest town and among the Moonbeams have secrets that Arly must learn. And for some reason, a handful of people back in Maggody, 75 miles away, get subplots completely unrelated to the murder. Go figure.
Book themes: everyone either is horny or believes everyone else to be horny; people who have never lived outside Maggody/Dunkicker are uneducated, inbred backwater hicks with thick accents and mental faculties that run slower than molasses in February; all religious people have something to hide/are hypocrites, and the protagonist, being an atheist, is the only sane person around.
I get that this is supposed to be a comedy, but I couldn't ever find the groove where anything that happened in the book amused me. I expect it's just a cultural gap I couldn't bridge, not being familiar with the Southern school of thought. Between hillbillies and the Bible Belt, I'd imagine that a lot of the humor in the book was self-deprecating. But it all felt foreign to me.
I couldn't find much reason to like Arly. All of the youth group kids and chaperones seemed to be little more than caricatures, reduced to a single overblown feature. I had no idea why the book followed characters who had nothing to do with the murder plot or any of its subplots. Their scenes appeared in third person, and occasionally head-hopped. It appeared to be series creep, which I've only encountered in fantasy thus far: the author doesn't know when to stop writing about minor characters' lives (see WoT, aSoIaF), making subsequent books longer and longer and straying further from the central plot.
The plot itself was generally sufficient, but between the preponderance of teenage histrionics, religious freak-outs and other minor distractions of similar caliber, it was hard to make room for the actual case. In fact, the actual guilty party and their motive made for quite an awesome plot. Unfortunately, the reveal was pretty well buried. The dramatic conclusion was related by one character through flashback dialogue.
Lowbrow comedy and murder do not mix for me. Give me Dorothy Cannell's Ellie Haskell any time, but I'm just not the target audience for Arly and her town of Maggody.
February 25, 2017
Books by Joan Hess are always a fun read. Haven't read one about Maggody in a long time. This was enjoyable. I love the characters, settings, and the situations they all get into.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews