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Arly Hanks #3
Much Ado in Maggody
There's trouble in Maggody Arkansas, again, and Chief of Police Arly Hanks has her hands full. The trouble's name is Brandon Bernswallow, the local bank president's playboy son, who became the new head teller and bumped long-time employee Johnna Mae Nookim right down to minimum wage. The fighting-mad women of Maggody are over in Ruby Bee's Bar and Grill planning a sex discrimination protest and a scheme to give the male chauvinists their comeuppance. But they are just as appalled as the men folk when the bank--and Bernswallow--go up in flames. Preacher Verber is sure it's the devil's handiwork. Mayor Jim Bob blames the Commies. But Arly is determined to sift through the ashes ... and discover who cooked up this case of downhome murder.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
165 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Joan Hess
115 books338 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
December 12, 2020
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Back in Maggody where mayhem is in rare form. Joanna Mae Nookim returns to her job at the bank after having a baby to find she has been demoted and been replaced by a wet behind the ears Brandon Bernswallow. Well, she is not going to take it sitting down. Arly can’t help her but tells her she may be able to get a lawyer to take her case, which she does. Soon there is a protest march and a crowd of women set up for the long haul in the parking lot across the street. But then someone sets fire to the bank and Brandon Bernswallow is found dead inside creating Much Ado in Maggody! Can Arly get to the bottom of it or will mayhem reign?
I have continued to read this series for the pure comic delight. The explicit language still gives me a cringe or two, but I can set that aside when a few sentences later I am laughing my head off. I have to remind myself this book was originally released back in 1989, but equal rights for women is still a current topic although we have come a long way.
Maggody is full of quirky characters and Arly has her hands full as the men and women of the town face-off over the way Joanna Mae Nookim was treated at the bank. It opens up a whole can of worms as the wives in town decide their husbands could be treating them better too. All the characters are colorful but stereotypical in many ways. That said, they are funny.
Again, the murder mystery part of the story is pretty simplistic but entertaining. Some will classify this story as a cozy mystery, and the mystery is set up the way, the f-bombs and other explicit language take it out of that genre for me. If you love funny stories and are not offended by the language you will enjoy this book and series. I will be grabbing the next book in the series when I need to get carried away by the humor and craziness only found in Maggody.
Back in Maggody where mayhem is in rare form. Joanna Mae Nookim returns to her job at the bank after having a baby to find she has been demoted and been replaced by a wet behind the ears Brandon Bernswallow. Well, she is not going to take it sitting down. Arly can’t help her but tells her she may be able to get a lawyer to take her case, which she does. Soon there is a protest march and a crowd of women set up for the long haul in the parking lot across the street. But then someone sets fire to the bank and Brandon Bernswallow is found dead inside creating Much Ado in Maggody! Can Arly get to the bottom of it or will mayhem reign?
I have continued to read this series for the pure comic delight. The explicit language still gives me a cringe or two, but I can set that aside when a few sentences later I am laughing my head off. I have to remind myself this book was originally released back in 1989, but equal rights for women is still a current topic although we have come a long way.
Maggody is full of quirky characters and Arly has her hands full as the men and women of the town face-off over the way Joanna Mae Nookim was treated at the bank. It opens up a whole can of worms as the wives in town decide their husbands could be treating them better too. All the characters are colorful but stereotypical in many ways. That said, they are funny.
Again, the murder mystery part of the story is pretty simplistic but entertaining. Some will classify this story as a cozy mystery, and the mystery is set up the way, the f-bombs and other explicit language take it out of that genre for me. If you love funny stories and are not offended by the language you will enjoy this book and series. I will be grabbing the next book in the series when I need to get carried away by the humor and craziness only found in Maggody.
June 28, 2016
The Maggody series has long been a favorite of mine. I was delighted to find this ebook. It did not disappoint me, satire is first-rate.The main theme is the treatment of woman in the workplace. Jonna Mae Nookim is denoted in her job as head bank clerk because she took a six-month maternity leave. Police chief Arly Hanks is amused as the characters of Maggody start acting up. The women staged a sit down at the bank. Her amusement changes as the traffic disrupted, the bank burns down with a victim inside and residents are missing again. The temperatures continue to rise as Arly looks for an answer. Arly begins to suspect that something is wrong at the bank. The book will have you smiling and laughing out loud at the behavior of the residents. Raz wants to know about a deposit charge. Brother Verber is looking for the devil.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Open Road Integrated Media through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Open Road Integrated Media through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
November 3, 2021
More like 4.5 stars. For those put off by foul language and discussion of sex no matter how mild may want to takes a pass on this fun addition to the Arly Hanks series.
July 8, 2024
A book in the Maggody series is always good for a laugh. Narrated by the female chief of police (and only police) of the tiny Arkansas town, Arly contends with a citizenry barely above the level of Neanderthal. "Calling them crimes of the heart seems too romantic for this neck of the woods; they’re more like crimes of the bowel." The misogynist men in town get their comeuppance when the women get riled up by a female lawyer who comes in to look at a gender discrimination complaint. Johnna Mae, formerly head teller at the branch bank, was replaced by a very young, obnoxious young man who happens to be the son of the bank president. Murder and arson are included in the fallout.
May 23, 2021
You have to hand it to Joan Hess. She managed to insert more twists and turns than a backwoods road. I was sure I'd figured out who dunnit, but I was way off base.
February 1, 2020
Maggody is a small, Arkansas town, where Arly Hanks is the chief of police (maybe the only police?). So when the small branch bank demotes a long-time teller after her maternity leave, installing a young scion of the family that owns the bank instead, Johnna Mae goes to Arly for help. When there doesn't seem to be anything illegal going on that Arly can help with, Johnna Mae contacts a lawyer who works with a small organization that helps women with workplace equity. Although the lawyer is at first disinclined to help, she decides to upon seeing a certain name associated with the case. Arriving in town, she soon works up the female populace, to the confusion and detriment of the conservative male populace who wants their womenfolk minding babies and making dinner. Some of them want Arly to do something about that, especially when they stage a protest in front of the bank that will go on overnight. Things go from confusing (for the men) and empowering (for the women) to murderous when someone burns the bank down, and a body is found inside.
I don't know what to make of this. It's definitely showing its age (1989), and reminded me of the Dukes of Hazzard in the country folk stereotypes played for humor. I know that's the intent, but it still makes me uncomfortable now, as opposed to the mostly fond humor about the eccentrics in Donna Andrews' books. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I were still the girl who loved the Dukes of Hazzard (though that was mostly for the aesthetics of the blond lead, when I was 13), but now...I didn't hate it, and it was best when it went really absurd, but I prefer warmhearted humor to satire.
I don't know what to make of this. It's definitely showing its age (1989), and reminded me of the Dukes of Hazzard in the country folk stereotypes played for humor. I know that's the intent, but it still makes me uncomfortable now, as opposed to the mostly fond humor about the eccentrics in Donna Andrews' books. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I were still the girl who loved the Dukes of Hazzard (though that was mostly for the aesthetics of the blond lead, when I was 13), but now...I didn't hate it, and it was best when it went really absurd, but I prefer warmhearted humor to satire.
October 21, 2008
very light reading
February 13, 2019
An easy read, but I’m not sure I’d read another.
October 25, 2021
Three books in and I've been thinking about the Maggody series, because something seemed off.
I have come to a conclusion – the author, Joan Hess, doesn't like the people she is writing about. Almost without exception they are small-minded, inbred, and annoying.
These books are not a love letter to small-town America, they are an offensive one-fingered salute to them and the areas they live in.
Using humour doesn't disguise the fact that Joan Hess despises them one and all.
One character in particular, the 'bovine' Dahlia O'Neill, stands out for her constant poisonous portrayal.
Don't get me wrong, I am a fan - I have much the same sentiment in relation to several people I know, but I would never put it on paper.
Each book sets up a mystery and a couple of set-pieces which form the core of the novel.
This time round it involves a murder which may be connected to theft from a bank by an employee. And the women of Maggody decide it is time that their men learn their proper places.
I am married to a former banker and I have some anecdotal knowledge of 'kiting' – as it is known in Ireland. Though I would never claim to understand it completely, it involves stealing money from one account, using money from another to replace it, and so on. The only problem is that you have to be on top of it at all times, so holidays more than a few days long are out.
Despite a lot of investigation by Arly, fingerprints, crime labs, etc., the murder very kindly solves itself.
It's a fast, fun read but not particularly memorable.
I have come to a conclusion – the author, Joan Hess, doesn't like the people she is writing about. Almost without exception they are small-minded, inbred, and annoying.
These books are not a love letter to small-town America, they are an offensive one-fingered salute to them and the areas they live in.
Using humour doesn't disguise the fact that Joan Hess despises them one and all.
One character in particular, the 'bovine' Dahlia O'Neill, stands out for her constant poisonous portrayal.
Don't get me wrong, I am a fan - I have much the same sentiment in relation to several people I know, but I would never put it on paper.
Each book sets up a mystery and a couple of set-pieces which form the core of the novel.
This time round it involves a murder which may be connected to theft from a bank by an employee. And the women of Maggody decide it is time that their men learn their proper places.
I am married to a former banker and I have some anecdotal knowledge of 'kiting' – as it is known in Ireland. Though I would never claim to understand it completely, it involves stealing money from one account, using money from another to replace it, and so on. The only problem is that you have to be on top of it at all times, so holidays more than a few days long are out.
Despite a lot of investigation by Arly, fingerprints, crime labs, etc., the murder very kindly solves itself.
It's a fast, fun read but not particularly memorable.
November 9, 2021
In cleaning up my bookshelves that have stood crowded during my career days, I came across this paperback that I read 35 years ago. I love this series. It is fun, and painless as a mystery. There is always a murder but I do not even remember worrying or trying to figure out the "Who Done It". I just floated along with the story and waited for Joan Hess to just tell me what happened.
The characters live along with the series so reading these Maggody novels in order is the most fun.
30 years ago I was in a bookstore passing time after work, and I saw Joan Hess. I had this book with me for some reason forgotten. I asked her to autograph the title page. She did. She also told me that I should try the Claire Malloy series of hers as she felt those mysteries offered better literature and satisfaction for mystery readers.
I told her that I lived in small towns with wonderful characters for 10 years of my career life and complimented that she populated her novels perfectly. I miss those small towns now that I am back in a big city cleaning out bookshelves rather than "puttin' up green beans and applesauce". I picked up this paperbook a few days ago and took a trip back to Maggody. Its a series that can keep any mystery reader warm all winter.
The characters live along with the series so reading these Maggody novels in order is the most fun.
30 years ago I was in a bookstore passing time after work, and I saw Joan Hess. I had this book with me for some reason forgotten. I asked her to autograph the title page. She did. She also told me that I should try the Claire Malloy series of hers as she felt those mysteries offered better literature and satisfaction for mystery readers.
I told her that I lived in small towns with wonderful characters for 10 years of my career life and complimented that she populated her novels perfectly. I miss those small towns now that I am back in a big city cleaning out bookshelves rather than "puttin' up green beans and applesauce". I picked up this paperbook a few days ago and took a trip back to Maggody. Its a series that can keep any mystery reader warm all winter.
August 22, 2019
I’ve read several other books in the Maggody series, and they can be counted on for a fun mystery with lots of laughs. This book is no exception. One of the appeal factors for me is the small-town setting. The books are set in fictitious Maggody, Arkansas, population 770, where you feel everybody knows everybody else. The mystery has a full cast of unique and outlandish characters, but there is an element of reality in each of them. Although their characteristics are exaggerated, I think we all know someone like those depicted in the book. What I also enjoyed about this book, in particular, is the satire about how women are treated in the workforce. Although this book was initially written in 1989, some of the issues are unfortunately still around today.
For other reviews see my blog page: marysreadallaboutit.wordpress.com
For other reviews see my blog page: marysreadallaboutit.wordpress.com
July 28, 2022
I'm diving back into this series which I read avidly, and loved, in the late '90's. Getting back in has been kind of rough going. They haven't aged all that well. I like the main character, I like the setting, and I think most of the characters, while written to be extreme hick stereotypes, are crafted with affection. However, the pervasive jokes about the fat lady in town are cringey and cruel, and the folksy narration is sometimes too folksy for its own good. This book moved very slowly, as Hess described the same event through many different characters' eyes. I found myself skimming paragraphs of rambling internal monologue, trying to find some external action.
November 16, 2019
I am enjoying this old series... Arly is funny in a deadpan sort of way. Maggody, Arkansas is backwards and tiny - a stereotypical southern hotbed of ignorance, inbreeding and stupidity. And yet, it's funny and we even become fond of some of the denizens of the town - like Ruby Bee and Estelle, the mayor's wife/cousin and her minister, who is always on the lookout for sin, the more salacious the better. And Kevin and Dahlia, the lovebirds...
You get the idea. They're not really all those 'cozy' but they really are quite fun!
You get the idea. They're not really all those 'cozy' but they really are quite fun!
April 21, 2022
I read this book years ago and remembered it as being funny. It does not bridge time very well. It is decidedly not a cozy mystery. The "jokes" are harsh, and judgemental.
The women of Maggody are up in arms. One of the women of the town was demoted during her maternity leave and the women rally around her to seek better treatment for women in the town and in their marriages.
I finished it. The solution is messy and unsatisfactory. What a disappointment.
The women of Maggody are up in arms. One of the women of the town was demoted during her maternity leave and the women rally around her to seek better treatment for women in the town and in their marriages.
I finished it. The solution is messy and unsatisfactory. What a disappointment.
Read
October 26, 2018This is just a hoot of a series, and the author had me laughing out loud at some of the characters' shenanigans. These books just keep getting better and better, and I am definitely going to keep reading this entertaining series. If you are looking for a light, funny, cozy mystery, you need to check out this series
May 8, 2020
What fun! This is my first "Maggody" (Arly Hanks) (audio)book, and I really enjoyed it. Great characters, funny situations, interesting plot. This is book #3 in the series, and I wish the first two were available in audiobook, but it doesn't appear so. I may have to break down and read them instead of listening to them.
December 19, 2023
The Arly Hanks series makes me laugh, from start to finish. It is like Joan Hess is in a small town sitting on public seating giving runaway verbal descriptions of life going by with takeaway coffees while chatting with the locals.
Thank you for collections of words Joan Hess and your eloquence Courtney Patterson, very much appreciated ladies. :-)
Thank you for collections of words Joan Hess and your eloquence Courtney Patterson, very much appreciated ladies. :-)
February 2, 2024
This was my fourth or fifth time reading this installment in the Maggody mystery series. Joan Hess will always be one of my favorite authors! Reading her books is like having a good friend tell me a much-loved story. The characters are quirky and sometimes downright ridiculous, and the little Ozarks town of Maggody is a character in itself. A light, funny, engaging mystery!
August 25, 2017
maybe 2.5- I read the first 2 - a cozy-with lots of fun characters- but I just cannot go on with this series any longer- BUT, having said that - so many people enjoy this series- so a cozy that you may want to look into -
July 19, 2023
I only got to 14% when I asked myself why I was still reading this. Very long drawn out boring. Plus many words I had to look up to find out the meaning. And the characters names; why not use common names? Hizzoner? Really?
This book was not for me.
This book was not for me.
February 21, 2026
fun
I enjoy Maggody. They maybe silly but there’s no real profanity or blood and guts, no divorce and marital cheating, alcoholism, drug use…sure it’s silly. But when you’re sick or tired of the world’s troubles it’s just the thing!
I enjoy Maggody. They maybe silly but there’s no real profanity or blood and guts, no divorce and marital cheating, alcoholism, drug use…sure it’s silly. But when you’re sick or tired of the world’s troubles it’s just the thing!
June 4, 2017
Enjoy Hess's humor, characters, settings and plots. Got this via Hoopla. Some of her earliest books are understandably a little dated in their details, such as this one from the 80's.
October 11, 2017
Cannot beat Arly
This another score for Joan Hess. Not sure Maggody would
be a great place to visit but I would love a meal at Ruby Bee's.
This another score for Joan Hess. Not sure Maggody would
be a great place to visit but I would love a meal at Ruby Bee's.
October 22, 2017
Entertainment for an afternoon.
December 8, 2017
A nice little cozy read.
May 16, 2018
Main actors weren't as likable as the past two books, but still an interesting plot.
January 14, 2019
It’s a quick read a lot of twists and turns - unexpected but why did she have to have the
Priest still enthralled with sex? Ugh so stereotypical
Priest still enthralled with sex? Ugh so stereotypical
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2019
Cute read.
April 14, 2019
Cracked me up... Geez doesn't everyone know someone like the Mayor's wife
October 20, 2019
One of her best Maggody books. An outside lawyer comes to support a bank teller’s unjust firing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews