The Serpents Trail

Maxie and Stretch #1

by Sue Henry

At sixty-three, Maxie McNabb is cruising down the Alaska Highway in her brand-new Winnebago. With her mini-dachshund at her side and the open road ahead, she's never been happier. But before her exploration of the Lower Forty-eight gets underway, Maxie needs to figure out who burgled her friend's Colorado home-and why. And the closer Maxie gets to solving the puzzle, the more it becomes chillingly clear that her friend's life isn't the only one on the line.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Cozy, Adventure, Animals

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Sue Henry is the author of 17 novels in two award-winning Alaska mystery series. Her first book, "Murder on the Iditarod Trail" (1991), was well reviewed and won both the Macavity Awards and Anthony Awards for best first novel, prompting the author to develop a series based on this book's characters, Alaskan state trooper Alex Jensen and Jessie Arnold, a sled dog racer.

In 2005, she started a new mystery series featuring a 63-year-old widow, Maxine McNab, travelling in her Winnebago with a miniature dachshund, Stretch. Maxine had appeared in Dead North (2001) in the first series.

Murder on the Iditarod Trail was filmed for television as The Cold Heart of a Killer (1996) starring Kate Jackson, who bought the rights to the book. Sue Henry lived in Alaska for more than a quarter of a century, and brought history, Alaskan lore, and the majestic beauty of the vast landscape to her mysteries. She also taught writing at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

Reviews

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked about this cozy mystery:
1. Vivid descriptions of Colorado mountains.
2. Mature, wise, and brave protagonist. Very believable.
3. Friendships are nicely developed.
4. Doggie sidekick. I like dachshunds and had one.
5. Intricate mystery plot.

[Jannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated this book as I read it. The fatigue that seeped into every pore trying to discern pertinent details to the story beyond the quagmire of description and prose.

No one told this esteemed author that less is more. No really. Trust me lady it is.
You do not need to describe every rock.. Every mundane thought. Every trip you take to the shops, the showers you have, the tourist centres you visit. We don't need your inner monologue. You're not a travel writer, this is not your secret diary, or your photographic memory.

Also I really dislike most first person narratives because so few make it work. This is not one of the few.

So yeah I was going to DNF. But..I cannot resist a mystery. No matter how badly dressed it is. So I skimmed through, wasted lots of time, only to find the bad guy had really dumb motivations and the whole thing wasn't worth my time.

I just realised what this book reminds me of. The whole thing is like a room in basic old lady houses where they have a million useless knick knacks and furniture all vying for space and making you feel claustrophobic.

Nice. Don't read.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essentially, this book and I were not meant to be BFFs.

While Maxie and Stretch were fun, and Maxie's lifestyle is an unusual and refreshing choice for a cozy mystery series, I had a difficult time reading this book. At least half of the sentences seemed to run on too much for a comfortable reading experience for me. It felt like they could have ended about 10 words earlier, it kept pulling me out of the flow of the story.

However, my Mom and three of her friends have all read and adored this series, and when I talked to my Mom about it, she said that she never noticed it, so I must be the weirdo. Big surprise.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable cozy with a level-headed sleuth and cute dog. It also captures the bittersweet of old friends parting so well.

This was a reread. I remember liking this one a lot, and hating the second. We'll see!

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow was that a good story. I’m going to have to read all the books by this author.

[Dorothy Mohler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for something light and easy to read and boy did I get it. This would be found on a shelf entitled “cozy mystery involving old lady in an RV with a dog” if there was such a shelf in a bookstore. Very predictable and very easy to read however, I am now ready to sink my teeth into something a little less gooey. One positive for sure is it has a lot of nice travel information.

[LindaW · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first of the Maxie and Stretch mysteries by Sue Henry and the first of her books that I've read. Since we were headed out in our camper for a couple of weeks, I thought this would be appropriate to read at the campground. The main character is an older, independent woman who lives in Alaska. After her husband dies she travels to the lower 48 in her RV with her mini dachshund to see the sights, visit family and friends, and to get away from the Alaskan winters. It is early Fall when her long-time friend in Colorado calls with the sad news that she has only a few months to live and wants Maxie to come ASAP for a last visit and to tell her something important. Unfortunately, when Maxie arrives her friend is almost dead and she is only able to see and speak with her very briefly before she passes. There are strange things happening at her friends house - break-ins, ransacking, etc. Maxie sets about to find out what is going on and why her friend died so suddenly. I enjoyed this very quick read and will probably continue with the series. I guess it is a cozy mystery although I am not sure how those are defined. All in all, a quick, light read that was also a pretty good mystery.

[Lizzie · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you like a lot (and I mean a lot) of useless details, this book is for you. There are descriptions of the differences in elevation of various rocky outcroppings and paragraph upon paragraph explaining the mundane. (Yes, I really read how she let her dog outside, picked up his dog poop, and deposited it into a trash can. And, no, she didn't find a clue in the trash bin. There was no reason for it.)

By the way, for a character who loves her dog so much, she certainly leaves him alone frequently. Or maybe it's just that when she does take him with her, the conveniently forgets about the dog. There's a section where Maxi goes to a restaurant directly after taking the dog for a walk. Apparently, she brings the dog into the restaurant because he's not mentioned again??

But, for some reason, I kept reading... hoping that the ending would make up for the tedious writing. Nope (no spoilers, don't worry). There's a deus ex machina ending that is almost laughable. I hate when I see the mystery from miles away, but I can be forgiving if the writing and the characters are worth it. This book lost on both counts.

I will NOT be reading any more in this series.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it's summer and I am trying new murder mystery series. And what I am learning is I am a dithering old person who nobody takes seriously.

Really??

I am going to try another book in this series because I did rather enjoy the main character --- who is just a few years older than I but speaks of herself as an 'old' grandma type, even though she is not living an old grandma existence. She is driving around in her Winnebago with her mini-daschund and packing some heat (for safety purposes, of course). But it was a easy 'summer' read and kept my interest, so there is that.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought this at the very National Monument where it is set, which turned out to be the most delightful thing about this unexciting mystery. The ingredients are all there for a decent amateur detective story but Henry's pacing and structure is messed up. For instance, she starts with our hero fidning an open door to her friend's house...and then proceeds to divert from this exciting development to give us nearly the entire background of the hero when she should have dribbled it out as the story went. Poor pacing doomed this novel.

[quinnster · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you enjoy reading travel books and mystery books this is probably right up your alley. For me, there was too much description of scenery and trails and highways. The main character goes on a hike and nearly 6 pages are the description of her walking the trail.

There were also too many times where she didn't speak up when she should have, especially to the police. It just seemed weird to me. In the end, I didn't enjoy this enough, or care enough about Maxie enough to want to continue on with the series.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the way this author expresses herself--the reading is easy. The outcome wasn't predictable, necessarily, but some of the plot twists were. I didn't enjoy all the "chamber of commerce" or "travel brochure" blurbs about different places she visited, and found I kind of scanned at least a fourth of the book. I will read book 2 in the series, however, and see what I think about that one.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the way to New Mexico for the winter, Maxie rushes her trip to be with her college friend and virtual sister Sarah Nunamaker through the final stages of her illness. Unfortunately, on the day of her arrival in Grand Junction, Sarah has been taken to the hospital. Maxie only sees her briefly before Sarah dies, weeks before her death was expected. Strangers have invaded Sarah’s home and ransacked it looking for something. Maxie must discover the who’s and the why’s of these invasions and the answers for many secrets while the police look for the person who hastened Sarah’s death. This is a good start to a new series. It is charming to find a new amateur detective in her 60’s who knows who she is, enjoys her own company and who explores the country in her RV. Recommended.

Readalikes:
Emily Kane Buzzelli’s Emily Kincaid mysteries; Diane Mott Davidson – The Whole Enchilada; Joanne Fluke – The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder; Charlaine Harris – Shakespeare’s Christmas; Laura Child – Glitter Bomb; Caroline G. Hart – Set Sail for Murder; Sarah Graves – The Book of Old Houses; Emma Lathan – A Shark Out of Water; Dorothy Gilman – The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax.

Pace: Fast
Characters: Complex, confident women;
Story: Intricately plotted
Writing style: Engaging
Tone: Suspenseful; strong sense of place
Frame: Grand Junction CO; Contemporary

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sixty-three year old Maxie McNabb has everything she has wanted: she is aging gracefully, living the life she enjoys traveling from her home in Alaska and cruising to the "lower 48" whenever she wants. Then she gets a call from her dearest family, a woman that she met in college who is now dying and she wants to see Maxie.

Maxie packs up her RV and bundles up her dachshund, Stretch, and leaves Alaska to drive to Colorado to see Sarah in Grand Junction. But the woman is dying fast and she has one quick conversation only in which Sarah mentions a hide and seek type game they used to play and reassuring her that the information she needs to know will come to her. But there are others who have invaded Sarah's home and Maxie has to put on an investigative hat to find out who and why. There are surprises galore for Maxie as she attempts to do the right thing for her friend.

I have enjoyed another series by Sue Henry and was eager to try this book to see if I would enjoy this series as well. While it was fun to read, I am not sure that this character can go the distance.

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maxie Mcnabb, aged 63 years-old, sets out in her Winnebago accompanied by her mini-dachshund Stretch to visit her friend Sarah Nunamaker. Although terminally ill Sarah assures Maxie that the doctors have given her a couple of months so there is no call for her to fly out, but looks forward to seeing her soon, as she has something important to tell her personally. However, despite not making her usual stops on route when Maxie arrives at Sarah’s home there is no sign of Sarah, but clearly her house has been broken into.

This was a marvellous mystery - Sarah was a one for puzzles and secret hiding places, and Maxie has to put her mind to trying to unravel the enigmatic clues that Sarah has left behind. And although they have known each other since college it becomes clear to Maxie that there are secrets in Sarah’s past that she has never shared with her.

As with all good mysteries, no one is exactly what they seem at face value and Maxie tasked with the puzzle becomes aware that there might be more at stake than just solving a puzzle.
-------
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable cozy mystery about an 'older' woman and her dog who go traveling in her motorhome.
Mazie travels from Alaska to Colorado to visit an old friend who is dying but when she arrives the woman is in the hospital and dies shortly after her arrival. She is upset she didn't get to spend more time with her and then has to deal with being the executor of the woman's will. The woman's adopted son is being very obnoxious, she finds out the woman had twins she never told her about and an ex-flame is hanging around. Someone is threatening her and she just wants to take care of everything and get on with her life.
Some good descriptions of the scenery in Colorado and about finding ancestors thru the LDS church. The Serpent's Trail didn't actually figure into things until the end so not sure it was a good name for the book. Was a bit frustrated with the friend for hiding things and not telling her stuff, waiting to tell her at the end of her life and misjudging that.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shifted gears and have left James Patterson's murder & mayhem behind for awhile. I loved Sue Henry's style of writing having read her Jessie Arnold series. Her descriptives of Alaska are amazing. It's a real shame that she is not writing anymore as her Jessie Arnold series was never concluded. So now on to her Maxie & Stretch series. Book 1 the Serpent's Trail. Her descriptives never get tiring. I am placed right in the middle of Canyonlands National Monument. Having been there it was refreshing to revisit from another person's eyes. I felt like I had been sent back in time to the park and was seeing it a fresh. I loved her storyline and the sad tale of her best friend. As I don't want to give too much away, this book is a definate read.

[Kathy England · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first Sue Henry mystery I've read, and, wouldn't you know it, it's not her regular sleuth that is the solver of the mystery in this book. The protagonist, from Alaska, goes to visit her best friend, who is dying, in Grand Junction, Colorado. She travels in her RV with her dachshund, Stretch. The mystery was good, but my favorite thing about the writing is the description of the surroundings, both city and country. It helps that I know Grand Junction and have been to the Colorado National Monument.

[Mary-Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much geographical features description which had nothing to do with the plot. The prime suspect was introduced awkwardly into the story; I guessed immediately that he/she would be the villain. Meanwhile, our protagonist trusted suspicious characters too readily and didn't take sensible precautions, even when she realized she was being targeted. Her dachshund Stretch was the most relatable character in the story.

[Maryann Decicco · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a senior woman and her dog who travel from Alaska to Colorado in an RV. Maxie (the woman) is going to visit a terminally ill old friend.The friend dies shortly after Maxie arrives in Grand Junction (where the friend lives). Maxie tries to figure out clues to her friend’s past and why she died sooner than expected. The story moved slowly until near the end when everything wrapped up quickly.

[Heuge · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the few books that I could/did not finish. Having read many of the Alaska Mystery series and enjoying them, I expected similar reading with this series.

In the first 40% of the book I read waaay too much about local streets, monuments, rock formations, houses and too little about the story, which also has many flaws.

Too bad, as I was hoping that I'd have another series to add to my collection.

[Bob Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maxie is a great character for this series

What a spunky independent character Maxie is accompanied by her trusty sidekick Stretch. I enjoyed all the twists and turns that this story had and didn’t really see the ending coming. Sue’s books seem to often have an abrupt ending as this one does but the reading journey is still worth it.

[Cindy Grossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I thought the writing was too flowery-an over abundance of descriptive adjectives. That did occur in spots, but I grew to like the main character, a no-nonsense, independent, senior woman. The story held enough intrigue to keep me going. It also could serve as a guide book to the southwest and its geology. Nice cozy with a good setting and strong amateur sleuth.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maxie drives her motor home from Alaska to Grand Junction CO in order to care for a dying friend. She also is to be executor of Sarah's estate. Sarah dies sooner than expected and Maxie must find information that Sarah has hidden in her home. However, Maxie is not the only one searching the house.

[Peggy Fegler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quiet murder mystery

Maxie and her dog, Stretch, arrive in Grand Junction, CO to find her friend, Sarah, in the hospital. The story evolves to exclude an old boyfriend, an adopted son and others. Good relaxing story.

[Judy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this after a recommendation from my Mom but it wasn't my cup of tea. The plot and character motivations seemed more rooted in the 50s then a book published in 2005. I like cozy mysteries but this was too slow.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for one more secret hiding place for hints to the puzzle. Or at least for the new executor to have new locks put on the doors of the house that several people seem to be walking in and out of so freely.
Occasionally moving a little slow to my taste, nevertheless a solid mystery.

[Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever cozy mystery with a wonderful main character, 63 year-old Maxie and her four-legged companion, Stretch.

When her friend dies, Maxie has to unwind family secrets to understand the motive of the killer before the killer has the last word.

Definitely worth continuing with the series.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, whodunit centered on Grand Junction Colorado. Maxi and her dog, Stretch live in a mini-winnebago and deal with the dearh of Maxis friend Sarah. Cover picture is Ansel Adams photograph site in Wyoming, not the Colorado Monument in Colorado.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Have ordered the remaining three books in the series. Adventures in a Winnebago with the lead character Maxie and her dachshund Stretch on the road from Alaska to Colorado. Fast moving and easy to read and hard to put down.