Customer Reviews

The Merry Wives of Maggody: An Arly Hanks Mystery (Arly Hanks Mysteries)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've read every Maggody book with great delight and have been anticipating this book and expecting great pleasure in reading it.
It did not disappoint. The entire premise of a golf tournament in this tiny, rural town, with its limited resources and mostly backward folk, was hilarious to begin with.
Mrs. Jim Bob's idea of "golf widows" being needy set me off in a spasm of giggles that recurred with each and very mention of the term. (Having known a few "golf widows" who thoroughly enjoyed their status, made it even funnier for me.)
The new major and incidental characters from "away" who are involved in this story are every bit as exceptional as the "ordinary" denizens of Maggody and their characters are perfectly developed in this story.
Arly Hanks is, as usual, the only truly sane member of this menagerie and, in spite of being in an "interesting condition," is able to see through the obvious and collar the perpetrator.
I certainly recommend this cozy for anyone who loves mystery with humor.

I love Joan Hess, don't get me wrong. I've read all of her Claire Malloy and Arly Hanks novels, but, I think this one left too many loose ends. While it sets Ms. Hess up beautifully for another Maggody memoir, I sure wish she'd "closed" some of the open doors. Definitely a good read, just not one of her best!Merry Wives of Maggody: An Arly Hanks Mystery

I have read all the previous books in this series and loved the quirky sense of humor exhibited in the writing, the finely-crafted characters and the wacky goings on of the town and its people. This particular book is very, very dull in comparison to the previous ones. I like that Ms. Hess is not one of those writers who cranks out several books a year "just because", but this one should have never made it to print without some major changes. To me one of the expectations going into any story about Maggody is that Estelle and Ruby Bee will do their own amateur sleuthing, the miscellaneous wacky characters will be involved in a variety of personal crisis, and it will all work out in the end. I am nearly finished with this book and have not found any of it particularly amusing or interesting. Please don't tell me this charming series, as we have come to know and love it, is over.

What can I say, I was not disappointed, I started laughing within the first few pages. I love the Maggody folks, and
have read each of the Maggody series, and can't wait for the next one. I will be donating my copy to our city library so others can enjoy.

Joanne from Oregon

When the funniest things in the book are the Buchanan names, it is time to reevaluate the series. All of the previous books in the Maggody series have been hilarious...fact is, I own all of them (Hardback 1st editions and most of them signed). Why ever would Ms. Hess saddle Arly with a pregnancy? Is she trying to emulate "Fargo"? Is Estelle going to babysit whilst Arly is out catching the bad guys. Surely, Ruby Bee is too busy cooking and cleaning the motel to babysit. Bottom line, disappointing direction for series.

The author returns to the friendly confines of Maggody, Arkansas for the 16th time, picking up where the previous book left off three or four years ago.
As the story opens, Maggody Police Chief Arly Hanks is pregnant and alone. She's fretting over how and when to tell the baby daddy, Jack, who's incommunicado for six weeks because he's on a photo shoot in the jungle or something. But, soon, enough, Arly has other problems to occupy her time, namely, a golf tournament where murder is par for the course.
Mrs. Jim Bob, the mayor's wife, has organized the tournament to raise money for all those poor golf widows out there. Somehow, she's managed to convince a local businessman to offer a very nice boat as a prize for the first hole-in-one. The lure of the boat pits the husbands and wives of Maggody against each other. But, it also serves to attract some better than average golfers to the tournament.
The fun and games end quickly when the pro who won the boat ends up dead, his skull smashed by a golf club. Less than 24 hours later, that man's best friend also turns up dead in a similar fashion. Arly has no shortage of suspects including a mysterious gentleman and a long-lost Buchanon who's from the wrong branch of the family.
It took me four months to read this book. Mostly, I was busy, but when I wasn't, I also wasn't motivated to pick up the book and read a few pages. There are instances here where characters behave out of character - even for them. But, mostly, it's another so-so-visit to Maggody and I'm not sure it'll be worth going back.

Another great tale with characters I've grown to know, places I can see in my mind and funny situations that make this fun to read.

Police Chief Arly Hanks is struggling with her unplanned pregnancy. The last thing she needs is a golf tournament. But the wives of Maggody, concerned for the 'golf widows' they've read about, have decided Maggody needs a golf tournament. With a $40,000 bass boat being the prize for anyone who sinks a hole in one, and Maggody's gold course being a plowed-up marijuanna field, just about everyone in Maggody, and plenty from outside the town, is interested.

Hanks plans to simply wait out the tournament with its host of weird and not-so-wonderful characters but those plans come up short when someone actually manages a hole in one--and is promptly beaten to death inside the prize boat. According to contest rules, the winner must be present, and alive, to win, which means the tournament goes on and just about everyone has a motive.

Author Joan Hess keeps the humor cranked to maximum, with the assortment of Buchanon relatives (including Popeep, Mrs. Jim Bob and the rest.

Hess gives us plenty of suspects and red herrings, a mostly-sympathetic character in Arly Hanks, and humor that fires on all barrels, mostly hitting but with a few misses. I thought the mystery a little bit easy, and there were times when Hess's poking fun at the Arkansas bumpkins crossed the line from funny to mean-spirited. Still, the writing was highly approachable, the characters memorable, and the laugh-out-loud moments distinctly outweighing the groaners (I mean, a golf tournament to benefit 'golf widows.' That's got to generate a smile.)

I love Joan Hess's books and especially the Maggody series. This one is a great addition and was a fun read. It is the sort of book you don't like to put down. Arly is pregnant and not yet married (although that might be in the next book). Can't wait for the next one to find out.

Some authors have trouble continuing a series this long. Joan Hess proves that this does not have to be the case. This book is just as new and interesting as the beginning ones of the series.

It was a chore to finally finish reading this latest title in the Maggody series. There was no life to the story line or the characters - both were flat and dull. I've purchased and read all the previous Maggody books with much enjoyment so this was a major let down. From the writing, it appears Joan Hess has grown tired/bored with Maggody. I would love to read a new Maggody story written with the same high caliber of previous books. It would be disappointing to have the series end on this sour note.