Chief of Police Arly Hanks faces her share of unusual crimes and criminals in this humorous series set in the colorful small town of Maggody, Arkansas.
When her most recent marriage breaks up, Arly Hanks leaves Manhattan to return to her tiny hometown - population 755 - of Maggody, Arkansas. As the town’s first female police chief, she deals with exploding stills, barroom brawls, an errant televangelist, and the mayor’s petty corruption, as well as sexism, embezzlement, unscrupulous developers, and, oh yeah, murder. Then there’s the ongoing challenge of Maggody’s foremost gossip, her mother, Ruby Bee Hanks. Southern satire, folksy dialogues, and Arly’s wisecracks make for a fun listen - with mysteries to boot.
Kristin Kalbli and C. J. Critt deftly voice a memorable cast of Southern small-town characters. Kalbi, known for her podcasts on relationships, narrates the early novels, while Critt, winner of multiple Earphones Awards, handles the later installments. A Texan, Critt takes on each character’s personality, one by one, to draw a vivid picture of the town and conveys its humor with affection.
Born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas, author Joan Hess was teaching art in preschool when a friend suggested she write a romance novel. Ten “unpublishable” romances later, she realized her prose needed some humor and blood, and turned to writing comic mysteries. In addition to her Arly Hanks novels, she is the author of the Claire Malloy series and the Theo Bloomer mysteries.
