Madness in Maggody

In the 4th book in the Arly Hanks mystery series, a new supermarket is due to open in the small town of Maggody, Arkansas. Most of the business owners are furious, thinking that they will lose everything to the new store, Jim Bob's Supersaver Buy 4 Less. But on the opening day, after the band had played and the speeches were made, 23 people developed severe food poisoning at the free food giveaway in the picnic pavilion. Arly, Maggody's police chief, starts an investigation but cannot find proof of malicious intent until the results of laboratory tests are revealed. In the meantime, she tries to shut down the new store, and reluctantly agrees to keep the store open (but the picnic pavilion would remain closed). When pins and poison are found inside some pre-sealed snack cakes, Arly knows that someone is truly serious about thwarting the new business venture. But when someone dies from poisoning, this case turns from mischief to murder. Working hard despite having a gossip mill much larger than the town itself, Arly puts the pieces together and solves another mystery in this amusing peek at life in Maggody. This is the first book that I have picked up in the Maggody series, and I have to admit that it did take me a while to figure out the characters and the dialogue. Not being born in the south, or from a small town, I found some of the aspects to be a bit odd at first...including the fact that there were only 755 people total that live in Maggody! But, I found the actions of the townspeople to be very comical and found the workings of the rumor mill to be entertaining. The mystery itself wasn't hard to decipher, but the appeal of this series seems to be in the characters themselves, as they are wacky, witty, and wonderfully entertaining. Great addition to the cozy genre! The first book in the series is called "Malice in Maggody". Enjoy!

It was Hizzoner, Jim Bob Buchanon's big day. Jim Bob's Supersaver Buy 4 Less was ready to open. The ribbon cutting ceremony was beginning, the high school band was playing, the cheerleaders were cheering, and the crush of the crowd had created a traffic jam in sleepy Maggody, Arkansas (population 755). With the deli, fresh produce department and food service picnic pavillion, some of the local merchants were far from happy, afraid ol' Jim Bob would put them out of business. But big events like this don't happen too often in Maggody, and so the whole town turned out to check out the new competition and try some of the promised, free "gourmet" food. Within minutes, people started getting sick and dropping like flies, and the big opening became the big closing. With her hands full of citizen complaints, health inspectors, and threats from Hizzoner, Chief of Police, Arly Hanks, could barely keep up with all the chaos, gossip, and rumors. But when another round of poisoning ensues, and a local dies, Arly figures this isn't just some mean spirited prank, turns up the heat on her investigation, and she won't stop until she gets to the truth..... Turn off the phone, and lock the door, Joan Hess is back with another marvelous romp through Maggody that will have you laughing out loud, and rooting for Arly to the very end. Her well paced story line is full of entertaining, vivid scenes, and intriguing subplots, and her writing is crisp and smart, complete with witty, irreverent dialogue and back-woods humor. But it's Ms Hess' wacky and quirky cast of characters that makes this novel stand out, and once you've gotten to know Maggody's finest, and not so finest, you'll be hooked for sure. With a hilarious climax that deftly ties all the story threads together, and a very satisfying conclusion, Madness In Maggody is a pleasure to read in a series that just gets better with each new installment. For those new to Arly Hanks and company, start at the beginning with Malice In Maggody, and read them all. For those who are already fans, enjoy!

The Maggody series is the funniest mystery series that I have ever read. The characters are very well developed, and it does not take long before you feel like a citizen in this bizarre little town.