Maggody in Manhattan

Arly Hanks #6

by Joan Hess

Chief of Police Arly Hanks can't even look at a postcard of Manhattan's skyline--which reminds her of a broken line graph--without feeling dizzy and nauseated. So the last place on earth she wants to be is back in the City of Bright Lights, with its towering skyscrapers, memories of her nasty divorce, and a most inconvenient murder. But when Ruby Bee wins an all-expense-paid trip to New York as a finalist in the KoKo-Nut Cooking Contest and is arrested for attempted murder, it looks like Arly to the rescue. Checking into the Chadwick Hotel, Arly finds herself sharing recipes with the good-looking, single Durmond Pilverman, whose talents go way beyond his skill at baking a KoKo-Nut Kream Pie. And when a dead body turns up in the hotel dumpster, Arly begins to suspect that too many chefs are spoiling the broth in this national cook-off. And the .38 she finds hidden in Durmond's dresser has her wondering if she's been sleeping with the enemy....

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, New York, Comedy

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published October 1, 1993

About the author

Joan 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

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

The more I think about this one the more of a head scratcher it is. I still don't understand the point of all the Maggody storylines; there was no wrap up to the Kevin/Dahlia honeymoon bit or the Mrs. Jim Bob/Brother Verber stuff. The book just ended. Am I supposed to read the next one to find out what happens? Is that why? I couldn't get into this book. Maybe if I'd started at the beginning of the series the characters wouldn't feel so hollow.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I missed Maggody in Manhattan earlier because: a) the book designs look similar, b) the covers have no numbers on them, c) Arly talks about her time in New York (prior to the series) and Ruby denigrates New Yahrk so much that I thought I’d already read this, or d) some combination of all of those. Regardless, Maggody in Manhattan features comedic gangsters which are the logical extensions of Runyon’s “citizens,” a P.R. woman who is of the nightmare prototype (I’ve known a lot of PR people in my career and only one like that (and she didn’t last long).), a scion of the founder of a large corporation who serves as a poster child for why corporations with family names in Japan often “adopt” executives into the family to become the next CEOs, and, of course, a new love interest for Arly—although he is something more than he seems (wouldn’t you know it?).

Ruby Bee, Arly’s mother, becomes the same kind of busy-body in NYC that she is in Maggody, but the law enforcement authorities aren’t quite as generous with her as her daughter the sheriff would be. Don’t want to lose the “homey-ness” of Maggody? There are sub-plots where Kevin and Dahlia’s honeymoon is hijacked and Brother Verber finds he has more in common with Truman Capote than he might realize (you’ll understand when you get to it). Mrs. Jim Bohannon ensures that her husband pays for his sins, but finds out that her own indiscretions could be found out. The Verber side-story is funnier and faster-paced than the Kevin and Dahlia story that, in my opinion, drags on too long—even though it is worth a few chuckles.

As for the main mystery, it isn’t nearly as good as the typical Joan Hess mystery, whether Arly or Claire Malloy is the protagonist. Everything is pretty obvious from the beginning, but the comedic chaos and constantly shifting disasters play out like some of the stranger Marx Brothers scenes aboard ships and in small hotel rooms. So, even though I didn’t feel like Maggody in Manhattan was up to Hess’ usual standards, I still love the whole series. I get a laugh and, usually, a puzzle (though the Claire Malloy novels usually have less comedy and more satisfying mysteries).

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my least favorite book in the series so far. Multiple light scenarios were drawn and developed, but didn't seem to come together and didn't hold my interest very well. I thought the murder resolution at the end was disjointed and forced. Still, this author has a great comedic style of writing and she does not disappoint in this book. There was a scene in a cave that I found particularly funny. It will be worth returning to the series when I am ready for more of her humor.

[Colleendearborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheriff Arly Hanks, her mother and other quirky characters were amusing as they traveled to New York City for a baking contest, and encountered gangsters and dead bodies. Enjoyed the outstanding audiobook narrator and comic plot (and subplots.) Listened to book through Hoopla Digital, and will probably read more from this series.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you follow Arly Hanks you will understand the madness in this book. From Ruby Bee (Arly's mother) winning a cooking contest and going to a cook off what could go wrong? Then there are Kevin and Dahlia going off on their honeymoon and getting lost (who would expect that). Chaos rules in this one.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun Arly Hanks/Maggody book, with a nice twist: a new locale (Manhattan). It was humorous seeing the contrast between "country folk" from Maggody and "city folk" in NTC. It was also humorous comparing the two locations.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did't like this installment as much as I did the others that I have read. Too many branches to the story. Stay in Maggody!!

[Charlotte Lintz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun series

I like to read these for something light. They are always fun, lighthearted, with a good mystery. Each can be read alone. Have fun!

[Leezie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best, not the worst installment

[Christine Lucia Asha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious as always but a little convoluted solution....except for Marvel, of course. He was very clever and entertaining!

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like funny and quirky this one is for you, this was such a crazy read.

[RICHARD DELIBERTY · Rating 4 out of 5]

It'd had been awhile since I'd read any Joan Hess novels. It felt like old home week to return to the real mysteries and clownish characters that inhabit Maggody. Great book.

[Barbara Cryer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all well written. Blah

[Sheryl Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left a couple of story lines up in the air. I hope they will be further explored in the next book.

[Kyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rounded up, because I read this book during a stressful weekend, and I'm not sure I caught all the nuances. It kept me smiling.

8/24/21 Reread it, and it was still kinda confusing because there's three separate story lines going on - Ruby and Estelle are in Manhattan taking part in a baking contest that Ruby cheated to get into and is apparently tied to drug dealers gets more dubious by the hour. A man is found wounded and naked in Ruby's bed, a gun is fired, but she didn't shoot him, and while Estelle calls Arly to come get her mother out of jail, the older pair promptly berate and then ignore Arly nearly as soon as she arrives. Yes, it's as bewildering as that sentence.

Meanwhile, Dahlia and Kevin have gotten married, gotten lost trying to get to Niagara Falls, and are held hostage in a diner somewhere in Kentucky. Kevin's mother keeps calling Arly with updates because Kevin's father is tired of listening to her.

Mrs. Jim Bob tries to save the youth of Maggody from demon liquor, winds up discovering more than she wants to and ends up with Brother Verber looking for Raz's still in a rainstorm with a lot of highly compromising boxes.

Maggody is weird, aggravating, amusing in a so-glad-I-don't-live-there way.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a pleasure to visit Maggody. Although this time several of the denizens were heading to Manhattan to create their own particular brand of trouble.

The mysteries are secondary to the silliness here. Who won't laugh at what Mrs. Jim Bob and Brother Verber get themselves into when they try to wipe out the evils of alcohol and lust? Kevin and Dahlia head off on their honeymoon only to become the prisoners of a criminal (Marvel). Arly goes to Manhattan to rescue her mom after she's been arrested for shooting at the police. Stir the pot and mayhem ensues.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a re-read. Don't know if I don't remember it as good, or because I've been re-reading so many of the Maggody mysteries lately. But, this one doesn't seem to live up to the others. Yes, Ms Hess took the characters out of Maggody, but she didn't take the Maggody out of the characters, which is a good thing, but the plot didn't keep me interested.

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the sixth entry in the series, Arly must travel to NYC to try to get her friend Ruby Bee off the hook when implicated in a crime that occurs at a cooking contest. (Gotta love those names!)

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

See book #1.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I think I have the plot all figured out, the author throws in an interesting twist. A fun read.

[Pat]

Arly Hanks

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typically funny but only so-so mystery.

[Teddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many continuing storylines. I sure hope they are all going somewhere.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

In NYC Ruby is a finalist in the Koko-Nuts baking contest.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #58 read in 2012

This was not the best of the series. It kind of dragged on. And I am finding myself sick of some of the Maggody crew. Will see about continuing the series.

[Arlene Richards · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a Arley Hank's fan.
This is the second book I have read in this series and it will be my last.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Laugh-out-loud funny in places, especially at first. However, the plot deteriorated from satirical to ridiculous and not even very funny in the conclusion.

[Larisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoy the Maggody series

[Cyndi Berve]

Seriously silly.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

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