Big Foot Stole My Wife! and Other Stories

by Joan Hess

Agatha and Macavity Award-winning AuthorIn this latest collection by Joan Hess, we see a variety of moods and styles, all displaying why she is such an enduring favorite for readers everywhere. Included are two Claire Malloy stories and a case from the Maggody Files.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery

202 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2003

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

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable group of easy to read short stories.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a set of enjoyable yet quirky short stories, some of which feature Joan Hess's beloved characters from her other series. It is a good read when you are in the mood for something a bit different.

[Jessie’s girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ate

[Kay Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a Joan Hess fan forever, and have all the Claire Malloy and Maggody books on my keeper shelf, so I grabbed this collection of short stories when I saw it. The stories were all written in the 90s, but they were new to me. Two are Claire Malloy shorts, two Maggody stories (one with Arly and one with only Ruby Bee and Estelle). The other seven are funny in a very dark and sometimes rather twisted way, most of them rooted in domestic tension. Let's just say no one in these stories is happily married. I enjoyed them all.

[Susan Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This group of short stories prove that Joan Hess had a depth that may not be readily apparent from the Maggody series.
Sharp witted, gritty, and occasionally even a little mean; the characters in each story are surprising and entertaining.
Highly recommend. I, for one, miss seeing new material from this lady.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the quirky title fool you- great series of mystery stories. Memorable stand-alone short mystery stories and old times revisited with both sets of the Joan Hess series. Loved the familiar characters and new to me mysteries. She was a fantastic writer.

[Little Red Readinghood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty short mysteries. Enjoy the ride.

[Andrea Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected delight

I've read Joan Hess for years and always enjoyed her writing . This was along a different vein but I really enjoyed it.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories are from the 90's. A few are not to my taste but the majority are very good and some are from related character stories. I plan to check them out as the short stories have a nice touch.

[Lisbeth Mizula · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my early favorite short stories from Malice Domestic Anthologies is in this collection--I loved this hilarious crime story about a woman behaving badly--Make Yourselves at Home.

[Jessica Lerbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite darkly amusing, most of them (and some quite sad).

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darkly funny and clever with the authors trademark keen insight into human nature.

[Crittermom · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to blending humor and mystery, few do it quite as well as Joan Hess.  Her Arly Hanks mysteries set in quirky backwater Maggody as well as her Claire Malloy cozies have long been favorites.  Fortunately for readers, many of the novels are now available in ebook form.

Big Foot Stole My Wife and Other Stories gives readers a sampling of Joan Hess’s uniquely humorous and often surprising writing.  If you are like me, the various twists will leave you smiling, even or perhaps especially when justice isn’t served.  The stories vary widely in style, but all are cleverly plotted.  As a bonus, she has included a few stories featuring Arly Hanks and one featuring Claire Malloy.  

Whether you are a long time fan of Joan Hess or a newcomer looking for some light mysteries with a humorous twist, Big Foot Stole My Wife and Other Stories is an anthology that will leave you smiling.

5/5

I received a copy of Big Foot Stole My Wife and Other Stories from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

—Crittermom 

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big Foot Stole My Wife and Other Stories by Joan Hess is a collection of mostly rather dark mysteries. Honestly, I didn't like most of them. I did enjoy the 2 Claire Malloy mysteries and the 2 Arly Hanks mysteries, though.

Many of the mysteries had a slow pace. And in some of them, the characters weren't even likable. If not for the Claire Malloy mysteries and Arly Hanks mysteries, I would have given the book a 2 out of 5 stars. Generally speaking, Joan Hess's writing is good, but these stories just didn't click for me. This collection was first published in 2003. This is a re-release issued in July of 2016.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. If you describe a collection of short stories as hit and miss, most of these were misses for me. If you like your short stories a little slow, dark, and weird, then check this collection out.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

No other contemporary writer that I know couples gentle satire of small town life and people with a razor sharp sense of humor than Joan Hess. This collection of tales is another delicious example of her wit and ingenious plots. Her novels and short fiction are reminiscent of Road Dahl’s adult stories and some of the tales in Arthur C Clarke’s Tales of the White Hart.

You will find familiar characters from her novels, as well as stand alone stories here. What are they about?

I am not about to give away plots – some of the titles are suggestive, though – ‘Big Foot Stole My Wife!’ – should give you a clue.

If you want some terrific laughs and enjoy offbeat, but all too familiar characters, then STOP what you’re doing!

And jump on this beauty of a book now!

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a fan of Hess' Maggody and Claire Malloy series, but I'm not a big fan of short stories. I thought I'd try this collection because a couple were based on the two series I enjoy. Of course, those were the 4 stories I liked the most.

If you are expecting these stories to be amusing and on the lighter side as the Maggody and Malloy books, you will be disappointed. You may get some satisfaction that the bad guys get some comeuppance, but the overall mood of the stories is quite dark without being graphic. Many of the stories deal with dysfunctional relationships which got a little predictable/tedious.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a fan of Hess' Maggody and Claire Malloy series, but I'm not a big fan of short stories. I thought I'd try this collection because a couple were based on the two series I enjoy. Of course, those were the 4 stories I liked the most.

If you are expecting these stories to be amusing and on the lighter side as the Maggody and Malloy books, you will be disappointed. You may get some satisfaction that the bad guys get some comeuppance, but the overall mood of the stories is quite dark without being graphic. Many of the stories deal with dysfunctional relationships which got a little predictable/tedious.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Glennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book as I was browsing the library shelves and the title caught my eye! I've enjoyed Joan Hess's Claire Malloy series and read a few of the Maggody books too, so this looked like fun. Read the first 2 stories so far,,, first one was hilarious, second one not so much, but still reading!
Now that I've finished, I have to say that I enjoyed the two Claire Malloy stories,, reminded me why I liked that series,, and I liked the two Maggody stories too. The rest of the stories,, were,, meh,,, didn't do that much for me except for the Big Foot one.

[Joshua]

Review based on ARC received from NetGalley:

Big Foot Stole My Wife is a collection of short murder - occasionally mystery - stories which all share the distinction of being just a bit quirky. The ending to the title story is slightly ambiguous and given the two main characters are unlikable, not wholly unexpected. The rest of the collection is hit and miss, though the death by yellow jackets was one of my favorites from an originality standpoint.

[Ladysatel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short murder mystery stories from Joan Hess. Two feature Claire Malloy and two feature the little (pop. 755) town of Maggody, Arkansas.

Each story has a sly twist explaining the reason for the murder. As usual a huge dose of wry humor is included in the story.

For a nice break from the gory murders on the market now this collection will satisfy.

[Alice Teets · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book 3/5 stars based on my liking. It just wasn't my cup of tea, BUT it was well-written. Fans of David Sedaris would love her; I am just not that big of a fan of dark comedy.

Seriously - if you like snarky, sarcastic reads, then you will love this.

I was given a copy of this book by Net Galley, but the review is obviously all my own.

[Marfski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great catchy title and a good story. Although a lot of the other stories in the collection were not as good. I found that a lot of the main characters seemed to have drinking problems or psychological problems and I simply found those stories disturbing.

[Cynthia Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pseudo horror/short story collection. There were several creepy stories, but nothing I couldn't tolerate. Her characters are believable and the situations are as well. I'm looking forward to other collections.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mystery short stories, I grew up reading books similar to this. Finding this book was like a little visit back to childhood days. Loved most of the stories, liked all of them. Would love to read more of her books, and I cannot wait to visit Maggody again.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore the author's fondness for articulate, funny women. For this collection, my fav short story was "Cremains of the Day."