The Case of the Black-hooded Hangmans

Hank the Cowdog #24

by John R. Erickson, Gerald L. Holmes (Illustrations)

When Eddy the Rac disappears from the ranch, a search for the fugitive leads Hank, along with Drover and Little Alfred, into the lair of the dreaded Black-Hooded Hangmans.

Genres: Animals, Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Adventure, Chapter Books, Comedy

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years."

Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults, and when Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks.

When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans.

Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hank the Cowdog never fails to entertain me when I am taking a trip and need an audio book to listen to on the ride. The narrator (who is also the author) is fabulous. He does ALL the voices and is INCREDIBLE at making them distinct and different from each other. I especially love Drover’s, Hank’s, and Junior’s voices. This book (whether you listen to the audio like me or read it) is just plain fun just like all the other Hank the Cowdog books. Full of laugh aloud moments and witty jokes throughout. I love Hank the Cowdog!

[Kristen Holland Shear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full candor: We listened to this on a road trip to Arkansas. It took about 4 hours and is a classic Hank the Cowdog tale, full of ranch antics and a cast of characters that would make the likes of Louis L'Amour and just about any other western author stand in awe.

[bear.hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud

[Darryl Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read pretty much this entire series years ago after I descovered them in my elementary school libary. The plot, and characters are great. Plus these books are extremly funny. I loved this series then and I still love it.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this Soren said "Mom, I still just love Hank the cowdog." He said this was very funny, and almost embarassing.

[Anna Mari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Hank, will you never learn?

[Kiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like this book because of the dog . he is the funniest in the book . my favorite part was when hank was defiant to the bull and the bull hit him to the gate .

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eddie the Rac AND Wallace and Junior?! How could I go wrong?

[Becky S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it was a sneaky raccoon that caused all the trouble in the first place but the book just dragged. Probably just right for a 1st grader but painful for the parents to listen too.

[SSM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha. Hanks the best!

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has a raccoon and feel-good ending. Pretty much a two-fer.

[Blake Guin]

This book was good. It was very inspiring.