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Joan Hess Complete Bibliography

Browse books by Joan Hess in publication order, including standalone books, complete series lists, reading order, and publication years.

Updated 2026-07-11 / 67 books / 7 series

American author Joan Hess is best known for the Maggody and Claire Malloy mystery series. A recipient of the American Mystery Award, her witty, character-driven novels have captivated readers for decades. This page provides the Joan Hess books in order, including both chronological order and series reading order.

Books by Joan Hess in Publication Order

1975 Crocodile on the Sandbank(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 1 Buy
1981 The Curse of the Pharaohs(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 2 Buy
1985 Strangled Prose POoCMB / 1 Buy
1985 The Mummy Case(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 3 Buy
1986 The Night-Blooming Cereus POoTBB / 1 Buy
1986 The Murder at the Murder at the Mimosa Inn POoCMB / 2 Buy
1986 Lion in the Valley(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 4 Buy
1987 Future Tense POoSN / 1 Buy
1987 Malice in Maggody POoAHB / 1 Buy
1987 Red Rover, Red Rover POoSN / 2 Buy
1987 Dear Miss Demeanor POoCMB / 3 Buy
1988 Miracles in Maggody POoAHB / 2 Buy
1988 The Deadly Ackee POoTBB / 2 Buy
1988 Mischief in Maggody POoAHB / 3 Buy
1988 A Really Cute Corpse POoCMB / 4 Buy
1988 The Deeds of the Disturber(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 5 Buy
1989 Much Ado in Maggody POoAHB / 4 Buy
1989 A Diet to Die For POoCMB / 5 Buy
1990 Too Much To Bare POoSS / 1 Buy
1991 Madness in Maggody POoAHB / 5 Buy
1991 Roll Over and Play Dead POoCMB / 6 Buy
1991 Mortal Remains in Maggody POoAHB / 6 Buy
1991 The Last Camel Died at Noon(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 6 Buy
1992 The Last To Know POoSS / 2 Buy
1992 Death by the Light of the Moon POoCMB / 7 Buy
1992 The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 7 Buy
1992 Maggody in Manhattan POoAHB / 7 Buy
1993 O Little Town of Maggody POoAHB / 8 Buy
1993 Poisoned Pins POoCMB / 8 Buy
1994 To Kill a Husband POoCMB / 9 Buy
1994 Martians in Maggody POoAHB / 9 Buy
1994 Tickled to Death POoCMB / 10 Buy
1995 Busy Bodies POoCMB / 11 Buy
1996 The Hippopotamus Pool(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 8 Buy
1996 Closely Akin to Murder POoCMB / 12 Buy
1997 Seeing a Large Cat(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 9 Buy
1997 The Maggody Militia POoAHB / 10 Buy
1997 A Holly, Jolly Murder POoCMB / 13 Buy
1998 The Ape Who Guards the Balance(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 10 Buy
1999 The Falcon at the Portal(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 11 Buy
1999 Misery Loves Maggody POoAHB / 11 Buy
2000 He Shall Thunder in the Sky(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 12 Buy
2000 [email protected] / [email protected] POoAHB / 12 Buy
2000 A Conventional Corpse POoCMB / 14 Buy
2001 Lord of the Silent(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 13 Buy
2001 Maggody and the Moonbeams POoAHB / 13 Buy
2002 Death of a Romance Writer and Other Stories POoSSC / 1 Buy
2002 The Golden One(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 14 Buy
2002 Out on a Limb POoCMB / 15 Buy
2003 Big Foot Stole My Wife! and Other Stories POoSSC / 2 Buy
2003 The Deadly Ackee and Other Stories of Crime and Catastrophe POoSSC / 3 Buy
2003 Children of the Storm(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 15 Buy
2004 Muletrain to Maggody POoAHB / 14 Buy
2004 Guardian of the Horizon(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 16 Buy
2005 The Goodbye Body POoCMB / 16 Buy
2005 The Serpent on the Crown(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 17 Buy
2006 Malpractice in Maggody POoAHB / 15 Buy
2006 Tomb of the Golden Bird(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 18 Buy
2007 Damsels in Distress POoCMB / 17 Buy
2008 Mummy Dearest POoCMB / 18 Buy
2009 The Merry Wives of Maggody POoAHB / 16 Buy
2010 A River in the Sky(By: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 19 Buy
2012 Deader Homes and Gardens POoCMB / 19 Buy
2013 Murder as a Second Language POoCMB / 20 Buy
2014 The Painted Queen(With: Elizabeth Peters) POoAPB / 20 Buy
2015 Pride v. Prejudice POoCMB / 21 Buy
2016 Caveat Emptor and Other Stories POoSSC / 4 Buy

Complete Joan Hess Series Reading Order / browse all ->

Claire Malloy Reading Order 21 books / 1985-2015
01 Strangled Prose 1985 Buy
02 The Murder at the Murder at the Mimosa Inn 1986 Buy
03 Dear Miss Demeanor 1987 Buy
04 A Really Cute Corpse 1988 Buy
05 A Diet to Die For 1989 Buy
06 Roll Over and Play Dead 1991 Buy
07 Death by the Light of the Moon 1992 Buy
08 Poisoned Pins 1993 Buy
09 To Kill a Husband 1994 Buy
10 Tickled to Death 1994 Buy
11 Busy Bodies 1995 Buy
12 Closely Akin to Murder 1996 Buy
13 A Holly, Jolly Murder 1997 Buy
14 A Conventional Corpse 2000 Buy
15 Out on a Limb 2002 Buy
16 The Goodbye Body 2005 Buy
17 Damsels in Distress 2007 Buy
18 Mummy Dearest 2008 Buy
19 Deader Homes and Gardens 2012 Buy
20 Murder as a Second Language 2013 Buy
21 Pride v. Prejudice 2015 Buy
Standalone Reading Order 2 books / 1987-1987
01 Future Tense 1987 Buy
02 Red Rover, Red Rover 1987 Buy
01 Death of a Romance Writer and Other Stories 2002 Buy
02 Big Foot Stole My Wife! and Other Stories 2003 Buy
03 The Deadly Ackee and Other Stories of Crime and Catastrophe 2003 Buy
04 Caveat Emptor and Other Stories 2016 Buy
Amelia Peabody Reading Order 20 books / 1975-2014
01 Crocodile on the Sandbank(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1975 Buy
02 The Curse of the Pharaohs(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1981 Buy
03 The Mummy Case(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1985 Buy
04 Lion in the Valley(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1986 Buy
05 The Deeds of the Disturber(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1988 Buy
06 The Last Camel Died at Noon(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1991 Buy
07 The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1992 Buy
08 The Hippopotamus Pool(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1996 Buy
09 Seeing a Large Cat(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1997 Buy
10 The Ape Who Guards the Balance(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1998 Buy
11 The Falcon at the Portal(By: Elizabeth Peters) 1999 Buy
12 He Shall Thunder in the Sky(By: Elizabeth Peters) 2000 Buy
13 Lord of the Silent(By: Elizabeth Peters) 2001 Buy
14 The Golden One(By: Elizabeth Peters) 2002 Buy
15 Children of the Storm(By: Elizabeth Peters) 2003 Buy
16 Guardian of the Horizon(By: Elizabeth Peters) 2004 Buy
17 The Serpent on the Crown(By: Elizabeth Peters) 2005 Buy
18 Tomb of the Golden Bird(By: Elizabeth Peters) 2006 Buy
19 A River in the Sky(By: Elizabeth Peters) 2010 Buy
20 The Painted Queen(With: Elizabeth Peters) 2014 Buy
01 Too Much To Bare 1990 Buy
02 The Last To Know 1992 Buy
Theo Bloomer Reading Order 2 books / 1986-1988
01 The Night-Blooming Cereus 1986 Buy
02 The Deadly Ackee 1988 Buy
Arly Hanks Reading Order 16 books / 1987-2009
01 Malice in Maggody 1987 Buy
02 Miracles in Maggody 1988 Buy
03 Mischief in Maggody 1988 Buy
04 Much Ado in Maggody 1989 Buy
05 Madness in Maggody 1991 Buy
06 Mortal Remains in Maggody 1991 Buy
07 Maggody in Manhattan 1992 Buy
08 O Little Town of Maggody 1993 Buy
09 Martians in Maggody 1994 Buy
10 The Maggody Militia 1997 Buy
11 Misery Loves Maggody 1999 Buy
13 Maggody and the Moonbeams 2001 Buy
14 Muletrain to Maggody 2004 Buy
15 Malpractice in Maggody 2006 Buy
16 The Merry Wives of Maggody 2009 Buy

Where to start with Joan Hess

What is the best order to read Joan Hess books?

Publication order is usually the safest place to start. If a book belongs to a series, follow the numbered series reading order shown on this page.

Are standalone books and series both included?

Yes. Standalone titles appear in the full chronological bibliography, and series are broken out separately with reading-order links when catalog data is available.

More authors

Lauren Beukes -> Melanie Dickerson -> Stephen R. Donaldson -> Mark Edwards ->

Source note: Sequencebooks organizes author, book, and series records from its catalog data. Publication years and series order are shown when available.