Sue Henry books

Sue Henry was an Alaskan mystery writer known for the Jessie Arnold and Alex Jensen series and the Maxie and Stretch mysteries, all set in Alaska.

Anthologies

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Malice Domestic 5 1996 Buy
Sisters on the Case 2007 Buy

Jessie Arnold & Alex Jensen Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Murder on the Iditarod Trail 1991 Buy
Termination Dust 1995 Buy
Sleeping Lady 1996 Buy
Death Takes Passage 1997 Buy
Puppet Master 1997 N/A
Deadfall 1998 Buy
Murder on the Yukon Quest 1999 Buy
Beneath the Ashes 2000 Buy
Dead North 2001 Buy
Cold Company 2002 Buy
Death Trap 2003 Buy
Murder at Five Finger Light 2005 Buy
Degrees of Separation 2008 Buy

Maxie and Stretch Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Serpents Trail 2004 Buy
The Tooth of Time 2006 Buy
The Refuge 2007 Buy
The End of the Road 2009 Buy

Sue Henry (1940-2019) was an Alaskan mystery writer whose books are inseparable from their setting. She lived in Alaska for decades, and her two mystery series draw heavily on the state’s geography, weather, and outdoor culture. The Jessie Arnold and Alex Jensen series, which began with Murder on the Iditarod Trail in 1991, follows a sled dog racer and a state trooper who keep stumbling into criminal investigations across Alaska’s backcountry.

Her second series features Maxie McNabb and her miniature dachshund Stretch, an older woman who travels the country in an RV and encounters mysteries along the way. The Maxie books have a lighter tone than the Jessie Arnold novels but share the same attention to specific places and landscapes. Henry also contributed to mystery anthologies. Her Alaska settings are what set her work apart – she wrote about places she knew firsthand, and the cold, isolation, and beauty of the state run through every book.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Sue Henry written?

Sue Henry has written nineteen books across three series.

What was Sue Henry's first book?

Sue Henry’s first book is Murder on the Iditarod Trail, published in 1991.

What makes Sue Henry's mysteries distinctive?

Sue Henry’s books are set in Alaska, and the state’s landscape, weather, and culture are woven into every story. Her Jessie Arnold series features a sled dog racer, and the first book, Murder on the Iditarod Trail, takes place during Alaska’s famous long-distance sled dog race. The remote, harsh settings give her mysteries a different feel from typical crime fiction.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may receive commissions for purchases made through links on this site.

Privacy Policy