Joan Hess

Joan Hess (January 6, 1949 – November 23, 2017) was an American mystery writer, best known for her popular mystery series, The Claire Malloy Mysteries and The Maggody Mysteries (also called The Arly Hanks Mysteries). She was a member of Sisters in Crime and a former president of the American Crime Writers League. Hess also contributed to multiple anthologies and book series, including Crosswinds, Deadly Allies, Malice Domestic, Sisters in Crime, and The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. Under the pseudonym Joan Hadley, she wrote the Theo Bloomer mystery series. Her Claire Malloy series is set in Farberville, Arkansas, and revolves around the bookstore owner Claire Malloy, while the Arly Hanks series is set in a fictional town.