Sue Henry Books In Order

Publication Order of Jessie Arnold & Alex Jensen Books

Publication Order of Maxie and Stretch Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Sue Henry was born in 1940 and passed in November 2020 in Alaska, where she had called her home for almost a quarter of a century.

In her spare time she enjoyed going RVing and camping and spent whatever spare time she has outdoors.

Sue Henry has written many novels and is famous for her practice of depicting the Alaskan wilderness in most of her books. In fact, for one of her works, Dead North, she bought a motor home and spent several months on the Alaskan highway, researching the setting and climate, for her novel.

She commented on how her experiences during this trip, were written into the book, with her character going through much of what she went through. She cares deeply about her fans, and she once commented on her inner struggles that she faced one night, while she was sitting at a campfire looking up at the full moon, thinking about her book and how she could make it better. It is this commitment to getting every single detail right, that makes her books so engaging and absorbing.

Cold Company:

One of Sue Henry’s most famous books is called Cold Company. It is a perfect example of her ability to capture the breath-taking beauty of Alaska in text, and it also features the always great Jessie Arnold, the famous no nonsense heroine of the book. It centers on Jessie’s shady past coming back to haunt her, when a decades old skeleton is unearthed on her property. It ties in the mystery and suspense of a murder mystery with the rugged wilderness of her home. It’s the ninth book in the Jessie Arnold series, and breathes life into the somewhat ailing continuity of books. Praised by critics and readers alike, it is held on a metaphorical pedestal, for its great characterization and its ability to transport the reader into the story, and truly sympathize with the characters. The loving care she put into this book brings it to a whole other level, and it wholeheartedly earns its reputation as being her best work.

Murder on the Iditarod Trail:

This book, published in 1991, is the first in her famous Jessie Arnold book series. It was a critical success and earned her the Anthony and Macavity awards for best Mystery Thriller. It was her very first book, and its success spurred her on to make many more like it. It helped put Sue Henry on the literary map, and established her as a legitimate author in the eyes of the public. It’s a great book for teenagers and adults alike as it weaves a tale of believable mystery, that forces the characters into a quest for survival. It reflects Henry’s unique style, depicting the Alaskan landscape in such a way that you actually believe that you are there. The book was recognized for its greatness, and garnered much critical praise, with Publishers Weekly calling it “A riveting new series, with very strong characters.” It’s vivid detail spawned numerous sequels that ran strong for a number of years, and even served as inspiration for a different series written by Sue Henry.

The Serpents Trail:

The Serpents Trail, released in 2005, starts her Maxxie and Stretch book series, which expands on the stories of two characters that were featured in her previous book, Cold Company. In that story Maxine McNabb and her dog were just minor characters who were relatively unimportant to the plot, but with this book they have been fleshed out into full on main characters going about on their own adventures. It is highly recommended for readers who enjoy the Jessie Arnold series, as it incorporates the same use of mystery and suspense that the other series was so great at making. Its characters are very well written and has been praised for being, “a great book… Like a visit from a friend.” It was originally unwanted from fans of her previous series, as they didn’t want new characters spoiling the universe that Jessie Arnold lives in. However they were proved wrong when they read the book, as this is a remarkably strong start to the new series, that rivals her first book, Murder on the Iditarod Trail, which was the beginning of the beloved Jessie Arnold series.

he End of the Road, was released in 2010, and is the fourth book in her Maxxie and Stretch series. It centers on the traveling duo befriending an amiable drifter and inviting him over for dinner. He is later found dead in his motel room, and Maxine vows to bring the perpetrator to justice. It was received with mixed reviews, but is highly recommended for avid fans of the series. It strays off of her more traditional approach and focuses far more on the mystery of the story, and forgoes her usual style of romanticizing the greatness of nature. Rumors started to circulate that she had decided to quit writing, in order to live life to its fullest, but she has announced that she has no intent in doing so. Although it is true that this book was released some time ago, she has promised that she is not finished writing, and plans on releasing a new novel sometime soon, preferably in the very near future.

Movie – The Cold Heart of a Killer:

Released in 1996, The Cold Heart of a Killer is a TV movie based off Sue Henry’s novel Murder on the Iditarod Trail. It stars Kate Jackson as the lead female role of Jessie Arnold, and even features big name actor Corbin Bernsen. It departs slightly from its original source, in order to make it more sensible for a movie adaptation, but overall it holds true to the book. Unfortunately, it was not popular enough to warrant a sequel and the movie adaption of the second book in the series was never made. However, it is well liked by those who have seen it, and holds a solid 6.1 rating on IMdB.

6 Responses to “Sue Henry”

1. Sherry: 3 weeks ago

   I just at this minute found out that Sue Henry had died. It hit me as If I had lost a friend.

   Reply
2. Kay BREWER: 1 year ago

   I’m still waiting after all this time, to see if any of Ms Henry’s family might publish Cold As Ice posthumously. I, for one, would love to see it on the shelves and I expect a lot of her fans would, too. Can anybody find out if there are any plans to publish? Thank you, Kay Brewer

   Reply
3. Patricia Wells: 1 year ago

   I have all of Sue Henrys books. I live in Alaska and have not seen this book Cold as Ice available here either. I knew Sue had passed away & will miss her interesting books, all were so fun to read especially being from Alaska. RIP Sue Henry, job well done !! You are sorely missed

   Reply
4. Pollysthings: 2 years ago

   Unfortunately Sue Henry died in November of 2020 in Anchorage, Alaska
   I too was looking forward to the book Cold as Ice. As far as I know Ms Henry became very ill and the book wasn’t completed. She was a fantastic author and because she lived here in Alaska she was able to describe it to a T.

   Reply
5. Mina Morgan: 3 years ago

   I was wondering if Cold As Ice is going to be published? I have read all of Sue Henry’s books about Alaska and am interested in reading this one.
   Thank you
   Mina Morgan

   Reply
   • Graeme: 3 years ago

     I don’t believe so. I remember hearing it had a very “limited publishing” but I don’t know if that was the case. I’ve never seen an actual copy.

     Reply