Hank the Cowdog Books in Order
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🎧 Listen to The original adventures of Hank the Cowdog on Audible
Hank the Cowdog is a series of mystery adventures centered on a clever and resourceful cowdog who serves as the ranch's security officer. Set on a rural ranch, the stories often involve Hank solving various problems, facing natural disasters, and navigating relationships with other animals. The series emphasizes Hank's determination, humor, and loyalty as he tackles challenges that test his wit and courage.
Books in this series
Ordered by first publication where known. The official numbering for this series is incomplete in our sources, so we don't show series numbers we can't verify.
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Buy on AmazonThe original adventures of Hank the Cowdog
1983 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, is accused of murdering a chicken. He is framed for the crime and forced to flee. As an outlaw, he joins…
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Buy on AmazonThe further adventures of Hank the Cowdog
1983 · John R. Erickson
The further adventures of Hank the Cowdog is a children's book in the long-running Hank the Cowdog series by John R. Erickson, featuring the titular…
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Buy on Amazon1984 · John R. Erickson
Duped into thinking the world is coming to an end, Hank the Cowdog winds up in town for more adventures, including getting in and out of a case of…
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Buy on Amazon1984 · John R. Erickson
When a calf is murdered, Hank, a wily cowdog and head of ranch security, pursues a gang of wild dogs and a clan of coyotes to find the killer.
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Buy on Amazon1985 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog quits his job as head of ranch security and travels in search of adventure and romance.
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Buy on AmazonThe curse of the incredible priceless corncob
1986 · John R. Erickson
While trying to outwit his arch enemy Pete the Barncat, Hank the Cowdog is duped into believing a worthless corncob will bring him fame and fortune.
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the Halloween ghost
1987 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog has one of the scariest adventures of his life when he and his cowardly companion Drover find themselves in a strange and spooky…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse
1988 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog goes to the rescue as a wild, one-eyed horse creates havoc on the ranch, but some of his outrageous stunts get him into more trouble…
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Buy on Amazon1988 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog encounters a series of escalating troubles that challenge his abilities and resolve. Through perseverance and clever thinking, he…
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Buy on AmazonLost in the dark unchanted forest
1988 · John R. Erickson
Fearless Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, enters the dark unchanted forest to rescue his master's son from Sinister the bobcat. The journey…
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Buy on AmazonThe wounded buzzard on Christmas Eve
1989 · John R. Erickson
Accompanying Slim and Little Alfred into town on a Christmas shopping trip, Hank and Drover run into a wounded buzzard and a gang of toughs so mean…
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Buy on Amazon1991 · John R. Erickson
While battling a "blinded" blizzard to get cough syrup for Baby Mollie, fearless Hank charms Miss Beulah the Collie Dog, saves Slim and Drover from…
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the car-barkaholic dog
1991 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, finds himself stranded in town and drawn into a dangerous situation involving his sister Maggie and a…
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Buy on Amazon1992 · John R. Erickson
Hank the cowdog and his human friends, Little Alfred and Slim Chance, temporarily take charge of the ranch while their supervisor is away. Their…
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Buy on Amazon1993 · John R. Erickson
The Phantom in the Mirror is a children's mystery novel in the Hank the Cowdog series, featuring the titular character Hank as he investigates a…
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Buy on Amazon1993 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, head of ranch security, investigates the mystery surrounding an unusual cat, facing the dangers of Picket Canyon as he works to…
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Buy on Amazon1994 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog must protect the ranch from an orphaned raccoon afflicted with "moonlight madness," a condition that gives it an itch for trouble…
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the black-hooded hangmans
1995 · John R. Erickson
When he gets blamed after one of Eddy the raccoon's tricks backfires, Hank's search for the missing Eddy leads him and his sidekick Drover to a…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado
1995 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog and his sidekick Drover confront a huge storm that strikes the ranch in the middle of the night, facing a swirling, dangerous tornado…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Kidnapped Collie
1996 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, acting as head of ranch security, uses all his sleuthing skills after a major theft occurs on the ranch and Miss Beulah is kidnapped.
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Night-stalking Bone Monster
1996 · John R. Erickson
When his juicy T-bones vanish before he can enjoy them, Hank the Cowdog becomes convinced a Bone Monster is loose on the ranch and sets out to stop…
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Buy on Amazon1997 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, head of ranch security, discovers that drinking a bucket of plant food restores his energy, but it also leaves him with a serious…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper
1997 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog recounts how he barely escaped crazy Slim and his tail-eating vacuum sweeper, single-handedly saving the ranch from a huge…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Fiddle Playing Fox
1998 · John R. Erickson
While working on a mysterious case involving disappearing eggs and a fiddle-playing fox named Frankie, Hank the Cowdog falls for Miss Beulah, the…
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the vanishing fishhook
1998 · John R. Erickson
While supervising Little Alfred's fishing trip, Hank the Cowdog finds a routine expedition turning into a crisis when a fishhook ends up in his own…
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the haystack kitties
1998 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog encounters a family of stray cats that have taken shelter in a haystack, leading to a confrontation. The situation escalates when…
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Buy on Amazon1999 · John R. Erickson
When the ranch falls on hard times, cowboy Slim decides to hit the road in search of a new job, inadvertently taking Hank and Drover along with him.
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the deadly ha-ha game
2001 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, head of ranch security, and assistant deputy Drover engage in an epic battle with the coyotes Rip and Snort as all of them seek some…
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Buy on Amazon2001 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, law-abiding head of ranch security, is abandoned and lost in a strange town. There he embarks on a spree of fun and mischief…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case Of The Raging Rottweiler
2001 · John R. Erickson
A massive Rottweiler, described by Hank as being the size of King Kong, poses a serious threat to the safety and security of Hank the Cowdog's ranch.
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the missing bird dog
2002 · John R. Erickson
Hank sets out to find Plato, a missing bird dog, leading him into a confrontation with an angry feral hog and her litter. The encounter presents a…
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the burrowing robot
2003 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, serving as Head of Ranch Security, employs his detective abilities to uncover the culprit behind the mysterious digging in Sally…
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Buy on Amazon2004 · John R. Erickson
After getting blamed when Sally May's car ends up in a snowdrift, Hank suspects this is another plot by Pete the Barncat to get him in trouble.
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Buy on Amazon2005 · John R. Erickson
After collecting clues from the chickens and the cat indicating that the sky will fall, Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, springs into action…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies
2006 · John R. Erickson
In the course of his job as Head of Ranch Security, Hank the dog is asked to guard five chicks, despite the fact that poultry is his favorite kind of…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Monkey Burglar
2006 · John R. Erickson
Hank learns of a tool thief on the loose who uses a monkey to help commit his crimes, and soon finds himself face-to-face with the pilfering primate,…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Most Ancient Bone
2007 · John R. Erickson
When Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, follows Little Alfred to an archaeological excavation, he runs into trouble in the form of a gorgeous…
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Buy on Amazon2008 · John R. Erickson
With the threat of prairie fires looming, security expert Hank the Cowdog takes on extra duties as Head of Fire Safety, all while trying to resist…
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Buy on AmazonThe Quest for the Great White Quail
2008 · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog, prompted by his beloved Beulah the collie, sets out to find his nemesis, Plato the wayward bird dog, temporarily setting aside his…
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Buy on Amazon2009 · John R. Erickson
This book recounts what Hank's trusty sidekick Drover's life was like before he came to the ranch, from his early days as the runt of the litter…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case Of The Dinosaur Birds
2009 · John R. Erickson
Unaware that his nemesis Pete the Barncat is playing yet another prank on him, Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, tries to save the world from…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Coyote Invasion
2010 · John R. Erickson
When Hank the Cowdog hears reports that coyotes are planning to go after the chickens, he manages to resist the temptation to join them and instead…
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Buy on AmazonThe Case of the Mysterious Voice
2011 · John R. Erickson
When an odd turn of events brings a parrot to the ranch, Hank ignores the mimicking bird and struggles to keep up with Sally May and Loper's…
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Buy on Amazon2011 · John R. Erickson
Hank and Drover are excited when a nap in the back of Slim's pickup turns into a trip to town, but the excitement turns to drama at the livestock…
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Buy on Amazon2012 · John R. Erickson
The Big Question is a book in the Hank the Cowdog series by John R. Erickson. It centers on Slim Chance's proposal to Miss Viola, including her…
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Buy on Amazon2012 · John R. Erickson
The Case of the Perfect Dog is a children's mystery novel in the Hank the Cowdog series by John R. Erickson, in which Pete the Cow Cat attempts to…
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Buy on Amazon2013 · John R. Erickson
Everyone knows bears live in the mountains, and there are no mountains in the Texas Panhandle, so when Slim claims to have seen a bear cross the…
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Buy on Amazon2013 · John R. Erickson
Hank and Drover wake to a coyote invasion of the ranch aimed at making a meal of the cat Pete, but after Hank does Pete a favor, the coyotes catch…
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Buy on Amazon2014 · John R. Erickson
Slim must complete Uncle Johnny's "little job," which has become more complicated than he signed up for, and race home in time to patch things up…
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Buy on AmazonThe return of the Charlie Monsters
2014 · John R. Erickson
When a turkey debacle endangers his relationship with Sally May and a case of poisoning almost kills him, Hank must figure out who might be his…
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Buy on Amazon2015 · John R. Erickson
Hank and the cowboys are in desperate need of rain to combat the worst drought the ranch has ever seen.
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Buy on AmazonThe case of the wandering goats
2017 · John R. Erickson
Hank and Slim encounter unexpected dangers and surprises as they search for a herd of missing show goats.
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Buy on AmazonThe garbage monster from outer space
Year unknown · John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog is determined to find out who's behind the series of garbage barrel raids for which he is being held responsible. The book centers on…
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Buy on AmazonYear unknown · John R. Erickson
When Slim is left to take care of the ranch and little Alfred, who has the measles, he gets sick himself and a freak blizzard sets in. It is up to…
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Frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Hank the Cowdog books in?
Read them in publication order — the list above is sorted by first publication where known, starting with “The original adventures of Hank the Cowdog”.
How many books are in the Hank the Cowdog series?
We list 63 books by John R. Erickson , published between 1983–2017.
Where can I buy the Hank the Cowdog books?
Each title above links to Amazon. See our affiliate disclosure.
More series like Hank the Cowdog
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.