Book Series · 82 Books

Hank the Cowdog Books

In order from The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog to The Case of the Poetic Bird Dog.

The Hank the Cowdog series is a set of 82 chapter books by John R. Erickson, published between 1980 and 2024. Written for ages 8–12, most books run about 120 pages. Subjects across the series include solving crimes, cowboys and cowgirls, and farm life and ranch life.

The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

Sale price

$674

Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–11 · 1980

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog

By Gerald L. Holmes (Illustrator)

A dog named Hank investigates a murder on a ranch and gets into various misadventures.

127 pages· 23,464 words· Est. 3.5 hour read

$6.99Save 4%

Paperback

Summary: Hank, the self-proclaimed Head of Ranch Security, faces a crisis when he's accused of murder. With his sidekick Drover, he must unravel the mystery to prove his innocence. Is Hank truly an outlaw, or can he outsmart the real culprits? As the tension rises, Hank's reputation and freedom hang in the balance. Can he solve the case before it's too late?

In reading order

Hank the Cowdog Series

82 books · Published 1980–2024

Year	#	Title	Author	Illustrator	Pages
1980	1	The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog		Gerald L. Holmes	127
1983	2	The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	127
1984	3	It's a Dog's Life	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	127
1985	4	Murder in the Middle Pasture	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	130
1988	6	Let Sleeping Dogs Lie	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	146
1986	7	The Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	146
1987	8	The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	130
1987	9	The Case of the Halloween Ghost	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	123
1987	10	Every Dog Has His Day	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	118
1988	11	Lost in the Dark Unchanted Forest	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	146
1989	12	The Case of the Fiddle-Playing Fox	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	118
1989	13	The Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	112
1990	14	Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	110
1990	15	The Case of the Missing Cat	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	114
1991	16	Lost in the Blinded Blizzard	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	115
1991	17	The Case of the Car-Barkaholic Dog			115
1992	18	The Case of the Hooking Bull			119
1992	19	The Case of the Midnight Rustler			113
1993	20	The Phantom in the Mirror			114
1993	21	The Case of the Vampire Cat	John R. Erickson		115
2013	22	The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting			114
1994	23	Moonlight Madness			114
1995	24	The Case of the Black-Hooded Hangmans			113
2013	25	The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	112
1996	26	The Case of the Kidnapped Collie (Hank the Cowdog			113
1996	27	The Case of the Night-Stalking Bone Monster			115
1997	28	The Mopwater Files (Hank the Cowdog			111
1997	29	The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper			119
1998	30	The Case of the Haystack Kitties			123
1998	31	The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook			124
1999	32	The Garbage Monster from Outer Space			126
1999	33	The Case of the Measled Cowboy			126
2000	34	Slim's Good-bye			132
2000	35	The Case of the Saddle House Robbery			125
2000	36	The Case of the Raging Rottweiler	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	131
2013	37	The Case of the Deadly Ha-Ha Game	John R. Erickson		128
2001	38	The Fling			126
2013	39	The Secret Laundry Monster Files			128
2002	40	The Case of the Missing Bird Dog			126
2003	41	The Case of the Shipwrecked Tree			119
2003	42	The Case of the Burrowing Robot			125
2004	43	The Case of the Twisted Kitty			131
2004	44	The Dungeon of Doom			122
2005	45	The Case of the Falling Sky (Hank the Cowdog			129
2012	46	The Case of the Tricky Trap			126
2006	47	The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies			129
2006	48	The Case of the Monkey Burglar			129
2012	49	The Case of the Booby-Trapped Pickup			129
2012	50	The Case of the Most Ancient Bone (Hank the Cowdog			239
2008	51	The Case of the Blazing Sky	John R. Erickson		128
2008	52	The Quest for the Great White Quail			123
2009	53	Drover's Secret Life			118
2009	54	The Case of the Dinosaur Birds			125
2010	55	The Case of the Secret Weapon			125
1985		Faded Love			125
2010		The Case of the Coyote Invasion			132
2012		The Case of the Perfect Dog			127
2012		The Case of the Mysterious Voice	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	123
2012		The Big Question			130
2012		The Disappearance of Drover	John R. Erickson		122
2013		The Case of the Prowling Bear			144
2013		The Ghost of Rabbits Past			144
2014		The Return of the Charlie Monsters			128
2014		The Case of the Three Rings			124
2015		The Almost Last Roundup	John Erickson		127
2015		The Christmas Turkey Disaster	John R. Erickson	Gerald L. Holmes	121
2016		Wagons West			120
2016		The Secret Pledge			136
2017		The Case of the Wandering Goats			115
2017		The Case of the Troublesome Lady			117
2018		The Case of the Monster Fire			144
2018		The Case of the Three-Toed Sloth			119
2019		The Case of the Buried Deer			136
2020		The Frozen Rodeo			120
2020		The Case of the Red Rubber Ball		Nikki Earley	118
2021		The Case of the Missing Teeth	Nikki Earley		120
2022		The Incredible Ice Event		Nicolette G Earley	117
2022		The Case of the Lost Camp		Nikki Earley	114
2023		Double Trouble		Nicolette G Earley	113
2023		The Secret Sleeping Powder Files		Nicolette G Earley	110
2024		The Case of the Airborne Invasion		Nicolette G Earley	112
2024		The Case of the Poetic Bird Dog		Nicolette G Earley	112

Good to know

Common Questions

How many books are in the Hank the Cowdog series?

There are 82 books in the Hank the Cowdog series. It began with The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog in 1980, and the newest book, The Case of the Poetic Bird Dog, was published in 2024.