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John R. Erickson's Latest Book

Newest Release

  • Bibliography:
    100 Books (2 Series)
  • First Book:
    April 1983
  • Latest Book:
    October 2023
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Full Series List in Order

Hank The Cowdog

1 - The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog (May-1983)
2 - The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog (Sep-1983)
3 - It's A Dog's Life (1984)
4 - Murder in the Middle Pasture (1984)
5 - Faded Love (Apr-1985)
6 - Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Sep-1986)
7 - Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob (Jun-1987)
8 - The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse (Jun-1987)
9 - The Case of the Halloween Ghost (Sep-1987)
10 - Every Dog Has His Day (Jun-1987)
11 - Lost in the Dark Unchanted Forest (Aug-1988)
12 - The Case of the Fiddle-Playing Fox (Feb-1989)
13 - The Case of the Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve (Jun-1989)
14 - Monkey Business (Mar-1990)
15 - The Case of the Missing Cat (Jun-1990)
16 - Lost in the Blinded Blizzard (Jan-1991)
17 - The Case of the Car-Barkaholic Dog (Aug-1991)
18 - The Case of the Hooking Bull (Jan-1992)
19 - The Case of the Midnight Rustler (Jan-1992)
20 - Phantom in the Mirror (Mar-1993)
21 - The Case of the Vampire Cat (Oct-1993)
22 - The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting (Jan-1994)
23 - Moonlight Madness (Aug-1994)
24 - The Case of the Black-Hooded Hangman (Mar-1995)
25 - The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado (Jan-1995)
26 - The Case of the Kidnapped Collie (Mar-1996)
27 - The Case of the Night-Stalking Bone Monster (Sep-1996)
28 - The Case of the Mopwater Files (Feb-1997)
29 - The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper (Sep-1997)
30 - The Case of the Haystack Kitties (Jan-1998)
31 - The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook (Jan-1999)
32 - Garbage Monster from Outer Space (May-1999)
33 - The Case of the Measled Cowboy (May-1999)
34 - Slim's Good-Bye (Jan-2000)
35 - The Case of the Saddle House Robbery (May-2000)
36 - The Case of the Raging Rottweiler (Oct-2000)
37 - The Case of the Deadly Ha-Ha Game (Mar-2001)
38 - Fling (Jul-2001)
39 - Secret Laundry Monster Files (Feb-2002)
40 - The Case of the Missing Bird Dog (Jun-2002)
41 - The Case of the Shipwrecked Tree (Mar-2003)
42 - The Case of the Burrowing Robot (May-2003)
43 - The Case of the Twisted Kitty (Apr-2004)
44 - Dungeon of Doom (May-2004)
45 - The Case of the Falling Sky (Feb-2005)
46 - The Case of the Tricky Trap (May-2005)
47 - The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies (Feb-2006)
48 - The Case of the Monkey Burglar (May-2006)
49 - The Case of the Booby-Trapped Pickup (Feb-2007)
50 - The Case of the Most Ancient Bone (Jul-2007)
51 - The Case of the Blazing Sky (Apr-2008)
52 - Quest for the Great White Quail (May-2008)
53 - Drover's Secret Life (Apr-2009)
54 - The Case of the Dinosaur Birds (Jun-2009)
55 - The Case of the Secret Weapon (Apr-2010)
56 - The Case of the Coyote Invasion (Jun-2010)
57 - The Disappearance of Drover (Apr-2011)
58 - The Case of the Mysterious Voice (Nov-2011)
59 - The Case of the Perfect Dog (Apr-2012)
60 - The Big Question (Nov-2012)
61 - The Case of the Prowling Bear (May-2013)
62 - The Ghost of Rabbits Past (Oct-2013)
63 - The Return of the Charlie Monsters (Apr-2014)
64 - The Case of the Three Rings (Oct-2014)
65 - The Almost Last Roundup (Mar-2015)
66 - The Christmas Turkey Disaster (Oct-2015)
67 - Wagons West (Apr-2016)
68 - The Secret Pledge (Oct-2016)
69 - The Case of the Wandering Goats (Mar-2017)
70 - The Case of the Troublesome Lady (Oct-2017)
71 - The Case of the Monster Fire (Mar-2018)

Hank's Ranch Life

1 - Ranch Life: Ranching and Livestock (Oct-2017)
2 - Ranch Life: Cowboys and Horses (Oct-2017)

Book List in Order: 100 titles




  • Hank the Cowdog is the Head of Ranch Security in the action-packed adventure series written by John R. Erickson. In this, the first book in the series, Hank has been accused of murder! In a fit of despair, Hank resigns his position and joins a gang o...



  • The second book in the Hank the Cowdog series opens with Hank defending the ranch against the attack of a Silver Monster Bird. Later he is stricken with the dreaded disease, Eye-Crosserosis, and unless he can find a cure for this dangerous condition,...



  • Hank’s third adventure opens with Hank in trouble again, so he heads to town to make a surprise visit to his sister, Maggie. Sounds innocent enough, but while in town, Hank contracts a mysterious case of "soap hydrophobia" - and ends up in the dog ...



  • The fourth book in the Hank the Cowdog series, Murder in the Middle Pasture, begins with a baffling new mystery - the death of a calf on the ranch, and as Head of Ranch Security Hank must go on a very dangerous mission to spy on the coyote village an...







  • Love don't come easy. Duped by Drover, mocked by Pete the Barncat, and busted yet again by Sally May, the Head of Ranch Security decides it's time for a break from the grueling daily grind. Heading into the wild outback, Hank goes in search of his t...



  • Guilty until proven innocent? Who -- or what -- has been killing chickens on the ranch? And what is Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, going to do about it? Using his top-notch law enforcement skills, Hank launches one of the hardest-hitting...








  • AN EYE FOR AN EYE Things are looking pretty bleak for Hank the Cowdog. First he gets sick on poisoned bacon grease. Then he accidentally trips Sally May -- and she ends up with a broken ankle. And if that's not bad enough, he gets stuck playing ...



  • As the proud new owner of a Priceless Corncob, Hank knows that being rich can change your life. But does it mean giving up his position as Head of Ranch Security? In this enhanced ebook, you will hear two original songs: “I’m Rich!” and ...



  • Hank is literally at the end of his rope in his tenth adventure. It’s roundup time at the ranch and Hank is left behind, tied to a post, while a high-bred border collie named Bennie takes Hank's place and runs the show. How can Hank restore himself...



  • There’s something spooky going on at the ranch! When Halloween arrives, Hank -- the self-appointed Head of Ranch Security -- has got his hands full of adventure. First there's a problem with the Tricker Trees. Then the ranch is invaded by two skel...



  • Rear cover notes: "In Cowboys Are Old Enough to Know Better, author John R. Erickson returns to the ground he covered in his previous four cowboy humor books: The Devil in Texas, Cowboys Are Partly Human, Alkali County Tales, and Cowboys Are A Separa...



  • Little Alfred is having a hard time accepting his new baby sister, Molly. Hank tries to give him some advice, but Alfred decides to run away from home. It is up to Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, to save Alfred from the coyotes, bobcats, and...



  • Someone or something has been robbing eggs from the chicken house. Hank stakes out the chicken house and, to his surprise, sees a fiddle-playing fox hop in with the hens, play them some hot fiddle music, and then accept several fresh eggs as his paym...



  • 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 and heartless, they begin to wonder they'll ever make it back to the ranch. In this enhanced ebook, yo...



  • A convoy of circus trucks is passing through the ranch. The last truck in the column hits a bump and a large red box falls off and comes to rest in the pasture. Hank and Drover investigate the box and discover that it contains a circus monkey. Pete a...






  • Hank makes a foolish bet with his archenemy, Pete the Barncat, that he can catch the Lumberpile Bunny. He loses the wager, his job, his pride, and even his gunny sack bed under the gas tanks. Hank begins to plot revenge. He must dispose of the cat. T...



  • A terrible winter storm strikes the Texas Panhandle. Down at Slim’s place, Hank and Drover listen to the wind howling outside, watching the snow pile up outside. The phone rings. It’s High Loper. Baby Molly has a bad cough and needs medicine. Can...



  • What happens when Hank the Cowdog finds himself stuck in town and facing the mean, monster Great Dane, “Rambo”? Rambo’s only weakness is that he’s a car-barkaholic. He just can’t resist chasing and barking at passing cars. Join Hank as he r...



  • Against her better judgment, Sally May leaves the ranch in Slim’s care. While Slim naps, Hank and Little Alfred subject strawberry ice cream to rigorous product testing and then go for a ride in a mysterious spaceship. But, it’s when Slim finally...



  • Wonder if cattle rustlers still exist? Well, they do. Hank and Slim go on a camping trip to see if they can catch the mysterious stranger who is stealing calves. Hank devours all of Slim’s camp meat (weenies) and chews the tent rope in half during ...



  • Pete warns Hank that a stray dog has invaded the ranch and is lurking inside the machine shed. Naturally, Hank goes to investigate, and sure enough, he finds the Phantom Dog--in an old mirror stored in the machine shed. But then Drover looks into the...




  • When Hank, Slim, Drover, and Little Alfred head over to the Hodge’s place to feed the cattle, Hank encounters the weirdest cat he’s ever seen. Then, when Hank gets bumped out of the back of the Cammo-Stealth army truck, Mary D. Cat is the only on...



  • While Slim and Loper are away from the ranch for three days, Hank suffers from...is it a double bumblebee sting, or much worse? It falls upon Sally May to nurse the stricken Hank back to health. Her patience and compassion are seriously tested, while...



  • Slim rescues an orphan raccoon, and much to Hank's dismay, everyone on the ranch is enchanted with the "cute" baby coon with the beady little eyes and amazing little hands. Yet little do they know that every time midnight rolls around, Eddy the Rac i...






  • Hank and Drover must deal with all sorts of strange phenomena. They must deal with an attack of the terrible Charlie Monsters and a polka-dot midget. Then they must gather every ounce of courage they have to save the ranch from the Swirling Killer ...



  • Eddy the Rac returns with magic tricks that backfire. Hank becomes prime suspect in a felony and Eddy pulls a disappearing act. Further mysteries unfold as the search for Eddy leads Hank, Drover and Little Alfred through a snowstorm to the creepy hau...



  • Plato, the bird dog, has come to visit the ranch, delighting everyone with his quail-pointing skills and impeccable manners. But Plato's biggest fan happens to be Hank's dream girl, Miss Beulah the Collie. Hank's true test of devotion comes when he m...



  • A Fortune in Buried Treasure Is Missing Join the Head of Ranch Security, his sidekick Drover, and old pal Dog-pound Ralph as they track down the elusive monster who strikes the ranch and makes off with a fortune in buried T-bones. Danger Lurks at...



  • Hank discovers an elixir that gives him a huge burst of energy - Sally May’s bucket of root stimulator. It gave him such a kick, he challenges Rufus, the Doberman Pincher to a fight, only to discover that, in the meantime, Sally May has filled the ...



  • Marauding trespassers are threatening to stampede the cattle. It’s Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, to the rescue as he: tracks down enemy agent, Mysterious Esther, escapes the relentless Vampire Vacuum Sweeper, and confronts Buster and his...



  • Hank has his paws full when he discovers a mother cat and six kittens trespassing in a haystack on his very own ranch. (Have we mentioned that cowdogs don’t like cats?) Join Hank as he is trapped in a runaway pickup, surrounded by a herd of stray c...



  • Hank’s day begins defending the ranch against a vicious one-eyed robot. After that exhausting morning, Hank supervises Little Alfred’s fishing trip. That routine expedition turns into a first-class crisis when Hank reels in more than he bargained...



  • Sally May and Loper head off to visit the relatives, leaving Slim in charge of Little Alfred. Hank’s sure trouble will come knocking. First, Slim is struck down with the measles. Then a blizzard hits the ranch, trapping them in the house with no he...



  • Someone has been raiding Sally May's garbage barrels! Hank knows the crime is the work of a notorious gang of raccoons, but in a tragic case of mistaken identity, the Head of Ranch Security is himself forced to take the heat. Even more trouble li...






  • When the ranch falls on hard times in the winter, Slim the cowboy decides not to be a burden. Slim packs up and hits the road in search of another job. Hank and Drover hitch a ride, thinking they’re headed for town. Are they going to Canada? Are th...



  • There’s a new dog on the ranch, and Hank is none too thrilled about it. Hank’s supposed to keep an eye on Jake the Birddog ‘til his owner shows up. Jake has other plans. Jake needs to get to Madagascar before someone makes off with his treasure...



  • There’s a raging rottweiler named Bruiser loose on the ranch, and it’s up to Hank to teach this visiting pooch some manners. It’s rumored that Bruiser is all talk and no action. However, when he attacks a defenseless fawn, Hank’s not so sure....



  • When Hank finds himself up against Rip and Snort, the coyote brothers, he knows he has to do something fast. Hank unleashes his secret weapon, the Deadly Ha-Ha Game. The plan seems to work like a charm, but then Hank and his sidekick Drover find that...



  • It's bad enough when Hank accidentally gets trapped in a cattle trailer and ends up stranded in town. Then he gets picked up by the local dog catcher and locked in a cage. But just when it looks like things couldn't get any worse, Hank meets up with ...



  • Suspicious sounds coming from near the clothesline, leads to a midnight investigation of the ranch. Before he knows it, Hank finds himself caught up with his old friend Eddy the Rac -- and face-to-face with one of a dog’s greatest enemies: the drea...



  • Will Hank rescue the dog of Beulah's dreams? It's the first day of quail season, and Plato the Bird Dog is missing. At first, Hank is willing to let him stay lost. But when Beulah pleads for help, Hank caves in and takes off in search of Plato. Be...



  • Hank and Drover are just beginning an investigation when a pirate suddenly appears on the front porch! They soon realize that the pirate is just Little Alfred in disguise. Alfred chooses Hank as his first mate, and Hank enthusiastically agrees to be ...



  • When fourteen-year-old Riley can't get any help from the law to rid his ranch of the moonshiners squatting on his property, he teams up with his grandfather to do it without legal assistance. Reprint....



  • An unearthly being has burrowed in Sally May’s vegetable garden. Hank tries to dig the space monster robot out of its hole. But when Sally May catches Hank in the ruined garden she blames him. Ashamed, Hank hits the road. Beginning his exile he run...






  • It's winter in the Texas Panhandle, and the ranch is covered in snow and ice.  So when Sally May sets off for town, Hank decides to follow Pete's misguided advice and bravely escorts her car down the slick road.  Before Hank realizes what's happ...



  • It’s Hank’s job to clear the ranch of all intruders--and that includes gophers. But when Hank’s efforts causes a stampede in the middle of the cattle roundup, Loper decides that he wants Hank to learn some manners, so he’s sending him to--gul...



  • Bored and tired with working the ranch during the long hot summer, Riley and Coy are excited when their friend Aaron Kaplan comes for a visit and begins to teach them about archeology and the great finds they may be able to find beneath their feet on...



  • When Hank hears a rumor that the sky is going to fall from the ranch’s resident rooster, he is naturally a bit skeptical. But then a report from Pete the Barncat and a strange dream seem to support the theory, and Hank realizes that he’d better t...



  • Someone has been stealing feed out of the feed shed, and Hank knows that it’s his job to do whatever he can to help nab the culprit. Slim sets a live-animal trap in the shed, and Hank checks it in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the trap is...



  • Hank runs into a dispute with a giant bullfrog over the Emerald Pond. Then, there’s a battle with a...Monster. It’s too scary to tell what kind of monster it is! However, things get really tough when Hank is entrusted with the job of guarding Lit...



  • There’s never a dull moment on the ranch when Hank the Cowdog is around. In this latest installment to the series, Hank learns about a tool thief on the loose who uses a monkey to help him do his dirty work. And before long, Hank finds himself f...



  • NATIONAL BESTSELLER

    CNBC and Strategy + Business Best Business Book of 2017

    "Steven and Jamie have done a wonderful job of balancing the promises, perils, and how-to prescriptions of engineering peak states such as 'flow.'" -- Tim Fe...



  • Hank the Cowdog is about to go on the ride of his life! When Slim’s pickup truck breaks down, the ranch ends up with a brand-new model on loan while the old one gets fixed. But a ranch dog like Hank isn’t used to power windows and door locks, and...



  • This is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill ranch intrigue. No sir, this is a real, honest-to-goodness archaeological adventure! When an old friend of Slim’s starts an archaeological dig near the ranch, it doesn’t take long before little Alfred gets cau...



  • In this latest installment to the Hank the Cowdog series, the weather on Hank’s west Texas ranch is hot and dry. So dry, in fact, that they’ve got to be on the lookout for prairie fires. So Hank bravely takes on the role of Head of Fire Safety an...



  • Everyone knows that a dog’s gotta chew what a dog’s gotta chew. But when Hank’s doggie urges have him chomping on plastic -- including Little Alfred’s toy truck -- Hank knows he’s got to get things under control. Then Beulah -- the long-ea...



  • For twenty-five years, readers have enjoyed watching Drover, Hank’s trusty sidekick try to finagle himself out of every dangerous situation that arises on the ranch. But what happened before Drover came to the ranch? Well, it’s all here - from hi...



  • It’s scrap day on the ranch -- a glorious day for Hank, his sidekick, Drover, and Pete the Barncat. But when two very unusual-looking creatures fly overhead, the glorious day takes a sudden turn for the worse. Suddenly the scraps have vanished, and...



  • Hank the Cowdog is at it again! There's a burglar on the loose, and he's robbing houses with the help of a super-sneaky, superstinky secret weapon. As Head of Ranch Security, Hank knows it's his job to protect the ranch and all the buildings on it. ...



  • Hank's in trouble again, but when he tries to apologize to Sally May, she just doesn't get the message. Before Hank has a chance to convince her, he learns that the ranch is being targeted for a major invasion from the dreaded coyotes...



  • Hank and Drover are excited when a quick nap in the back of Slim's pickup turns into a trip to town. But the excitement turns to drama when they find themselves at the livestock show-and Drover decides to take off to visit his mother. Can Hank track ...



  • Riley McDaniels is growing up. He can even almost outlast Spud, the tough-as-nails ranch hand, at sawing lumber. But, is he ready to defend the ranch against the possible return of escaped jailbirds, Joe McGreggor and his gang? After Riley and Grampy...



  • When an odd twist of events brings a parrot to the ranch, Hank and Drover are not worried. After all, what harm can one mimicking bird do? So Hank decides to go about his business and do whatever Sally May and Loper ask him to. The only problem is, t...



  • When a strange twist of events brings a yellow Labrador onto the scene of a roundup gone wrong, the entire ranch quickly falls in love with this newest addition to the ranch's Security Division.  Who can help loving a Lab?  Hank quickly beg...



  • It's the day before Christmas, and Loper and Sally May have left Slim to manage the ranch while they go off to visit relatives for the holidays. But, just when it begins to look like another boring bachelor Christmas with Slim, a storm blows in and t...



  • It’s winter in the Texas Panhandle, and the ranch is covered in snow and ice. Hank decides to follow Pete the Barncat’s advice and bravely escorts Sally May’s car down the slick road. Before Hank realizes what’s happening, Sally May’s car s...



  • Everyone knows that 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 road, no one knows what to believe, that is, until Deputy Kile spreads a report that there really ...



  • Talk about a rude awakening! Things go from bad to worse when Hank and Drover wake up in the wee hours of the morning to a full-fledged invasion of the ranch. It’s the coyotes, and they’re set on making a take-out dinner out of the resident cat, ...



  • In this exciting case, Hank falls victim to a series of sneaky schemes: first, a Turkey Debacle endangers his relationship with Sally May, then, a case of poisoning puts him at death’s doornail, and finally, a disastrous ride to town almost finishe...



  • It’s New Year's Eve day on the ranch, and Slim and Miss Viola are both having second thoughts about their engagement - but for what reasons? Viola returns the lock-washer ring Slim had given her a week before, but before Slim can fix things, Un...



  • Hank the Cowdog has seen dry summers in his years as the Head of Ranch Security, but nobody on the ranch has seen a drought like this. Ponds have dried up, the creek is down to a trickle, pastures have turned to burned toast, and the cows are kicking...



  • A modern coming of age adventure tale, A Sea Not Full is the story of Nate Pritchard, a 16 year old boy who, at a precipitous juncture in his life, must make some difficult choices.  The novel is set primarily Ventura, California, where Nate lives w...



  • Hank is in real trouble this time. Loper and Sally May’s relatives are coming for Christmas dinner, and Sally May has been working to get the entire ranch in order " including preparing for the Christmas feast. Unfortunately, when she discovers t...



  • It’s early springtime on the ranch, and Hank is going through the usual motions of making sure that a warm spring arrives safely: singing songs about it, barking faithfully each morning, and helping the cowboys with their work around the ranch. Ho...



  • Of all the mysteries Hank has faced in his illustrious career as the Head of Ranch Security, the only one that still has him truly stumped is the key to unlocking Miss Beulah’s heart. Why on earth would she go for a bird-brained bird dog when a spe...



  • Everyone knows that a cowboy will rope anything that moves: cows, dogs, cats, bales of hay, unsuspecting fellow-cowboys... So, when some local goats escape their pen and turn up near Wolf Creek, Deputy Kile knows just who to ask to help him round the...



  • It’s a blustery day in late fall, and Hank decides to sneak into the back of Slim’s pickup and hitch a ride with the cowboys to a neighbor’s fall branding. However, instead of running into either Miss Viola or the beautiful Miss Beulah the Coll...



  • The National Ranching Heritage Center is proud to partner with Hank the Cowdog for this newest addition to the Ranch Life Learning series: Cowboys and Horses.  Saddle up for some fun as everyone's favorite Head of Ranch Security, Hank, gives rea...



  • The National Ranching Heritage Center is proud to partner with Hank the Cowdog for the Ranch Life Learning series.  In this first book, Ranching and Livestock, the same cast of characters you’ve come to know and love in the Hank the Cowdog ser...



  • After his many years as a typical bachelor cowboy, Slim Chance is convinced -- against his will -- that he needs to build his own herd of cattle and invest in the future. So, he takes the plunge, takes out a loan, and takes his newly-bought heifer...



  • THE BOY. Far out to sea. Sudden, rogue waves on the horizon. The sight stunned Freddy Horncastle, just waking. Wait " could that be Tommy, their youngest? Where was his wife; the lifeguards, other beachgoers? Had everyone left? Freddy later swor...





  • It’s early January on Hank’s ranch when Slim and Loper recieve word that an ice storm is headed their way. However, just as they’re about the prepare the cattle and stock tanks at the ranch to safely weather the storm, Deputy Kile calls with s...



  • Happy the Lab is back on the ranch, and it looks like he’s up to his usual good-natured, bumbling ways! And, it just so happens that he has wandered onto Hank’s ranch on a particularly exciting day: rain has finally come to their drought-stricken...





  • It’s early January on Hank’s ranch when Slim and Loper receive word that an ice storm is headed their way.  However, just as they’re about to prepare the cattle and stock tanks at the ranch to safely weather the storm, Deputy Kile calls with s...



  • Fall is an important time of year on a ranch, mostly because it means that winter is coming soon! And, on Hank’s ranch, that means that the cake house is about to be filled with bags of feed to get the cattle through the long, frozen days ahead. ...









Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

John R. Erickson has published 100 books.

John R. Erickson does not have a new book coming out soon. The latest book, The Secret Sleeping Powder Files, was published in October 2023.

The first book by John R. Erickson, Through Time and the Valley, was published in April 1983.

Yes. John R. Erickson has 2 series.