The Recommended Reading Order
If you want to experience Maxine "Maxie" McNabb's travels and mystery-solving adventures in the most rewarding way, you have two primary options. While the core spin-off series consists of just four novels, Maxie actually made her debut and final appearance inside Sue Henry's primary series, the Alaska Mysteries (also known as the Jessie Arnold & Alex Jensen series). Following the chronological development of her character provides the best continuity.
Option 1: The Complete Maxie McNabb Chronology (Recommended)
This pathway integrates Maxie's guest appearances within the main Jessie Arnold series, allowing you to witness her introduction and her final cameo role in order. Reading Dead North first is highly recommended because it explains how Maxie meets Jessie and establishes her RV-traveling lifestyle before she sets off on her own.
- Dead North (2001) – Alaska Mysteries Book 8 (Introduction of Maxie and Stretch)
- The Serpents Trail (2004) – Maxie and Stretch Book 1
- The Tooth of Time (2006) – Maxie and Stretch Book 2
- The Refuge (2007) – Maxie and Stretch Book 3
- Degrees of Separation (2008) – Alaska Mysteries Book 12 (Crossover/Cameo)
- The End of the Road (2009) – Maxie and Stretch Book 4
Option 2: The Core Spin-Off Series
If you only want to read the books dedicated strictly to Maxie and Stretch, you can jump straight into their standalone series. Since the books follow a linear travel itinerary across North America, the chronological order is identical to the publication order.
- The Serpents Trail (2004)
- The Tooth of Time (2006)
- The Refuge (2007)
- The End of the Road (2009)
Detailed Breakdown of the Maxie & Stretch Books
1. The Serpents Trail (2004)
The series begins with Maxie leaving her home in Homer, Alaska, to drive her Winnebago down to Colorado. She is headed to help a terminally ill friend, Sarah, pack up her home. However, right after Maxie arrives, Sarah dies under suspicious circumstances, and her house is burglarized. Armed with her independent spirit (and a small, hidden shotgun), Maxie works to uncover a web of dark secrets and family greed in the local community.
2. The Tooth of Time (2006)
Seeking to learn the craft of weaving, Maxie and Stretch drive their motorhome to the artistic community of Taos, New Mexico. What was supposed to be a relaxing, creative holiday quickly takes a dark turn when a local woman is driven to a suicide attempt. Realizing the woman is being targeted by an unscrupulous con man capitalizing on her husband's mid-life crisis, Maxie deploys her trademark curiosity and grit to bring the local swindlers to justice.
3. The Refuge (2007)
In this third installment, Maxie accepts an invitation to fly to Hawaii to help a friend-of-a-friend pack up her house for a move back to Alaska. However, this adventure comes with a major catch: due to Hawaii's strict rabies quarantine laws for incoming animals, Stretch cannot join her. Maxie leaves her beloved dachshund behind with a trusted friend on the mainland. Once in Hawaii, Maxie faces prowlers, cut plumbing, and a series of threatening events that suggest her host is harboring a dangerous secret.
4. The End of the Road (2009)
The final book in the spin-off brings Maxie back to her home base in Homer, Alaska—the town known geographically as "the end of the road" because it sits at the terminus of the Sterling Highway. Choosing to spend the winter at home rather than traveling, Maxie befriends a lonely drifter named John Walker. The very next day, Walker is found dead in a local motel room in an apparent suicide. When police discover that his name was an alias, Maxie launches an investigation that exposes a decades-old love triangle stretching back to New York City.
The Alaska Mysteries Connection: Crossovers & Cameos
Sue Henry's main series stars Jessie Arnold, an Alaskan dog sled musher, and Alex Jensen, an Alaska State Trooper. The connection between Jessie and Maxie is a highlight of both series:
- Dead North (2001): Jessie Arnold's cabin has burned down, and she agrees to drive a Winnebago from Idaho up the Alaska Highway. Along the way, she crosses paths with Maxie McNabb, who is making the same journey in her own RV. Together, they get wrapped up in protecting a runaway teenager from a corrupt and dangerous stepfather. This book serves as a pilot for Maxie's spin-off.
- Degrees of Separation (2008): Published between the third and fourth Maxie books, this eleventh installment of the Jessie Arnold series features a guest appearance by Maxie. Since both women reside in Alaska (Jessie near the Mat-Su Valley and Maxie in Homer), they cross paths again during a complex murder investigation.
What to Know Before You Start
Sue Henry, a long-time resident of Alaska, brought immense authenticity to the series. To research the books, Henry actually purchased her own RV and drove the Alaska Highway herself, capturing the exact sensory details of life on the open road. The series is celebrated for featuring a rare protagonist: a vibrant, self-reliant widow in her sixties who refuses to let age slow her down. While the mysteries are light and cozy, they feature just enough grit—including Maxie's willingness to protect herself—to keep the stakes engaging. Unfortunately, the series concluded with The End of the Road in 2009. Sue Henry's declining health prevented further writing, and she passed away in 2020, leaving behind these four travel-mystery gems.