Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Mystery Series I Read (or want to)

 Last year I was inspired by a post at Read-warbler that listed series Cath reads. In April of this year, she updated the list and here it is. Since then I have been working on my own list of series. I do read mostly mystery series, and it always seems difficult to keep up with them. Some fall by the wayside, some get picked up years later. Another great post on reading mystery series can be found at Rick Robinson's Tip the Wink.

Some of these series I am actively, currently reading. Others I have made some progress on but haven't gotten back to in a while. It is easier to keep up with a series if I already have a good number of books on hand. And more iffy if I have to go looking for a title.

There are lots of series that I have read only the first book in the series AND really want to continue on. But for the most part I left those books off the list, until I actually read another book in the series. 

Most series I will only read in order, but some I just read the books I can find. That applies mostly to older mystery series where the order really did not matter. I would like to use this post to spur me to keep up with these series, although realistically I don't know if that will work.

And here's the list:

  • Catherine Aird – Inspector C.D. Sloan (6 of 25 )
  • Kate Atkinson – Jackson Brodie (4 of 5)
  • W.J. Burley – Chief Superintendent Wycliff (1 of 22)
  • Sarah Caudwell – Hilary Tamar  (2 of 4)
  • Raymond Chandler – Philip Marlowe (3 of 7)
  • Henry Chang – Detective Jack Yu (2 of 5)
  • Lee Child – Jack Reacher (5 of 25)
  • Agatha Christie –  Miss Marple (6 of 12)
  • Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot  (13 of 33)
  • Bill Crider – Sheriff Dan Rhodes (5 of 25)
  • Ruth Dudley Edwards – Robert Amiss  (2 of 12)
  • Tess Gerritsen – Rizzoli and Isles (4 of 12)
  • Elly Griffiths – Ruth Galloway (4 of 13)
  • Jane Haddam – Gregor Demarkian (24 of  30)
  • Steven F. Havill – Posadas County Mysteries (2 of 24)
  • Mick Herron – Slough House series (6 of 7)
  • Mick Herron – Oxford series (2 of 5)
  • Reginald Hill – Dalziel and Pascoe (13 of 24)
  • J. Robert Janes – St-Cyr and Kohler (4 of 16)
  • Stuart Kaminsky – Inspector Rostnikov (13 of 16)
  • Philip Kerr – Bernie Guenther (6 of 14)
  • William Kent Krueger – Cork O'Connor (2 of 17)
  • Ross Macdonald – Lew Archer (3 of 18)
  • Ed McBain – 87th Precinct series (5 of 55)
  • Peter May – Lewis Trilogy (1 of 3)
  • Stuart Palmer – Hildegarde Withers (3 of 13)
  • Louise Penny – Armande Gamache  (7 of 16)
  • Ellis Peters – Brother Cadfael  (1 of 20)
  • Anthony Price –  David Audley  (5 of  19)
  • Bill Pronzini series – Nameless Detective (25 of 41)
  • S. J. Rozan – Lydia Chin and Bill Smith (12 of 13) 
  • Walter Satterthwait – Joshua Croft (2 of 5)
  • Martin Cruz Smith – Arkady Renko  (6 of 9)
  • Julia Spencer-Fleming – Reverend Clare Fergusson (3 of 9)
  • Helene Tursten – Inspector Irene Huss  (4 of 10)
  • Patricia Wentworth – Miss Maud Silver (5 of 32)

This is a list of series I have completed (and may reread from time to time):

  • Margery Allingham – Albert Campion 
  • Carolyn Graham – Inspector Barnaby
  • P.D. James – Adam Dalgliesh
  • P.D. James – Cordelia Gray
  • Emma Lathen – John Putnam Thatcher
  • Jill McGown – Lloyd and Hill
  • Ruth Rendell – Inspector Wexford 
  • Dorothy Sayers – Peter Wimsey
  • Rex Stout – Nero Wolfe 
  • Josephine Tey – Inspector Grant 


29 comments:

NancyElin said...

Love this idea of lists!
I'm curious when these books were written (..in which decade?)
...also curious...what is the author's nationality?

Kathy's Corner said...

Thanks for this list of mystery writers. I have been curious about Catherine Aird and Patricia Wentworth. I have not read them but there names are always listed on the early bird book site I subscribe to and so I do want to give their mysteries a try.

Cath said...

Thanks for the mention and link. So interesting to see which series you enjoy. I shall be looking a few up. Difficult moments for me are when I've read a first book in a series and can't decide whether to read any more. I then have to decide whether to add it to my list where it sits with 'read 1' next to it for years or just leave it hanging somewhere and I end up forgetting about it. There's a lesson there somewhere. LOL

Margot Kinberg said...

This is a great list, Tracy! There are several series that that I want to catch up on, too, and haven't done yet. The Dan Rhodes series, the Slough House series, and the Demarkian series are just three of them. I think it's a good idea sometimes to make that sort of list; it can help to keep track of reading.

TracyK said...

Thanks, Nancy. When I was first making the list I added some notes for a few series but it wasn't consistent so I took them out. I do think the decades would be useful, interesting.

TracyK said...

Kathy, I am glad you like the list. Patricia Wentworth's books I read when I was younger and came back to in the last few years since I started blogging. She gets a mixed reaction for the Miss Silver series. Sometimes there is a sameness to the stories but her books provide a very good of the time she was writing (1930s-1950s). I like Catherine Aird's books because the mysteries are a bit different. Both series are quieter, not violent. Cozy, I suppose.

Kay said...

I love mystery series, but I must say that my 'keep up with' list changes from time to time. Some series I have stopped keeping up with and that's not necessarily because I stopped liking the books. There are just so many series. I always have a few that I faithfully stay on top of as each new book comes out. Louise Penny, Elly Griffiths, Linda Castillo, Jane Casey - to name a few. Others I return to from time to time. It's about time for me to catch up on Julia Spencer-Fleming's series. And then I do tend to reread books - like Agatha Christie's. It's nice to see what's on your list, Tracy!

TracyK said...

Cath, I am glad I finally got the list together. I have several authors that I have read one book by and want to continue the series, but it just hasn't happened yet. One good example is the Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow. Curiously, there are two other authors of series set in Alaska that I have read one book by and want to continue: John Straley and Stan Jones. I am sure I will continue those series and then will add them to the list.

Rick Robinson said...

Thank you for the shout-out w/link, it's appreciated. The whole business of keeping up with authors and their series seems a bit overwhelming, sometimes. At least it does this year.

I'm inspired by this post to go back and update my own one. Yours is more informative, with numbers and totals and such, but I'm not sure I have that much energy. I need to get back to these series, but the stresses of the times have driven me to short story reading just now. I'll have to think on this. Meanwhile, I have some shrubs to prune. More later.

TracyK said...

Margot, You should definitely try the series you listed. But then, as we often say, so many good series and authors, how can we keep up?

TracyK said...

Kay, the series I am keeping up with at any one time is definitely fluid. I have seen Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series mentioned several times lately. Maybe I will have to get back to that one. I read the first book and liked it, but never followed up on the 2nd one. Louise Penny's series is now one of my favorites but I am way behind on it still. I loved City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong, have #2 in the series to read, and I am thinking it will soon be on my list of active series.

Rick Robinson said...

I've just realized, having just come in from whacking back the Burning Bush at the corner of the property, that I need to re-evaluate my TBR bookcase. Quite a few of the books thereof went there because they were stacked elsewhere and it was a convenient place to put them. They're not really TBR at all! Oh my. I need to have some of these series books there instead, and some of those either on the appropriate shelf or perhaps even -shudder- in the Go To Goodwill box. I may have a Major Project to start, either today or later this week.

TracyK said...

Rick, I agree this year is different. I keep changing direction in my reading (not a bad thing) and making plans and then forgetting them. I am doing better with "cozier" books lately, although it depends on the author. I would love to see your series list updated, but I know what you mean about the energy to do it. I worked on this list just now and then over the last few months.

I have been potting some plants this morning and trying to strategically place them since I am losing the sun in the back "yard" due to the orientation of the yard (northeast). Some of the plants won't do that well without sun, I fear.

TracyK said...

Rick, that Major Project sounds like a fun project to me. I mostly don't keep my books organized at all, except most shelves have only TBR books. My husband is the opposite. Most of his shelves are books he has read and wants to keep.

Rick Robinson said...

Thanks to Barbara, about 30 books removed from the TBR bookshelf, sorted, some for Goodwill, most to be filed in a different room (the Book Den has pb mystery and SF-F, a few go to the Study which has HB SF-F, art books, pulp reprints, poetry, and such, the office has gen fict and non-fict.) Anyway, books moved, shelves and books dusted, things sorted and the tar bookcase has about half of what it did. I suppose now I need to add a few series books as mentioned here. Or read what's there.

Or take a nap.

Rick Robinson said...

New Louise Penny is out September 1. I've read all the others, and all the Kruegers.

TracyK said...

Rick, the work on the TBR bookshelf sounds great, and I envy you with your organized bookshelves. I had heard about the new Louise Penny book. Hopefully in 1 1/2 to 2 years I will have caught up and be ready to read it. It will take me longer up with the Krueger series.

Katrina said...

That is such a good idea to keep track of what you're reading and what you still have to read. It's so easy for me anyway to let a series fall by the wayside inadvertently.

TracyK said...

That is so true, Katrina, I have let some of those series sit for years. I even thought of two series that should have been on the list since I published it. I will add those the next time I update it.

CLM said...

I need to do this! I know I have read a lot of Catherine Aird (I think I told you the first one I read and my favorite is A Most Contagious Game. Half my family is obsessed with Nicholas Owen - the other half thinks we are crazy. My nephew is named Nicholas in Owen's honor.) although have not read any recently. Similarly, I am pretty sure I have read every Anthony Price, but it was before I started keeping track. And as for the new Jane Casey, my middle sister lent it our younger sister, and it is now in New York, far from my yearning fingers!

I don't really like cozy mysteries but I guess there are a few exceptions.

I do like books set in academia, as I know you do too. My family always enjoyed Amanda Cross, who came to our attention because she succeeded my grandfather at Columbia. Her death was very sad. I have tried to enjoy Sarah Caudwell (those books seemed like my thing) but have never got into them.

TracyK said...

Constance, I do remember you telling me about A Most Contagious Game. My husband has read it; I have not. But I do have my copy and I think he still has his. One way or another, I will read it soon.

Anthony Price's books are wonderful, as soon as I finish one I want to start another. If I get back to Jane Casey's books I will let you know. I will say it again, you are lucky to have a family that shares reading preferences.

I have read a lot of books by Amanda Cross, but it has been a long time and I have no idea how many. Too bad I did not keep records of my reading before 2002. How interesting that she succeeded you grandfather at Columbia. The first book I read in the Sarah Caudwell series did not impress me, but I tried again and decided that they have their charms. You are right, they do seem very much like your thing.

Carl V. Anderson said...

I would like to read the Campion books at some point. I love the tv series and have watched various episodes several times.

I think I'm two books behind on Louise Penny. I'm at least one book behind on the Flavia de Luce books.

I'll hopefully soon be reading my first Raymond Chandler.

I've only "read" two Agatha Christie books, but I've listened to several of them on audio. Never disappointed in her stories.

I've read the first Aurelio Zen novel and would like to read more. I'd also like to read the Maigret books. Love Rowan Atkinson's portrayal of the character.

I read the first Jack Reacher book and I really enjoyed it. Intense!

TracyK said...

Carl, I love the Campion series by Allingham and have enjoyed most of the books even more when I have reread them. I am determined to catch up with the Louise Penny books, but it will take a while.

Raymond Chandler writes so beautifully. I loved the first two books in the series, but the third was confusing. Still there is always something good to find in his writing.

I remember from years ago that you told me that Agatha Christie books were good for listening to, and I can see that. I still haven't tried an audio book though.

I read a couple of Aurelio Zen novels and still have some in the piles. I read a lot of Maigret when I was younger, and I keep meaning to read more of them now, but I haven't. They are so short, I don't know why I don't.

The Jack Reacher books are almost over the level of violence I can handle in a book, but I like the character so much I will continue reading them. I read complaints about the writing, but I get so involved I am not worried about the writing.

Carl V. Anderson said...

I've not been disappointed with any of the Christie narrators. Emilia Fox is my favorite, but I like the ones David Suchet narrates, and Hugh Fraser.

I was reading all the Louise Penny books, then I started listening to the narration and they were so good that I want to experience them all that way. The first narrator passed away, and he was great, and Robert Bathurst stepped in and he has done a great job.

TracyK said...

Carl, This reminded me that we have been watching the Poirot series with David Suchet. (We are in Season 3.) A lot of the episodes are adaptations of short stories, thus I did not think I would like them. But they are very entertaining. I like the actors and the setting in time and the sets are fantastic. I am inspired to read some of the short stories too.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I have read all of a lot of them including Christie, Sayers, Allingham, Tey, Marsh, James, Ross Mcdonald, all of John D's Travis McGee, Boucher, Emma Lathen, Sjowal and Wahloo, Blake and oh, a lot more. Not so much anymore though. I'd rather try one or two of an author now that time is limited.

TracyK said...

Patti, looking back, I did a lot of binge reading of series between 2002 and 2010. I had just come back to reading fiction after a 10 year hiatus. When I started blogging (2012), I began to read just one or two of a series or an author. Probably due to more exposure to new authors. In your list the ones I wish I had read more of are Ross Macdonald and Sjowall and Wahloo. I have never read Boucher. I don't know why.

I know what you mean by limited time. I think a lot more about which authors and books I really want to read, knowing that I will never read all the books that I have bought.

col2910 said...

Great post, Tracy and inspiration for some blog posts of my own and how I can maybe get a bit of order into my reading. I'll use your list as a start point for one of my own, because there's plenty we have in common.

TracyK said...

Thanks, Col. Now if I can just remember to check back to this post to keep me reading on these series.