The Perks of a Book Series

 

Similar to a television series, readers of book series have the joy of coming back for more not just week-after-week, but any time they want. They don’t have to wait on the whims of programmers to learn what happens next in the live of the characters who populate a story. The big difference is a reader must call upon his own imagination to envision these individuals – how they look, feel and react to their day-to-day experiences, typically filled with drama.

Watching programs like Succession, The White Lotus, or The Newsroom provides a level of excitement viewers likely lack in their own lives. But then, often more than a year might pass before the next installment. What to do?

I turn to detective books, often in series format. My favorite is JK Rowling/Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series (which is now also a TV show). While I wait for the next installment to come out, I have other inspiring authors I can rely to. Favorites have been Tana French, PD James, and Louise Penny. Most recently, books by Faith Martin and her main protagonist, Hillary Green, are filling the void nicely.

Women are often the more clever crime solvers. I’ve been following Robin Ellicott, and her skill development, for years and anxiously await the next chapter in her life, romantically and professionally. September 2, 2025 is on my calendar for the release of Book 7, The Hallmarked Man.

As a crime/mystery writer myself, it is not surprising that I have taken the series approach to my work as well. As I create my protagonists – Hannah Hart and Mike Gavin – I become invested in their lives, learning more about them as I write each book. It’s also important to provide enough backstory to allow for stand-alone possibility. That information needs to be carefully woven into the story line to maintain the plot’s integrity. A challenge, but very doable.