Creating a story is more than moving through plot points to
reach a satisfying conclusion. Readers also want to connect with the developing
characters, which is why I believe serial stories maintain such a grip on us.
When I’m involved in a series, I’m scanning mystery magazines
and author newsletters looking for upcoming release dates and then penciling
them onto my calendar wish list. This behavior isn’t new, and I’m not alone. In
1841, when Charles Dickens published The
Old Curiosity Shop as a weekly serial novel, his New York fans stormed the
wharf when the steamship bearing the final installment arrived, shouting: “What happened to Nell?” from the dock.
Once a year I re-read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to revisit The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr.
Watson and I rip through Dorothy L. Sayer’s Lord Peter Wimsey novels. I’m
delighted whenever a secondary character pops up with a surprising bit of
narrative exposition. Who doesn’t adore hearing an update from Irene Adler or even
more dithering banter from the Honorable Freddy Arbuthnot?
If I need a touch of Florida noir, I reach for John D.
MacDonald and Travis McGee. Louise Penny and her Chief Inspector Gamache magically
transport me to Quebec and The Three Pines community. Edith Maxwell’s Rose
Carroll and her Quaker Midwife Mysteries warm me with an historical
perspective, and when I crave a hometown dose of rural Pennsylvania I touch
base with WWK’s own Annette Dashofy’s Zoe Chambers and Police Chief Pete Adams.
These characters are my staunchly reliable fictional friends.
True, plot twists and surprise reveals are fun, but character
development can satisfy your soul, especially in these days of Covid-19 social
distancing. Online Zoom birthday parties and happy hour congregations are all
well and good, but I’ve been missing the personal element, the lunchtime
get-togethers with my family and friends. To fill this temporary gap, I’m using
my cancelled conference registration fee money to buy more books.
What new series and/or characters can you recommend, and
why?
22 comments:
So true, Martha! I've thought the same particularly about Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott books.
Hi, Art! Great to hear from you. I think your On the Road with Del & Louise would fit the serial story category and it's in my TBR stack!
Thanks, Martha. You've raised an excellent point. That probably accounts for why some characters and books stay with us long after we've read them.
Did you say "buy more books"? I must follow these instructions! IMMEDIATELY!!!
I rarely have trouble buying more books! You should see my bookshelves (and the stack of TBR hidden under the dining room table)...
Eagerly anticipating the new Martin Walker Bruno, Chief of Police book. Life in the Dordogne could be simple: hunting truffles, drinking local wine, caving, eating local cheeses...but Bruno is always mired in a local crime with frequent national or international repercussions and/or dating back to WW2 and the Occupation. Pure escape, grounded in reality.
Thanks, Martha! Hope you enjoy!
Oh, there are so many series that I follow mainly for the characters. I love Deborah Crombie's husband/wife team, Charlotte MacLeod's Peter Shandy and his neighbors, Sue Ann Jaffarian's characters in all of her series, Jess Lourey's Mira James, Leigh Perry's Skeleton family, etc. I could go on and on.
A larger book budget--what a concept!
Writing series characters is fun, too. It's like visiting old familiar friends.
Thanks for the recommendation, Margaret. I'll add it to my list. I need some escape!
And E.B., Sue Ann Jaffarian always makes me laugh. And it's not a larger book budget, but it is negotiable.
KM, agreed. There's something soothing in world building, even if it involves murder.
Oh, to have a bigger book budget! I love revisiting old series friends like Kinsey Milhone, Mrs. Pollifax, and Vicky Bliss. You're so right about delighting in secondary characters - now I want to revisit Melrose Plant and his dragon aunt from the Martha Grimes stories!
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