# Name your favorite book series you've read based on a single character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 13, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764 "2015-08-13T19:40:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/1 "2015-08-13T19:40:04Z")
The title sort of says it all. I find myself enjoying my fiction books with a recurring character. What series have you read all of (within a book or two) that you really enjoyed, and would possibly read the next one (if it’s possible)? For example: Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. All in all pretty good; getting weaker lately, but I’ll definitely give the next one a read as well. (I’m pleased to hear that Jack Reacher 2 movie is in the works. I liked the first movie in spite of the people angry over Tom Cruise not being ANYTHING like how Reacher is described in the books) Michael Connelly is probably my favorite author. I really like his characters, especially Harry Bosch. The Mickey Haller character is also good too. Stephen Hunter started off strong with his Bob Lee Swagger character; but got into some really crazy story-lines in the end. I’d consider reading anything new by him, but I’d be going into it with skepticism. Possibly my second favorite would be Robert B. Parker. He’s written what seems like a zillion books with several recurring characters that I’ve enjoyed. He’s mostly known for Spencer (Spencer for Hire); but Spencer is probably my least favorite character of his. My favorite would easily be Jesse Stone, followed by Sunny Randall, 3rd would be Cole & Hitch in his western series. I’ve recently found a new character I like thanks to NetFlix. The character is Walter Longmire written by Craig Johnson. I’m on the last one now, so I’m looking for a new series to read; which is what prompted this post 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/2 "2015-08-13T20:00:52Z")
Well I was going to say Spenser, but it looks like you’ve got that covered in the OP. 😉 That just leaves a classic, Lord Peter Wimsey from the novels by Dorothy Sayer. But if you’re loking for a character more in the vein of an action hero like Spenser, who’s also smart and romantic, you might check out the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries by Lindsay Davis. He’s basically the Spenser of Ancient Rome. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/3 "2015-08-13T20:31:36Z")
There are many, actually Sherlock Holmes Bertie Wooster (who’d be a wonderful narrator even if Jeeves didn’t exist) Does the trilogy about William “Studs” Lonigan count? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/4 "2015-08-13T20:35:00Z")
My forum name indicates at least one character I’ve followed for years, yea, decades; James Bolivar "Slippery Jim’ DeGriz, the Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison. These days it’s Honor Harrington from the series by the same name by David Weber, albeit that he has a battalion of supporting characters many of whom I like too. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/5 "2015-08-13T20:48:06Z")
Travis McGee in the series from John D. McDonald Parker from Donald Westlake. Also from Westlake, John Dortmunder. ---
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/6 "2015-08-13T20:50:28Z")
I’ve read all the Dortmunder novels by Donald Westlake. I think my favorite is “Drowned Hopes” I’ve read all the Parker novels by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake) I’ve read all the Bernie Rhodenbarr novels by Lawrence Block and I’ve read most of his Matthew Scudder books as well. Of course, I’ve always been this way. In my budding youth I read my way through all the Danny Dunn books and as many of Hugh Lofting’s Dr. Doolittle books as the local library had available. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/7 "2015-08-13T20:54:44Z")
Many. I loved the Harry Bosch ones too. Other good ones are the book series wit Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz, the book series with Lincoln Rhyme by Jeffery Deaver (although one could argue this is actually a TWO-character series, shared with Amelia Sachs), Kinsey Millhone books made by Sue Grafton, the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich is HILARIOUS and I would strongly recommend them to everyone, and the best one of all, I think, is the books that have the character Myron Bolitar by Harlan Coben. For more old school, Nero Wolf by Rex Stout was fairly okay. I used to read Jonathan Kellerman’s books that have Alex Delaware as a character and the James Patterson ones with Alex Cross as a character, but I stopped because both of them became extremely boring and bad with writing. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/8 "2015-08-13T21:17:40Z")
Try the David Robicheaux novels by James Lee Burke. Most of them were very good, with the exception of the last one, which uncharacteristically sucked to me. I agree with the Longmire series: excellent writer and great stories. Also John Sanford’s “Prey” novels. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/9 "2015-08-13T21:20:10Z")
Currently it’s Peter Grant in the Rivers of London series. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/10 "2015-08-13T21:30:51Z")
I’m a sucker for mystery series and two I particularly like that haven’t yet been mentioned are Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series and Dana Stabenow’s Kate Shugak series. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/11 "2015-08-13T21:35:07Z")
I’m reading the Quiller series by Adam Hall because of, well, Quiller. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/12 "2015-08-13T21:43:58Z")
> [@Ferd\_Burfel](#): > > I’ve read all the Dortmunder novels by Donald Westlake. I think my favorite is “Drowned Hopes” > > I’ve read all the Parker novels by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake) > > I’ve read all the Bernie Rhodenbarr novels by Lawrence Block and I’ve read most of his Matthew Scudder books as well. > > Of course, I’ve always been this way. In my budding youth I read my way through all the Danny Dunn books and as many of Hugh Lofting’s Dr. Doolittle books as the local library had available. We have very similar tastes, to the point that I remember reading the Danny Dunn books. But we both forgot another Block series with Evan Tanner as the vet who never sleeps. They were hilarious and oddly prescient about the end of the Cold War. I do believe that half of all those separatist Eastern European ethnic groups that seem to crop up in the news, I first heard about reading these books. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/13 "2015-08-13T21:49:37Z")
> [@Sefton](#): > > I’m reading the Quiller series by Adam Hall because of, well, Quiller. Ooh, excellent choice! I’m a huge fan of Quiller, and Ferris. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/14 "2015-08-13T21:51:38Z")
Travis McGee, Nero Wolfe, Perry Mason, Tarzan, Henry Reed, more that aren’t coming to me. The favorite was whatever series I was reading at the time, so for now I have no favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/15 "2015-08-13T21:58:51Z")
For a less mystery/classic series, I highly recommend Jack McDevitt’s Priscilla Hutchins books. Great space exploration stories with oddball twists and realism interjected in them. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/16 "2015-08-13T22:03:12Z")
John Carter. **The Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs** is the only series I have read all of over a dozen times. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/17 "2015-08-13T22:10:55Z")
The Miles Vorkosigan novels by Lois McMaster Bujold. (Yes, I know some of the books in that series are about other people, and I like them too, but I like the ones about Miles the best.) I enjoyed the Cherry Ames mystery novels as a kid, and as an adult, I’ve collected all of them. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/18 "2015-08-13T22:12:02Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > … Also John Sanford’s “Prey” novels. And his … sequel series? … with Virgil Flowers is excellent too. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/19 "2015-08-13T22:14:32Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > John Carter. **The Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs** is the only series I have read all of over a dozen times. Ditto. Tarzan. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764/20 "2015-08-13T22:49:32Z")
Flashman, Great stories with based around true-life historical events (Victorian military adventures). Plus you are never quite sure whether you really like the lead character or not. The absolute bounder and rotter. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-favorite-book-series-youve-read-based-on-a-single-character/727764.md?page=2)