# Recommend a book series, but not one story broken up into several books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [August 15, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193 "2020-08-15T17:32:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/21 "2020-08-16T00:48:46Z")
**Donald E. Westlake** wrote a series of books around the adventures of a hapless thief named _John Dortmunder_ (resulting in several movies, including _The Hot Rock_) and, under the pseudonym **Richard Stark** , a more cold-blooded series revolving around a professional thief named _Parker_ (more movies, including _Point Blank_, starring Lee Marvin) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/22 "2020-08-16T00:50:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Not the one word acknowledgment of error I would have predicted from you. What’s Latin for **D’oh**? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/23 "2020-08-16T01:00:21Z")
Bryant and May series (mysteries with a splash of the weird) by Christopher Fowler. The adventures of two golden age detectives in modern London – in other words, they are relics, but still functioning, barely. Great reading, but maybe not one right after the other, at least not for me. Some of them get a little repetitive in tone, although not at all in plot. I highly recommend them. I don’t know how many there are, currently I am on #16, but they can be read in any order. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/24 "2020-08-16T01:04:39Z")
The _Thursday Next_ novels by **Jasper Fforde**. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/25 "2020-08-16T01:09:10Z")
The five “Demon Prince” novels by Jack Vance. They aren’t fantasy, as the title might suggest, but far-future SF, where one guy tracks down five master villains who killed his family. One really nice feature of these books is that, while they do have an internal chronology, you don’t _have_ to read 'em in order. You can start with any of them and go on to the others, any which way. Vance also wrote a four book series, “Tschai, Planet of Adventure,” which is somewhat reminiscent of John Carter of Mars. These, you need to read in order. Both series are just plain fun, some of the best “space opera” ever. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/26 "2020-08-16T03:48:43Z")
You already mentioned J.R.R. Tolkien’s _The Lord of the Rings_, so I’ll also recommend: _A Song of Ice and Fire_ by George R.R. Martin, about a power struggle in a fictional quasi-medieval kingdom. He hasn’t finished the series yet, alas, but what he’s done is big, intriguing and well worth a read. Start with _A Game of Thrones._ The Spenser series by Robert B. Parker, about a smartass private eye in Boston. Clever, often exciting and always good fun. Start with _The Godwulf Manuscript_. The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian, about a Royal Navy captain and his ship’s surgeon/naturalist/spy best friend, set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. Exciting, immersive, richly detailed and often funny. Start with _Master and Commander._ ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/27 "2020-08-16T04:15:23Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > You already mentioned J.R.R. Tolkien’s _The Lord of the Rings_ …as an example of what he _wasn’t_ looking for. Are the Song of Ice and Fire books standalones? (Honest question; I haven’t read them.) ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/28 "2020-08-16T04:17:40Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Are the Song of Ice and Fire books standalones? (Honest question; I haven’t read them.) I would not consider them so. IMO. Not IMHO because about reading I am not humble. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/29 "2020-08-16T04:58:31Z")
The Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr. The way the books are structured you kind of get two stories in each book - a postwar story accompanied by related WWII or prewar flashbacks. Sadly, Kerr died recently but he left behind 14 consistently entertaining detective/suspense novels. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00CJ2XEJ6](https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00CJ2XEJ6) ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/30 "2020-08-16T11:43:27Z")
The Mr. and Mrs. North mysteries by Richard and Frances Lockridge. Written from the 1940s to the 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/31 "2020-08-16T12:23:14Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I highly recommend them. I don’t know how many there are, currently I am on #16, but they can be read in any order. Fowler says that some are better read out of order, but cautions that _On The Loose_ and _Off The Rails_ should be read together and in order. What about Michael Connelly’s _Bosch_ books, which branch out to draw in other series. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/32 "2020-08-16T13:16:42Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > What about Michael Connelly’s _Bosch_ books, which branch out to draw in other series. Haven’t read a bad one of those yet. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/33 "2020-08-16T14:53:44Z")
I’ve been reading Tony Dunbar’s _Tubby Dubonnet_ series. Tubby is a New Orleans lawyer who struggles to hold onto his moral compass while getting mixed up in all sorts of misadventures. I find the novels to be fun and fairly quick reads. The imagery and sense of place are very rich, with the city of New Orleans playing a major role throughout. ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/34 "2020-08-17T03:00:48Z")
How about Robert Aspirin’s [Phule’s Company](https://www.amazon.com/Phules-Company-1-Robert-Asprin/dp/1614754527/ref=asc_df_1614754527) series? While some of the characters and situations have consequences that come back around in a later book, each book tells a story by itself. I wish Netflix would buy into this and make it a TV show. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/35 "2020-08-17T14:07:10Z")
Brian Freeman’s Jonathan Stride series have all been really good ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/36 "2020-08-17T14:36:13Z")
Thank you all for the suggestions 😀! ---
**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 17, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/37 "2020-08-17T14:39:38Z")
Piers Anthony’s Xanth books? There’s a million of them and each one is pretty much a standalone story but they revolve around the same group of character with each one having a different set of protagonists from that group. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/38 "2020-08-17T16:39:17Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Piers Anthony’s Xanth books? There’s been a lot of controversy about pedophilia and misogyny in Piers Anthony’s books. You can google it, and it’s also been discussed on a few threads on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/39 "2020-08-17T17:54:34Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Haven’t read a bad one of those yet. Did you skip Black ice? I thought that was pretty bad, like a weak episode of a TV crime show. But it was only the second one. He got better. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193/40 "2020-08-17T17:55:50Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > One I really enjoy is the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker. I thought there was just one Spenser book, and he just kept writing it? “Who kidnaps Susan this book?” (and I like Spenser!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-series-but-not-one-story-broken-up-into-several-books/918193.md?page=3)