On Reading Book Series

One of my many bookish pleasures is picking up book one of a three volume or five volume or ten volume series that looks interesting, and settling in, comfortable in the knowledge that I've found a fictional world to inhabit for anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months.

There's nothing I like more than finding a bunch of characters that I like, set in a particular time and place, having adventures, and living their lives book after book with a narrative that keeps me hooked.

My reading this year, has included a few book series: It started with The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells - seven books that I tore through in less than three weeks. This is hands down some of the best science fiction that I've read. This series features one of the most nuanced depictions of artificial intelligence that I've yet come across.

I finished the last book wishing that I had a few more adventures of Murderbot to read about. Turns out book eight is coming out in May 2026.

Another series that I tumbled into is the Follet Valley Mystery Series by Ian Moore. These books are set in the fictional town of Saint-Sauver in the Loire region of France. They feature the most unlikely duo of detectives, Richard Ainsworth and Valerie D'Orsay.

Richard is a mild-mannered Englishman in his late forties, who runs a B&B, loves old films, and keeps hens named for some of his favourite actresses. Valerie is a bounty hunter who had a whole former life as a member of the French Secret Service. She's a strong and determined woman who likes to get her way. They work together to solve crimes.

What I loved about these books aside from the idyllic setting is the characters who are charmingly idiosyncratic. The writing is clever and funny and there's a touch of whimsy to it that I liked. There are five books in this series so far. Book six is due to be released in 2026.

I've recently finished yet another series of cosy mysteries, the Canon Clement Series by Ricard Coles. These books are set in the fictional village of Champton in the late eighties and early nineties. Canon Daniel Clement is the rector of the village.

He's the protagonist of this series, so the stories are built around him, his inner life and his view of the world - he's a character with real depth, an intelligent man who's bookish and well read, a gentle soul who genuinely cares about and understands the people in his parish.

His partner in crime-solving is Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo, who serves as the perfect foil to Daniel. He's athletic, he loves football and rugby and while he abandoned religion a long time ago, he finds Daniel's faith appealing.

What i liked most about this series is the way the author writes about life in an English village thirty five years ago, all the detail that he uses to create a real sense of being in the late 1980's, and the behind the scenes look at the life and challenges of a country parson that he provides, all while he's writing about a murder mystery.

My mum is a series reader too. I introduced her to the 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith in January of this year. There are eighteen books in this series as of this writing. She's read eleven of them while reading a bunch of other books on the side, and she intends to keep going.

This series is set in Edinburgh, in an apartment building (number 44) on Scotland Street. The people who live in this building are a mixed bunch, college students, couples, young singles, and older folk.

These are people who feel like they could be your neighbours and friends. Reading about them and their doings has the flavour of a chatty, gossipy exchange among friends, talking about mutual acquaintances at their weekly catch-up. This is slice of life writing at its best.