Different types of crime series

We all know that series of crime novels are popular with both writers and readers. They give writers the chance to create a compelling cast of characters to use multiple times, as well as to construct plots that can sometimes take several books to resolve. And they give readers the chance to get to know the world the author has created, to read something that is familiar yet new, and to look forward to the book that comes next.

But when you think of a crime series, what do you imagine? We might at first think that a crime series is a crime series, and that’s that. However, there are a few different types of crime novel series that we could consider as authors, and they’re all definitely worth contemplating.

Same characters, same world, different stories

Probably the most popular option when it comes to the type of series, one option is to create a cast of characters who inhabit a particular time and place, but face different challenges and stories each time. One of the big benefits of this sort of crime novel series is that it allows readers to (hopefully) form attachments to and find interest in the characters and world the writer has created, as well as giving the author the chance to explore a wide range of different stories while using at least some of the same characters.

Same world, different stories, different characters

Another option might be to use the same setting and place for each novel, but to utilise different characters in each book. Therefore, rather than having the same protagonist(s) in each book, you’d change with each one. For instance, in one novel, your focus might be on a detective duo hunting a killer. In the next book, the focus might be on a lawyer or medical professional. Characters you’ve used before can make bit part appearances for continuity purposes, or they could be entirely absent from subsequent novels; it all depends on how you want to go about it.

Different stories, different characters, different worlds

This might be the hardest option to sustain as a series for any length of time, but if you’re up for a challenge then you might like to try making each novel completely different in almost any way imaginable, but with a few details connecting the books so that they can still constitute something of a series. For example, you might have a single character that connects books set in different times and places, or a signature style of crime that runs through your books. After all, we should be free to push boundaries and explore different things in our crime novels – and if that means doing something a bit different to the norm, it shouldn’t put us off.