Reading books in a series

[iheartpolrbears]

I really enjoy reading mysteries. I found great books to read at the library but when I got home I noticed some of the books were part of a series. Is there a web site where you can do a search to see if they have to be read in order? Or do you just try to read them and see for yourself? I just finished Gossamer Ghost by Laura Childs. I was excited to read it because it took place during Halloween. This book is Number 12 in the Scrapbooking Mystery series. Even though they went right into the characters knowing each other it was not confusing at all.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review), Co-Moderator, Featured Series]

I would think you should be able to check the lists on here if need be.

[Delitealex]

For the most part at least some of the series I have read each book can be read as a standalone. Each book usually has its on mystery thats wrapped up at the end of the book. But things do happen over the course of the series that carry on book to book.

I would go to the author's website to see if they say if the books should be read in order. Some people feel like they need to read them in order some don't I think it depends on you.


I read an Amelia Peabody book by Elizabeth Peters long ago not knowing it was apart of a series until awhile after reading it. I was really surprised because I didn't feel lost or was really missing any information to enjoy the story. I have recently read the first in the series but don't feel like I really need to read the reast in order.

[Ana]

There are quite a few. Some of my favorites are http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/
http://www.fictfact.com/

[Tina]

I have shelves of cozy mysteries (used) I have yet to read because I bought them not cking to see the number in the series. So I usually hope to run across the one I need sooner or later! Library too far away and odd hours.

[Christine]

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/

[Julesy]

Fantastic Fiction is also my go-to site for series order. FictFact is always behind in their updates but Fantastic Fiction also lists upcoming releases for the authors.

I am definitely a person who must RIO (read in order).

[Nell]

iheartpolrbears wrote: "I really enjoy reading mysteries. I found great books to read at the library but when I got home I noticed some of the books were part of a series. Is there a web site where you can do a search to see if they have to be read in order? ..."

Whether or not to read a series in order is primarily a personal preference, so you will not find a web site that tells you that. There are sites that list series in order - SYKM is a great resource for mysteries (@ msg 4). You can find a list of series books here on GR. From the book page, click on the series name (that's in parenthesis next to the book title) or scroll down & on the right side you will see up to 10 books in the series and can click on the name.

As to a particular series, you can ask other cozy readers here who may be familiar with it. Some of us will say yes RIO, others will say no. I've not read the Laura Childs' series. Generally, I RIO because I enjoy the character development in a series.

[Tina]

Every once in a while I would like to read a stand alone cozy mystery. Recommend one to me you guys!

[Nell]

Tina wrote: "Every once in a while I would like to read a stand alone cozy mystery. Recommend one to me you guys!"

Margaret Maron, Last Lessons of Summer

Nancy Pickard, The Scent of Rain and Lightning

[Donna]

The Scent of Rain and Lightning was an excellent read!

[Tina]

Thanks you guys! Will have to check it out!

[Nell]

These are not cozies but they're excellent stand-alone mysteries:

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

Ordinary Grace by Willliam Kent Krueger

[Tina]

Thanks Nell

[Melodie]

Nell wrote: "These are not cozies but they're excellent stand-alone mysteries:

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

[book:Ord..."

I really liked ORDINARY GRACE. Read it as a group read for another group I belong to here on GR earlier this year.

[Donna]

I am waiting for his next book! I think he is an excellent writer.

[Karen]

I love reading both series and stand alone books. However, if it is a series, I have to read them in order. My one little quirk...same thing if it is a tv series or a movie series.

[Susie]

I am definitely a RIO person...when I come across any cozy that piques my interest, I only put the 1st one in that series on my tbr shelf. I have a specific bookshelf for them so I always can make sure to start with the right one!

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review), Co-Moderator, Featured Series]

Likewise - I have got some that I realised after I bought them were later in a series so they go on the pile until I have and have read the ones leading up to it.

[Christopher]

When I become a great mystery novelist, I shall write my series in non-chronological order.

Actually, are there any series out there purposefully written in non-chronological order? I don't mean those where the bulk are not specific to any point in the series chronology; I mean a series where the in-universe timeline doesn't match the publication timeline? And what would that mean for you?

[Kay (Brigidsmomma)]

Chronicles of Narnia was written in non-chronological order, but whether or not that was intentional, would be hard to say at this point, as CS Lewis is no longer living...

[Melodie]

I don't worry about RIO. Life's too short to miss a good read simply because I haven't read the 1 or 20 that came before the book I have. I learned that from a perfectly healthy friend who passed very unexpectedly from an aneurysm. Don't wait for a THING!! It could all be over in less than the blink of an eye like it was for her. She always lived in the moment. I've been trying to do that, too, ever since.

[jaxnsmom]

I prefer to read a series in order, but there are some times when the earlier books aren't available. It really depends on the series - sometimes I feel like I've walked into the middle of a movie and having no idea of the background leaves me confused.

[Christopher]

I'd say that a good detective series shouldn't have that problem. Circumstances may change as the series progress (Bob and Carol are single in book 1, married in book 5, divorced in book 12) but ideally these changes are just background details that can be grasped immediately, with a minimum of dependance on details from previous books.

"Curtain" references "The Mysterious Affair at Styles", but you don't need "Styles" to understand any of the references to the past in "Curtain".

Then again, maybe some people prefer the soap-opera aspect of a continuation series, following the growth and change of the hero(es) over the course of several mysteries. It's a matter of taste, I suppose.

[Tina]

I have often run across a series midway. Then I look online for the older books. Most are available at low cost. Which is great. But then it may be just one of those not available for some odd reason. Then I become discouraged and don't begin the series. How do I know the series is not a soap opera? Or that I can depend upon minimum details? Can be frustrating at times. Thanks Christopher for the excellent post. I did use a few of your descriptions, hope you don't mind.

[☯Emily]

I almost always start a series midway. If the book is really great, I will continue by trying to start with the first book. Sometimes it is hard to find the first books. I have also found that the first book is not always very good, so I don't worry any more about reading in order. I enjoy a series by reading whenever I can find the books. A good series written by a skilled author would follow the guidelines described by Christopher.

[Karen]

Do you read a whole series (up to the most recent) before starting a new series?

[Melodie]

Karen wrote: "Do you read a whole series (up to the most recent) before starting a new series?"

No! I'd get burnt out on them if I read like that!! I came close to do that many years back with Robert Parker's Spenser books. I got in on them near what was the newest book in that series at the time and liked it so well that I went back and started from the beginning. Read 3 or 4 in a row and then would read something else until I got caught up on the series. I don't think I could do that now. I'd get bored.

[Anne Louise]

I remember stumbling onto Book Five ( Cat in a Diamond Dazzle) of the Midnight Louie series and finding it too hard to follow. Then I went back and read the whole series from the start and enjoyed the book immensely as a result. So I'm pretty stuck on Reading In Order. I use FictFact.com to help me keep track.

[Nell]

Karen wrote: "Do you read a whole series (up to the most recent) before starting a new series?"

There are a number of series that I read. With an on-going series there is often a year or at least several months between publications. When I have several unread books in a series, I may read 2 or 3 of them in a row. Then I take a break and go read another series.

[Julesy]

In general, I like to RIO. With certain series, it's almost a must for me. Examples that come to mind are Lucy Stone series by Leslie Meier, Scumble River series by Denise Swanson, Josie Marcus series by Elaine Viets, Flower Shop series by Kate Collins, and a few others.

The reason is because the character development and relationships evolve from book to book, especially if there are kids and they grow up. If I read them out of order, I would probably be confused. There are some series that I have read out of order but there doesn't seem to be any chronology involved with the characters.

[Karen]

I usually like to get caught up on a series before starting a new one. However, there are so many series I want to read :). I definitely have to read in order. I am excited for the new JoAnne Fluke book. I am caught up with that series.

[BLynne]

I tend to read a series in order. But I find that I can't just stay in that series and have to mix it up in between reading a series. I might read the first two in a series and then read something different before going to the next two in the series.

[Anne]

I like to read a series in order because I'm just as much interested in the main character's development as I am in the current mystery in whichever of the book in the series that I'm reading. I check out the series order here in Goodreads.

[Arielle]

I have to read in order! But I juggle a ton of series, just reading one (or two!) books in each and rotating them around! I get sad when I read to the point of "catching up" - I hate waiting for a new one in a series to come out!

[Lacey]

iheartpolrbears wrote: "I really enjoy reading mysteries. I found great books to read at the library but when I got home I noticed some of the books were part of a series. Is there a web site where you can do a search to ..."

Cozymysteries.com is a great place to find new authors and they have books in order.

[Gary]

Arielle wrote: "I have to read in order! But I juggle a ton of series, just reading one (or two!) books in each and rotating them around! I get sad when I read to the point of "catching up" - I hate waiting for a ..."

I feel your pain on that. I just read the most recent Mooseamuck Island book by Leighann Dobbs and late last year I read the most recent Gertie Johnson story by Deb Baker. I know both authors have other series, but....I'm also anxiously waiting on the next Danger Cove novel. Good thing I have an extra large TBR full of cozy and classic mystery books along with SF and Fantasy and other stuff.

[Heather]

I love to read series. I must go in order; I rarely make exceptions. I love becoming a part of the community of characters! Sometimes after a couple of books into a new-to-me series that has many book, I have to take a break. I start obsessing too much about the characters and the town! I have to bring myself back to reality for a little while and focus on real life, then I start back up again!!!

[iheartpolrbears]

I do read a couple of the Laura Child's books out of order. There are too many of the tea shop and scrapbooking books to read in order. I haven't had any trouble since it is a new murder case every book

[Gary]

I prefer to read in order as well, although some classic mystery series that is not necessary. I never had a problem reading Miss Marple, Poirot, Perry Mason, Ellery Queen, or Nero Wolfe out of order, although thrre are some that should be read sequentialy in the Wolfe series. The 3 novels featuring Wolfe's version of Moriarity, Arnold Zeck, should ideally be read in order.

[Julesy]

I am a RIO (read in order) type of person. Not because I get confused by the chain of events by jumping around, but it helps me to keep track of what book I should be reading next. I have a few series where I read them totally out of order because there were no dependencies between the books. However, I have to constantly keep checking my book logs to see which ones I didn't read and see if I can get those I haven't read from the library or have to buy them. If the series contains young children, I almost always read them in order. I like "seeing" the progression as the kids grow up!

[Gary]

One series that I plan on reading in order is Dell Shannon's Luis Mendoza series. I read some of the later books in the series and I want to go back and see Mendoza and his fellow officers from the start. I have my copy of a mystery guild omnibus featuring the first four Mendoza books somewhere in a box in my spare bedroom, probably keeping company the first 7 or 8 Wheel of Time HCs.

[iheartpolrbears]

Some series there are so many books. For example the Tea Shop mysteries have 16 books. Would be hard to read all them in order. Usually I'll try to read it and see if I need to read the others. So far I don't need to with the tea shop books

[Christopher]

Some book series are fortunate where if you pick up book 4 you don't feel lost or if you've missed critical information. One series that is Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Mystery Series and Virginia Lowell's Cookie Cutter mystery series.

[Melissa]

I love to read series in order - however..sometimes I haven't, and that's ok. The authors do a good job of referring back to the other storylines. =)

This website has a lot of great Cozy lists, and she has a blog that you can sign up for also! ( the blog link is listed on the left side of her website. see below )

http://www.cozy-mystery.com/