a question a day

[kindkit]

Today's question from the question-a-day meme:

1 Do you have a favorite book series?

Several. I like serial storytelling, which combines the comfort of familiarity (yay, I get to hang out with these characters again!) with the pleasure of a new plot. It's the same reason I like fanfic.

A few favorites:

Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series
Mary Renault's Greek novels, which are a sort of loose series with recurring characters (not all of them historical)
Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford series
John Le Carré's George Smiley series

But if I had to pick one, it would be Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series. These police procedural mysteries (with a decent dose of police-skepticism built in) offer inventive and varied mystery plots, excellent prose, and characters with growing depth and complexity (including the women, and also one of the first recurring gay characters--one of the detectives, not a killer or a victim--that I know of in any mystery series). The worldview is broadly leftist and always compassionate and thoughtful. I re-read these books a lot, which says something in itself, because not a lot of mysteries will bear re-reading.

Comments

[likeadeuce]

Oh yeah, I love Dalziel and Pascoe! Haven't revisited those in some time, I may need to raid my own bookshelves

[hagsrus]

Could never get into Le Carré but yes to the others - in fact I'm rereading Dalziel / Pascoe at the moment, and listening to Aubrey / Maturin.

Have you come across Hill's Joe Sixsmith series? Very different from D&P but fun.

[sovay]

and also one of the first recurring gay characters--one of the detectives, not a killer or a victim--that I know of in any mystery series

I never think of those books as Dalziel and Pascoe, because I happened to discover the series with Pictures of Perfection and in consequence I always think of them as Wield and Digweed and some other people.

Mary Renault and John le Carré are also favorites of mine. I love the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) but have never quite gotten into Aubrey and Maturin on the page, which makes no sense abstractly, but I keep trying. I read about half a dozen, own a couple, and am predictably fond of Stephen.

[mllesatine]

I answered the question for myself when I read it and first thought that I don't read book series but then you mentioned Discworld and I have read a lot of those.

Which Dalziel and Pascoe book would you recommend to a newbie?

[delphi]

I love Dalziel & Pascoe (or Dalziel & Pascoe & Wield & Edwin)! I really need to undertake a re-read.