A recent interesting post from Bill Selnes at Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan has got me thinking about how series end. Sometimes, sadly, it’s because of the author’s passing. Other times, the author makes the choice to end a series. After all, once the characters have told their stories, there’s not a lot more to say. If the series continues beyond that point, it loses quality. I think we’ve all read series that went on too long.
Some series go on longer than the author had originally planned. For instance, Louise Penny’s Three Pines series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache was originally intended as a ten-book series, slated to end with The Long Way Home. But things didn’t work out that way, and the series is now nearly twice that long, and still has deeply devoted fans. There are plenty of other series that are similar (e.g. Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories).
In general, though, the author (or the publisher) decides that the characters’ stories have been told. In some cases, the stories don’t take long to tell. For example, Anthony Bidulka’s series featuring Saskatchewan PI Merry Bell includes only three novels: Livingsky, From Sweetgrass Bridge, and Home Fires Burn. In those novels, we learn who she is, where she’s from, the challenges she’s faced, and the cases she investigates. Her story is told in just those three novels.
There’s a similar pattern in Nelson Brunanski’s John ‘Bart’ Bartowski series, which includes four novels. In Crooked Lake, the first novel, we learn about Bart’s background and home life; he’s a happily married owner of a Saskatchewan fishing lodge. As the series goes on, Bart gets involved in murder and arson cases, and as he does, we learn about life in small-town Saskatchewan. His story is told after four novels, and there’s logic in that. Without major changes in Bart’s circumstances, it might be very difficult to continue a series like that that takes place in a small community.
Other series are longer. Vicki Delany’s Constable Molly Smith series, to take one example, consists of eight books. Smith lives and works in Trafalgar, British Columbia, mostly under the supervision of her boss, John Winters, and as the series goes on, we follow her development as a police detective, the network of relationships in the town and in her life, and several story arcs. When those stories were finished, the series ended. It’s worth nothing that Delany is quite prolific, with several other series to her name. That said, though, there’s a solid argument that the series ended when the characters finished telling the stories.
There’s also Ausma Zehamat Khan’s six-book series featuring Rachel Getty and Esa Khattak of the Canadian government’s Community Policing Service (CPS). That particular branch of the government’s police work is focused on hate crimes and bigotry, so the two are called in when a hate-based murder is committed. Along with the crimes and mysteries being investigated, we also learn Getty’s and Khattak’s backstories, and we see how those play out as story arcs throughout the series. When those stories have been told, the series ends.
There are plenty of other examples of series that last for a certain time and then end when the characters’ stories have been told. This has a lot of advantages. For the author, it means flexibility to go on to another series, another sort of writing, or something else. For the reader, it means the quality of the stories doesn’t wane over time.
This is a lot easier to say than to do, of course. For one thing, readers may be eager for a series to go on even after the author or publisher has decided that it’s had its day. That’s what happened to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. For another, an author may be a best-seller, whose series is snapped up immediately. Even if the author thinks it’s time for a series to end, the publisher may think differently. Finally, everyone has a different idea of how long a given series should go on. Some readers may be eager for a series to continue, while others think it’s past its sell-by date.
Still, for authors, it’s worth thinking about how long a series will continue and making a (possibly difficult) decision to end that series when the characters have told their stories. Thanks very much, Bill, for the inspiration. Folks, do treat yourself to a visit to Bill’s blog. Excellent reviews, commentary, and exchanges with authors await you there.
*NOTE: The title of this post is a line from John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Mein Herr.
Crime Writer Margot Kinberg 
You’ve given me some Canada-set series to look for, that I was unaware of. Thank you!
LikeLike
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Kate! There is some top-notch Canadian crime fiction out there, and I’m happy to share it.
LikeLike
Interesting topic, Margot! I was recently VERY disappointed that Elly Griffiths had chosen to end her Ruth Galloway series, which was one of my absolute favorites. She is writing a new series, and I look forward to trying that. But I think Ruth will always be #1 for me.
LikeLike
Thanks, Becky! You’re by no means the only one who’s sorry to say goodbye to Ruth Galloway. Griffiths is a highly skilled writer, and her new series will probably be excellent. But Ruth is such a wonderful character, isn’t she? I can understand why you’re disappointed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, she is! I’m hoping after some time away that there will be another book someday…
LikeLike
We’ll have to see what happens, Becky…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes!
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I feel as the previous commenter that it’s a shame to say goodbye to Ruth Galloway, although I believe Elly Griffiths has not altogether ruled out more books. Luckily she has other series and I do like her Harbinder Kaur books, plus intend to try the new one soon. I have a feeling Maisie Dobbs has finished or is finishing soon too. You can understand an author perhaps getting stuck in a rut with a character and wanting to start something new though.
LikeLike
I think you’re right about the Maisie Dobbs series, Cath. And that will be sad in a way, but I can also see how Jacqueline Winspear would feel that her story’s been told. And I do think you have a point about writers feeling they don’t want to be stuck in a rut. As for Elly Griffiths, yes, she had a solid series with the Kaur books and with the Magic Men books, too. It will be sad to say goodbye to Ruth Galloway, though. She is such a terrific character isn’t she?
LikeLike
It was good to read about several Canadian mystery series here. I have read books from two of them: Louise Penny’s Three Pines series and Vicki Delaney’s Constable Molly Smith series. The others I do want to get to. I have read some books by Anthony Bidulka, but none of the PI Merry Bell books.
And of course I am a fan of Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan by Bill Selnes.
LikeLike
tracybham: Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate them.
LikeLike
I’m a fan of Bill’s blog as well, Tracy. It’s an excellent blog. Both Louise Penny and Vicki Delany have some fine series, in my opinion, so I’m glad you like them. As for Anthony Bidulka’s Merry Bell novels, they are very well written, with solid characters. I like the way Merry grows as the novels go on, too. If you read them, I hope you’ll enjoy them.
LikeLike
Thank you Margot for the generous words. I value them.
I am not much for change when a series or life is going well. I appreciate writers move on but I think it is harder for readers sometimes. Good writers sense when it is time for a series to end.
I appreciated two of the examples you provided came from books set in Saskatchewan.
I know of no longer blogger with a greater breadth of reading in the crime fiction than yourself.
Your posts challenge me to think about the genre we love.
Thanks again.
LikeLike
That’s very kind of you, Bill – thank you. I’m glad you like what you find here. You have a very interesting point about readers when a series ends. When it’s a beloved series, it can be very difficult to let go, even if it is for the best. As you say, skilled authors know when it’s time to end things, and if they don’t, skilled editors and publishers know. That doesn’t make it easy for the reader, though, does it? Oh, and about Saskatchewan? It’s home to some fine writers, and I’m glad you feature them on your blog.
LikeLike
I do not know how “longer” got into my comment. Sometimes proofreading is ineffective.
LikeLike
No worries, Bill. That sort of thing happens to me all the time.
LikeLike
Sorry. I do not know how “longer” got into my comment. Sometimes proofreading is ineffective.
LikeLike
Not a problem, Bill, You should see how many proofreading blunders I’ve made…
LikeLike
Such an interesting post, Margot. I think it must be a very difficult decision to make as an author, especially if you haven’t defined any parameters for your series/character from the start. If the detective is a hit with the public, the temptation is to keep writing about them, even if you don’t feel the urge any more. I’ve read some crime series where I felt the quality doesn’t stay so high as they go one, but for others it works – I’m thinking of the Martin Beck books, which are ensemble cast as well – that probably helps in a long-running series, and the authors did set out with a specific intent too, I believe. It’s probably easier if you have a number of regular sleuths, like Christie did with Poirot, Marple, Tommy and Tuppence etc. But you’ve got to feel for Conan Doyle – everyone still remembers him for Holmes, however much he probably hated that, and his other books never hit the spot in the same way!
LikeLike
You know, KBR, I hadn’t thought about setting parameters in that way – thanks. I would imagine it is different for a writer (and perhaps easier to end a series) when one has set parameters, as in the Martin Beck series. Part of the appeal for those novels is that they told the story of Martin Beck and his team, and then ended, as the authors meant them to do. And, yes, I’d agree that having an ensemble cast helps in a series. There’s more to explore there. You make an interesting point about having several regular sleuths. I think that lets an author explore more and allows for books to stay fresher, if I can put it that way. Of course, if the public adores one or another sleuth, as in the case of ACD’s Holmes and Christie’s Poirot, then the author has less choice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I once read that the publishers of Martha Grimes thought she should stop her Inspector Jury series after 13 books with “The Old Contemptibles”. She thought differently and changed the publishers. I think the publishers got it right. There is a marked drop in quality after book number 13. Sometimes a writer is too close to his fictional characters… and does not see its time for a change. As far as I’m concerned she never wrote as well as in those first 13 books again!
LikeLike
Thanks for mentioning Martha Grimes, Jotell. You’re not the only one who thinks the Jury series went on for two long, and I can see why the publishers would have counseled her to end the series after The Old Contemptibles. There are differences between those earlier books and the later once. And it is quite possible that an author does get too close to the characters. It’s definitely harder then to decide that it’s time to move on. This is where a skilled editor and publisher can step in, and a wise author hears them out.
LikeLike
The temptation to continue with a successful series must be strong, but I often find myself wishing that the author would bring it to an end and move on to something new. Rebus is a prime example – I feel they should have finished when he retired or very soon afterwards. And unlike a lot of your other commenters I felt the Ruth Galloway series continued long past its sell by date and haven’t read the last several. I feel the contemporary trend of making the ‘tecs personal life as important as the mystery leads to series not having the longevity they may once have done – Poirot, for example, could go on forever precisely because he didn’t have a new girlfriend in every book or a failing marriage!
LikeLike
I’m glad you mentioned Rebus, FictionFan. I had really thought the series would end with Exit Music. It was, at least as I see it, a good place to end. I know he’s a popular character, and there must have been a lot of pressure and temptation to keep him going. As for Ruth Galloway, yes, a lot of people do love the later books, but I’ve also heard from others, like you, who thought that series should have ended sooner. It’s interesting how people have different views on that one. And you do raise such an interesting point about sleuths’ personal lives. Christie never placed a lot of emphasis on Poirot’s personal life, so he could stay in London, travel, whatever, and there could be any number of mysteries involving him. With a girlfriend or marriage, that does become more difficult for a fictional sleuth! It could be that a series’ lifespan might be affected by the sleuth’s personal life… that’s intriguing and I appreciate the ‘food for thought.’
LikeLiked by 1 person