I knew this day would come eventually.
As you probably know if you’ve been reading this blog for more than a hot minute, I love mystery novels. Mystery might be my favorite genre (maybe – I’m not committing here) and I’m always working my way through one series or another. And as you may know – since I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before – I have a bit of a quirk when it comes to reading mysteries.
I don’t like to read more than one mystery series at a time.
Not that being in the middle of two mystery series should really interfere with anyone’s enjoyment, of course. And not that I’m not smart enough to keep track of the differences between two series. I’m certainly not going to mix up detectives, get confused, and say something like, “Wait, isn’t it Maisie Dobbs who runs a detective agency in Botswana? And I thought Sherlock Holmes was an Egyptologist?” But for some reason, I just have preferred to immerse myself in one series, one world, before moving on to another.
So I worked my way through The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series before getting started on Maisie Dobbs. I finished with Maisie before starting in on The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and getting to know Flavia de Luce.
Of course, it couldn’t last forever. When you read a series by a prolific contemporary writer, it’s bound to happen that they’ll release a new book and you won’t stay caught up forever. And there will be a day when you have to pause the series you’re on and check in with an old favorite.
For me, that day is here… and here with a vengeance. Technically, I’m currently reading through the Amelia Peabody mysteries. Technically, the old favorites are supposed to stay filed away. But they just wouldn’t. First, I excitedly checked out of the library a book to which I’d been looking forward for months: As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, the latest Flavia mystery. (Loved it.) Then I learned that a new Maisie Dobbs novel is due to be released soon – not soon enough to get on the holds list at the library (they haven’t ordered it yet) but it’s on the radar. Then I discovered that there have been not one, but two new No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency mysteries released since I read The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection – oops – and a new Her Royal Spyness, with another one due in August. All I need now is for someone to uncover a long-lost Agatha Christie manuscript.
So I’ve had to throw out my rule of only reading one mystery series at a time – because over the next few months I’ll have to catch up with, in addition to Flavia: Maisie, Precious, and Georgie. It’s time to set aside my “quirk” and deal. And yes, I know that in the grand scheme of things, this is not a big problem. But it’s the mystery reader’s day of reckoning… and it’s here.
Do you have any bookish quirks? Have you ever had to buck up and deal with them?
covered in flour 
Good Morning-I too live in the Buffalo area, and your comment about a book that the Buffalo & Erie County Library has not ordered yet really hit home. I have become very unhappy with the current system, one would think that a book by a popular author would be at the head of the list, and here it is not even ordered. Thanks for listening
I definitely get where you’re coming from. I’ve had my frustrations with the library system too, although in general I think that it’s decent. They have ordered the book now – they must have just done so because I know when I drafted the post (about three days before it published) the latest Maisie was not on the system. (Or maybe they had ordered it but not gotten around to adding it to the catalog at that point?) In any event, I’m glad that they’ve got it on order now and I’ve gotten onto the holds list, but you’re definitely not alone in your frustrations. I’ve been irritated with the library a few times – by not having popular materials in the catalog, and on one occasion when I went to check out a book that was listed as being on the shelf but turned out to have somehow gotten lost – they “looked for it” and called me later that day to say “Sorry, couldn’t find it.” I’d have thought there would be more concern about a book just going missing, but I guess not… Most of my irritations with the library have been petty things, but I definitely hear ya. Still, while I don’t think it’s as good of a system as the Arlington and Fairfax County library systems I belonged to down in Virginia, it’s a darn sight better than many libraries, and I’m grateful to have it… even if I do gripe about it on a regular basis.
Books go missing all the time in a library, and finding them is awfully difficult and the worst job ever (I’m glad I don’t have to do it anymore) – because they could be anywhere between all the others.
Good to have a librarian’s input! I can only imagine what a frustrating task that must be – and I find it easy to believe it happens all the time, because I’m sure there are plenty of thoughtless library patrons who just put a book back anywhere. I was irritated because it seems to happen to me all the time at this particular library (in fact, it just happened again on Friday!), and the one time I asked someone to look for the book they called me about fifteen minutes later and said they couldn’t find it. It’s a big library so I don’t think they tried very hard to find it, but could be they were really busy. I’m glad you don’t have to look for missing library books anymore, too!
Sounds like these mysteries just may break you out of your reading slump!
I hope so! I really do enjoy the mystery genre, plus they’re fast, page-turning reads. A recipe for success? Hope so!
You’re cracking me up. I read in different series all the time. Welcome to the dark side. 😉
I know you do! I’m fully aware that I am the weird one in this. I don’t know anyone else who tries to finish one series before moving on to the next. I think I just need to get over it, because on top of having all these new releases to contend with, I’m itching to read the Charles Lenox mysteries after seeing you and others enjoy them so much, and if I wait until I finish all 20 Amelia Peabody mysteries I might be waiting a verrrrrry long time…
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