Hi Reader,

I’ve read or listened to every one of Deon Meyer’s Benny Griesel (affiliate link) novels. They were first recommended to me by Tony Park because, like his books, they’re based in Africa and he thought I would enjoy them.

He was right.

Benny Griesel is a detective, but above all else, he is a human being with flaws. He is far from perfect, yet he is the perfect cop. He’s good at what he does, and he and his police partner Vaughn Cupido always solve their cases. But they both have baggage, and we get to go along for the ride, seeing them both ‘warts and all’.

I also read standalone crime novels, like Candice Fox’s Devil’s Kitchen (affiliate link), Harlan Coben’s The Woods (affiliate link), and Stuart MacBride’s The Dead of Winter (affiliate link). They’re all fantastic reads, but when they’re done, they’re done. There are no characters to follow into the next story. Everything was wound up in the pages of that one book, which is not a bad thing by any means.

Sometimes, having everything wound up in one story, no loose ends, no wondering what happens next, is exactly what we need as readers.

So, which approach is better? Series, or standalone?

Let’s take a look.

I think that one of the great strengths of books written in a series, is that we get to follow some of the characters on their own journey through life, fictional as it may be. We get to see them grow, to interact with their world in particular ways, and sometimes, fail. This works particularly well in crime series, where we can follow the detective through numerous investigative cases. We become familiar with the hero of the stories and that familiarity brings us a form of comfort.

Bad things still happen because they are, after all, crime fiction stories. It makes a lot of sense that someone is going to have a really bad day. But, as readers, we become comfortable in that feeling of understanding, of knowing at least a little about how the characters will react. We become immersed in their world.

When we read the newest book in the series, we don’t have to spend time working out who the characters are, what their quirks are, or what their relationships with others in the story are. We already know those things from previous books. We’re able to get straight into the nitty gritty.

Of course, there will always be snippets of explanation by the author weaved into the book to allow those new to the series to understand what's happening.

Not everyone reads books in sequence from first to last, which is something that I, personally, don’t understand! I have to read book one through to the last book, in order. If I can’t read a particular book for some reason, I will never go back to ‘catch up’. Once I’ve past that point in time in the series, I continue moving forward. But not everyone is like me!

Then there’s the standalone. One book. One story. Anything can happen.

The main character doesn’t have to survive through to books five, six, or seven. He or she can self-destruct, if that’s what the story calls for, within the covers of that one novel. They can burn their whole world to the ground. They could even die without having a detrimental effect on sequels, because there aren’t any.

And that, sometimes, is what we want. There’s no need to form relationships with the characters (although we often do), because the end of the book is final. By the time we reach the last page and close the cover, the entire story has been told.

With a series like Meyer’s Benny Griesel books, we subconsciously expect the characters to survive and to return in the next story. With a standalone book, all bets are off. Anything can happen.

As a reader, I enjoy both. I like to follow the development of a cast of characters in a series, but equally, I enjoy getting into a new story. One where there is no history, but endless possibility.

It’s not unusual for me to be reading two books at the same time. I’ll often have an audio book that I listen to while driving the car, and a paperback to read when I’m at home. Two completely different stories side by side. One is often part of a series, and the other a standalone.

What about you? Are you Team Series, or Team Standalone? Or like me, do you enjoy both?

P.S. — If you’re Team Series, which crime fiction character could you happily keep reading for another ten books (or more!)?

KEN LYONS Author ​kenlyonsauthor.com​ ​​

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