Many of the books I read are parts of a series - usually, but not always, mystery series.
I'd like to try to complete some of the series - some I have no intention of revisiting.
And then there are those series I haven't started, but would like to.
This blog is a way for me to keep a record of the books I've read and the ones I might like to try.
And anyway, I've always loved making lists.

Friday, September 25, 2020

Jerry West: The Happy Hollisters

• Main characters: The Hollister family, consisting of five children (Pete, Pamela, Ricky, Holly, and Sue), and their parents (John and Elaine)
• Setting: The city of Shoreham (as far as I know, no state is ever mentioned)
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.

The Happy Hollisters is a series of books for children, published by the Stratemeyer Syndicate (also the publisher of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series), between 1953 and 1969. The series was written by Andrew E. Svenson, using the pseudonym Jerry West, and was illustrated by Helen S. Hamilton. 

  1. The Happy Hollisters  (1953)
  2. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip  (1953)
  3. The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach  (1953) 
  4. The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure  (1953) 
  5. The Happy Hollisters at Mystery Mountain  (1954) 
  6. The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp  (1954) 
  7. The Happy Hollisters and the Trading Post Mystery  (1954) 
  8. The Happy Hollisters at Circus Island  (1955) 
  9. The Happy Hollisters and the Secret Fort  (1955) 
  10. The Happy Hollisters and the Merry-Go-Round Mystery*  (1955) 
  11. The Happy Hollisters at Pony Hill Farm*  (1956) 
  12. The Happy Hollisters and the Old Clipper Ship  (1956) 
  13. The Happy Hollisters at Lizard Cove  (1957) 
  14. The Happy Hollisters and the Scarecrow Mystery  (1957) 
  15. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Totem Faces  (1958) 
  16. The Happy Hollisters and the Ice Carnival Mystery  (1958) 
  17. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery in Skyscraper City  (1959) 
  18. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Little Mermaid  (1960) 
  19. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery at Missile Town  (1961) 
  20. The Happy Hollisters and the Cowboy Mystery  (1961) 
  21. The Happy Hollisters and the Haunted House Mystery  (1962) 
  22. The Happy Hollisters and the Secret of the Lucky Coins  (1963) 
  23. The Happy Hollisters and the Castle Rock Mystery  (1963) 
  24. The Happy Hollisters and the Cuckoo Clock Mystery  (1963) 
  25. The Happy Hollisters and the Swiss Echo Mystery  (1963) 
  26. The Happy Hollisters and the Sea Turtle Mystery  (1964) 
  27. The Happy Hollisters and the Punch and Judy Mystery  (1964) 
  28. The Happy Hollisters and the Whistle Pig Mystery  (1964) 
  29. The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery  (1965) 
  30. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Golden Witch  (1966) 
  31. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Mexican Idol  (1967) 
  32. The Happy Hollisters and the Monster Mystery  (1969) 
  33. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Midnight Trolls  (1969) 

* Numbers 10 and 11 are sometimes switched in publication order, but Pony Hill Farm references their prior mystery about the Merry-Go-Round, so I'm listing Pony Hill Farm as #11.

........ 


Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Louise Penny: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache

Main character: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police force for Quebec
Setting: Canada, mostly in and around the small Québécois town of Three Pines
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. Still Life (2005)
  2. A Fatal Grace (2006) 
  3. The Cruelest Month (2007) 
  4. A Rule Against Murder (2008) 
  5. The Brutal Telling (2009)
  6. Bury Your Dead (2010) 
  7. A Trick of the Light (2011)
  8. The Beautiful Mystery (2012) 
  9. How the Light Gets In (2013) 
  10. The Long Way Home (2014) 
  11. The Nature of the Beast (2015) 
  12. A Great Reckoning (2016)
  13. Glass Houses (2017) 
  14. Kingdom of the Blind (2018) 
  15. A Better Man (2019)
  16. All the Devils Are Here (2020)
In addition to the full-length novels, there has also been one novella (or long short story) issued:
  1. The Hangman (2010)
......

Monday, May 11, 2020

S.J. Parris: Giordano Bruno Mysteries

Main character: Giordano Bruno — monk, poet, scientist, magician — who investigates crime in the 16th century
Setting: Primarily England
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. Heresy (2010)
  2. Prophecy (2011)
  3. Sacrilege (2012)
  4. The Secret Dead (2013) 
  5. Treachery (2014) 
  6. Conspiracy (2016) 
  7. Execution (2020) 
......

P.G. Wodehouse: Jeeves Series

Main characters: Bertie Wooster, wealthy and idle young Londoner, and his valet Jeeves
Setting: England, early-to-mid 20th Century
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. My Man Jeeves (1919)
  2. The Inimitable Jeeves (1923) 
  3. Carry On, Jeeves (1925)
  4. Very Good, Jeeves (1930) 
  5. Thank You, Jeeves (1934) 
  6. Right Ho, Jeeves (1934) 
  7. The Code of the Woosters (1938) 
  8. Joy in the Morning (1946) (US title: Jeeves in the Morning)
  9. The Mating Season (1949)
  10. Ring for Jeeves (1953) (US title: The Return of Jeeves)
  11. Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit (1954) (US title: Bertie Wooster Sees It Through)
  12. A Few Quick Ones (1959)
  13. Jeeves in the Offing (1960) (US title: How Right You Are, Jeeves)
  14. Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves (1963)
  15. Plum Pie (1966)
  16. Much Obliged, Jeeves (1971) (US title: Jeeves and the Tie That Binds)
  17. Aunts Aren't Gentlemen (1974) (US title: The Cat-nappers)
......

Miss Seeton Mysteries

Main character: Miss Emily D. Seeton, eccentric retired art teacher, who helps Scotland Yard solve mysteries and right wrongs, armed only with her sketch pad and trusty umbrella.
• Setting: England
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.

The Miss Seeton mystery novels have had three different authors over the years.

By Heron Carvic:
1. Picture Miss Seeton (1968)
2. Miss Seeton Draws the Line (1969)
3. Witch Miss Seeton (1971) (UK title: Miss Seeton, Bewitched)
4. Miss Seeton Sings (1973)
5. Odds on Miss Seeton (1975)
By Roy Peter Martin writing as Hampton Charles:
6. Miss Seeton, by Appointment (1990)
7. Advantage Miss Seeton (1990)
8. Miss Seeton at the Helm (1990)
By Sarah J. Mason writing as Hamilton Crane:
9.  Miss Seeton Cracks the Case (1991)
10. Miss Seeton Paints the Town (1991)
11. Miss Seeton Rocks the Cradle (1992)
12. Hands Up, Miss Seeton (1992)
13. Miss Seeton by Moonlight (1992)
14. Miss Seeton Plants Suspicion (1993)
15. Miss Seeton Goes to Bat (1993)
16. Starring Miss Seeton (1994)
17. Miss Seeton Undercover (1994)
18. Miss Seeton Rules (1994)
19. Sold to Miss Seeton (1995)
20. Sweet Miss Seeton (1996)
21. Bonjour, Miss Seeton (1997)
22. Miss Seeton's Finest Hour (1999)
23. Miss Seeton Quilts the Village (2017)
24. Miss Seeton Flies High (2018)
25. Watch the Wall, Miss Seeton (2019)
......

Beverly Cleary: The Ramona Series

Main characters: Ramona Quimby, her mother and father, and her sister "Beezus"
• Setting: USA, beginning mid-20th Century
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. Beezus and Ramona (1955)
  2. Ramona the Pest (1968)
  3. Ramona the Brave (1975)
  4. Ramona and Her Father (1977)
  5. Ramona and Her Mother (1979)
  6. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981) 
  7. Ramona Forever (1984) 
  8. Ramona's World (1999)
......

Beverly Cleary: The Henry Huggins Series

Main characters: Henry Huggins, his family and friends
Setting: USA, in the 1950s and 1960s
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. Henry Huggins (1950)
  2. Henry and Beezus (1952)
  3. Henry and Ribsy (1954)
  4. Henry and the Paper Route (1957)
  5. Henry and the Clubhouse (1962)
  6. Ribsy (1964)
......

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Ellis Peters: The Cadfael Chronicles

Main character: Cadfael, a Welsh Benedictine monk who lives at Shrewsbury Abbey, in the first half of the 12th century
Setting: Western England
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.

The Cadfael Chronicles are a series of historical mystery novels about a 12th century monk who is also a talented herbalist. In addition to his religious duties, Brother Cadfael spends a great deal of time investigating crimes and solving mysteries. "Ellis Peters" was a pseudonym of linguist Edith Pargeter.
  1. A Morbid Taste for Bones (published in August 1977, set in 1137)
  2. One Corpse Too Many (July 1979, set in August 1138)
  3. Monk's Hood (August 1980, set in December 1138)
  4. Saint Peter's Fair (May 1981, set in July 1139)
  5. The Leper of Saint Giles (August 1981, set in October 1139)
  6. The Virgin in the Ice (April 1982, set in November 1139)
  7. The Sanctuary Sparrow (January 1983, set in the Spring of 1140)
  8. The Devil's Novice (August 1983, set in September 1140)
  9. Dead Man's Ransom (April 1984, set in February 1141)
  10. The Pilgrim of Hate (September 1984, set in May 1141)
  11. An Excellent Mystery (June 1985, set in August 1141)
  12. The Raven in the Foregate (February 1986, set in December 1141)
  13. The Rose Rent (October 1986, set in June 1142)
  14. The Hermit of Eyton Forest (June 1987, set in October 1142)
  15. The Confession of Brother Haluin (March 1988, set in December 1142)
  16. The Heretic's Apprentice (February 1989, set in June 1143)
  17. The Potter's Field (September 1989, set in August 1143)
  18. The Summer of the Danes (April 1991, set in April 1144)
  19. The Holy Thief (August 1992, set in February 1145)
  20. Brother Cadfael's Penance (May 1994, set in November 1145)
Also part of the series, one book of (three) short stories about how Cadfael came to join a monastery:
A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael (September 1988, set in 1120)
.....

Anthony Trollope: Palliser Novels

Main characters: Wealthy politician Plantagenet Palliser, his wife, Lady Glencora, and their aristocratic family
Setting: Victorian England and Ireland
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.

This series of books were originally known as the "Parliamentary Novels"
  1. Can You Forgive Her? (1864)
  2. Phineas Finn (1869)
  3. The Eustace Diamonds (1873)
  4. Phineas Redux (1874)
  5. The Prime Minister (1876)
  6. The Duke's Children (1879)
......

Anthony Trollope: Chronicles of Barsetshire

Main characters: The clergy and gentry of the fictional county of Barsetshire
Setting: Victorian England
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. The Warden (1855)
  2. Barchester Towers (1857)
  3. Doctor Thorne (1858)
  4. Framley Parsonage (1861)
  5. The Small House at Allington (1864)
  6. The Last Chronicle of Barset (1867)
......

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Little House Series

Main characters: Laura Ingalls and her family and friends
Setting: 19th Century America
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. Little House in the Big Woods (1932)
  2. Farmer Boy (1933)
  3. Little House on the Prairie (1935)
  4. On the Banks of Plum Creek (1937)
  5. By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939)
  6. The Long Winter (1940)
  7. Little Town on the Prairie (1941)
  8. These Happy Golden Years (1943)
  9. The First Four Years (1971)
......

Anne Perry: William Monk Mysteries

• Main characters: William Monk, investigator (sometimes with the police force, sometimes working privately); and his wife Hester, formerly a Crimean War nurse.
• Setting: Victorian England
Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. The Face of a Stranger (1990)
  2. A Dangerous Mourning (1991)
  3. Defend and Betray (1992)
  4. A Sudden, Fearful Death (1993)
  5. The Sins of the Wolf (1994)
  6. Cain His Brother (1995)
  7. Weighed in the Balance (1996)
  8. The Silent Cry (1997)
  9. A Breach of Promise (aka: Whited Sepulchres) (1997)
  10. The Twisted Root (1999)
  11. Slaves of Obsession (aka: Slaves and Obsession) (2000)
  12. A Funeral in Blue (2001)
  13. Death of a Stranger (2002)
  14. The Shifting Tide (2004)
  15. Dark Assassin (2006)
  16. Execution Dock (2009)
  17. Acceptable Loss (2011)
  18. A Sunless Sea (2012)
  19. Blind Justice (2013)
  20. Blood on the Water (2014)
  21. Corridors of the Night (2015)
  22. Revenge in a Cold River (2016)
  23. An Echo of Murder (2017)
  24. Dark Tide Rising (2018)

......

Anne Perry: Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Mysteries

• Main characters: Thomas Pitt, a police inspector (later, superintendent), and his wife Charlotte
• Setting: Victorian London
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.
  1. The Cater Street Hangman (1979)
  2. Callander Square (1980)
  3. Paragon Walk (1981)
  4. Resurrection Row (1981)
  5. Rutland Place (1983)
  6. Bluegate Fields (1984)
  7. Death in the Devil's Acre (1985)
  8. Cardington Crescent (1987)
  9. Silence in Hanover Close (1988)
  10. Bethlehem Road (1990)
  11. Highgate Rise (1991)
  12. Belgrave Square (1992)
  13. Farrier's Lane (1993)
  14. The Hyde Park Headsman (1994)
  15. Traitors Gate (1995)
  16. Pentecost Alley (1996)
  17. Ashworth Hall (1997)
  18. Brunswick Gardens (1998)
  19. Bedford Square (1999)
  20. Half Moon Street (1998)
  21. The Whitechapel Conspiracy (2001)
  22. Southampton Row (2002)
  23. Seven Dials (2003)
  24. Long Spoon Lane (2005)
  25. Buckingham Palace Gardens (2008)
  26. Betrayal at Lisson Grove (US title: Treason at Lisson Grove) (2011)
  27. Dorchester Terrace (2012)
  28. Midnight at Marble Arch (2013)
  29. Death on Blackheath (2014)
  30. The Angel Court Affair (2015)
  31. Treachery at Lancaster Gate (2016)
  32. Murder on the Serpentine (2016)
......

Jessica Fletcher (and Donald Bain): Murder, She Wrote

• Main character: Jessica Fletcher, retired school teacher who is now a successful author of mystery novels
• Setting: Jessica is a world traveler, so the books are set in many different locations, including her hometown of Cabot Cove, Maine.
• Bold type indicates a book I've read.

The books in this series are tie-ins with the TV series from the 1980s and '90s, starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer Jessica Fletcher. Many of the regular characters from the TV shows find their way into the books. The series was actually written by real-life mystery novelist Donald Bain (1935-2017) who wrote under many pseudonyms during his career. Bain was the first ghost writer of the books, beginning in 1989 and continuing up to his death in 2017. His wife, Renée Paley-Bain (1945–2016) received a co-author credit for three of the books, and his daughter, Laurie Bain Wilson, also collaborated on three of the novels. After Bain's death in 2017, author Jon Land continued the series, starting in 2018.
  1. Gin & Daggers (1989)
  2. Manhattans and Murder (1994)
  3. Rum and Razors (1995)
  4. Brandy and Bullets (1995)
  5. Martinis and Mayhem (1995)
  6. A Deadly Judgment (1996)
  7. A Palette for Murder (1996)
  8. The Highland Fling Murders (1997)
  9. Murder on the QE2 (1997)
  10. Murder in Moscow (1998)
  11. A Little Yuletide Murder (1998)
  12. Murder at the Powderhorn Ranch (1999)
  13. Knock 'em Dead (1999)
  14. Gin and Daggers (2nd edition) (2000)
  15. Trick or Treachery (2000)
  16. Blood on the Vine (2001)
  17. Murder in a Minor Key (2001)
  18. Provence - to Die for (2002)
  19. You Bet Your Life (2002)
  20. Majoring in Murder (2003)
  21. Destination Murder (2003)
  22. Dying to Retire (2004)
  23. A Vote for Murder (2004)
  24. The Maine Mutiny (2005)
  25. Margaritas and Murder (2005)
  26. A Question of Murder (2006)
  27. Three Strikes and You're Dead (2006)
  28. Coffee, Tea, or Murder? (2007)
  29. Panning for Murder (2007)
  30. Murder on Parade (2008)
  31. A Slaying in Savannah (2008)
  32. Madison Avenue Shoot (2009)
  33. A Fatal Feast (2009)
  34. Nashville Noir (2010)
  35. The Queen's Jewels (2010)
  36. Skating on Thin Ice (2011)
  37. The Fine Art of Murder (2011)
  38. Trouble at High Tide (2012)
  39. Domestic Malice (2012)
  40. Prescription for Murder (2013)
  41. Close-Up on Murder (2013)
  42. Aloha Betrayed (2014)
  43. Death of a Blue Blood (2014)
  44. Killer in the Kitchen (2015)
  45. The Ghost and Mrs. Fletcher, with Renée Paley-Bain (2015)
  46. Design for Murder, with Renée Paley-Bain (2016)
  47. Hook, Line and Murder, with Renée Paley-Bain (2016)
  48. A Date with Murder, with Jon Land (2018)
  49. Manuscript for Murder, by Jon Land (2018)
  50. Murder in Red, by Jon Land (2019)
  51. A Time for Murder, by Jon Land (2019)
  52. The Murder of Twelve, by Jon Land (2020)
  53. Murder in Season, by Jon Land (2020) 

.....

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Erle Stanley Gardner: Perry Mason Mysteries

• Main characters: Attorney Perry Mason, his private secretary (and sometime romantic interest) Della Street, private detective Paul Drake, District Attorney Hamilton Burger, police investigator Lt. Arthur Tragg
• Setting: Mostly in and around Los Angeles, California
• Bold type indicates a book I've read

Many of the Perry Mason novels were first published in magazines, especially The Saturday Evening Post and Liberty Magazine. The novels were published by William Morrow and Company.
  1. The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933)
  2. The Case of the Sulky Girl (1933)
  3. The Case of the Lucky Legs (1934)
  4. The Case of the Howling Dog (1934) 
  5. The Case of the Curious Bride (1934) 
  6. The Case of the Counterfeit Eye (1935)
  7. The Case of the Caretaker's Cat (1935) 
  8. The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece (1936) 
  9. The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1936) 
  10. The Case of the Dangerous Dowager (1937) 
  11. The Case of the Lame Canary (1937) 
  12. The Case of the Substitute Face (1938) 
  13. The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe (1938) 
  14. The Case of the Perjured Parrot (1939) 
  15. The Case of the Rolling Bones (1939) 
  16. The Case of the Baited Hook (1940)
  17. The Case of the Silent Partner (1940)
  18. The Case of the Haunted Husband (1941)
  19. The Case of the Empty Tin (1941)
  20. The Case of the Drowning Duck (1942)
  21. The Case of the Careless Kitten (1942)
  22. The Case of the Buried Clock (1943)
  23. The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito (1943) 
  24. The Case of the Crooked Candle (1944) 
  25. The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde (1944)
  26. The Case of the Golddigger's Purse (1945) 
  27. The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife (1945) 
  28. The Case of the Borrowed Brunette (1946) 
  29. The Case of the Fan Dancer's Horse (1947) 
  30. The Case of the Lazy Lover (1947) 
  31. The Case of the Lonely Heiress (1948) 
  32. The Case of the Vagabond Virgin (1948) 
  33. The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom (1949) 
  34. The Case of the Cautious Coquette (1949) 
  35. The Case of the Negligent Nymph (1950) 
  36. The Case of the One-Eyed Witness (1950) 
  37. The Case of the Fiery Fingers (1951) 
  38. The Case of the Angry Mourner (1951) 
  39. The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink (1952) 
  40. The Case of the Grinning Gorilla (1952)
  41. The Case of the Hesitant Hostess (1953) 
  42. The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister (1953)
  43. The Case of the Fugitive Nurse (1954) 
  44. The Case of the Runaway Corpse (1954) 
  45. The Case of the Restless Redhead (1954) 
  46. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost (1955) 
  47. The Case of the Sun Bather's Diary (1955) 
  48. The Case of the Nervous Accomplice (1955) 
  49. The Case of the Terrified Typist (1956) 
  50. The Case of the Demure Defendant (1956) 
  51. The Case of the Gilded Lily (1956) 
  52. The Case of the Lucky Loser (1957) 
  53. The Case of the Screaming Woman (1957) 
  54. The Case of the Daring Decoy (1957) 
  55. The Case of the Long-Legged Models (1958) 
  56. The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll (1958) 
  57. The Case of the Calendar Girl (1958) 
  58. The Case of the Deadly Toy (1959)
  59. The Case of the Mythical Monkeys (1959)
  60. The Case of the Singing Skirt (1959) 
  61. The Case of the Waylaid Wolf (1960) 
  62. The Case of the Duplicate Daughter (1960) 
  63. The Case of the Shapely Shadow (1960) 
  64. The Case of the Spurious Spinster (1961) 
  65. The Case of the Bigamous Spouse (1961) 
  66. The Case of the Reluctant Model (1962) 
  67. The Case of the Blonde Bonanza (1962) 
  68. The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands (1962) 
  69. The Case of the Mischievous Doll (1963) 
  70. The Case of the Stepdaughter's Secret (1963) 
  71. The Case of the Amorous Aunt (1963) 
  72. The Case of the Daring Divorcee (1964) 
  73. The Case of the Phantom Fortune (1964) 
  74. The Case of the Horrified Heirs (1964) 
  75. The Case of the Troubled Trustee (1965) 
  76. The Case of the Beautiful Beggar (1965) 
  77. The Case of the Worried Waitress (1966) 
  78. The Case of the Queenly Contestant (1967) 
  79. The Case of the Careless Cupid (1968) 
  80. The Case of the Fabulous Fake (1969)
  81. The Case of the Fenced-In Woman (1972; posthumous)
  82. The Case of the Postponed Murder (1973; posthumous)