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One reason may be the "One book a year" expectation that grew up around established series - the pressure to have a new title available for holiday buying/giving.
Another (I think particularly with Cornwell) was when a publisher didn't insist on editorial oversight on a manuscript - some of Cornwell's books didn't make any sense at all - particularly after the one with the werewolf villain! Her publisher seemed content to put anything she wrote into print.
There also is a tendency to try to outdo one's past imaginative efforts, or compete with another author's endeavors - esp. if you're marketed as "the next Christie" or "the successor to Morse."
Few authors can sustain a series with truly fresh plotlines or ideas - notable (IMHO) Chelsea Cain and Jeff Lindsay and Colin Cotterill. And possible Jasper fforde.
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