Quote:
Originally Posted by library addict
There is development in Eve's relationships from book to book (not just the romance, but her friendships and with co-workers). But each mystery is contained within one book. So they do work as stand-alones. The reader doesn't need to know all of Eve's personal history to enjoy the murder mystery.
For the first half or more of the series previous cases were very rarely even mentioned (for me that is one of the reasons Indulgence in Death seemed odd as there was no mention of the similarity in motives to the case in Seduction in Death).
I know a number of people who have read a later book in the series first with no issues. Some went back and read the entire series, other did not.
Authors need to provide just enough background information so new readers don't feel lost, but not much that the story is bogged down in info-dumping. Some authors do this well, others not so much.
If the characters in a series have been through 5 or 10 books worth of stuff and their relationships and outlook have not developed then what is the point? Relationships grow or dissolve over time. Outside events affect things. People learn and become better at their jobs. If you can take the characters as they are in book one and plunk them down in book ten with no changes than what was the point of books two through nine? I don't want to read about such stagnant people. I have read other series like this which is the main reason why I stopped reading them.
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We'll have to agree to disagree about In Death having stand alone books (other then book 1).
What I like about the In Death series besides the mysteries is the characters and how they evolve and change.
What other series did you read that had stagnant characters? It would be good to know so I don't bother when them.