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When I think about favorite series, I realize that a huge factor is whether or not the series continued past my interest in it. Dalziel & Pascoe. Inspector Banks. Inspector Lynley. Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin. Maisie Dobbs. There are (many) more; that's just off the top of my head. With all of these (save one, perhaps; I'll come back to it), there's an element of resentment, as I read craptastic additions to the canon before I wised up and moved on. That doesn't leave you with fond thoughts.
I get it; it's a livelihood, not high art. You gotta go with the presold concept even if it's been played out. But they don't make my ten-best list. If nothing else, a ten-best series list should attest to consistency and reliability. Hence Rex Stout being my king (pun intended) among mystery writers.
As for the exception, I should probably give Dalziel & Pascoe another go. A few of Reginald Hill's non-series books are all-time greats, so I can cut him a little slack.
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