My Five Favourite Book Series…es

I’m an unabashed book series lover. If a book is the first in a series, as opposed to a standalone, I’m 80% more likely to read it (I just pulled that percentage out of my ass, but it’s probably accurate.)

With that in mind, I have no idea how I’m going to whittle down my favourite series to just my top five, but at the very least an attempt will be made and I’m proud of myself for that.

Without further ado, and in no particular order – actually in a very specific order – here are my choices.

Trust me when I say, this was agonizing in the most bookish way possible.

1. The UNSUB series by Meg Gardiner.

I feel like I’m on a hair trigger. Anytime someone asks me what I recommend, mentions the name Meg, or starts to say something that begins with the sound “UN”, I immediately think of these books and try to shove them down people’s throats.

They focus on FBI Agent Caitlin Hendrix and her hunt for the U.S.’s most dangerous and twisted killers.

All of the stars.

2. The Taylor Jackson Series by J.T. Ellison

This series has been around since 2007 and I’ve been reading it since that time. (I am not old.) It has, at the time of this writing, reached a total of eight books. If you’re looking for a series featuring a badass boss bitch of a detective, crazy cases and personal drama, then this is hands-down the series for you.

3. The Ren Bryce Series by Alex Barclay

If you’re not reading Alex Barclay, you are missing out. And that is in no way an exaggeration. She’s a funny, edgy, expressive female writer in the mystery/thriller game and her series lead character, Ren Bryce, is a force of nature.

4. The Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell Series by Chelsea Cain

An embattled detective with personal demons and the female Hannibal Lecter who is obsessed with him? I mean, does it get any better than this? No. The answer is no.

5. The Valerie Hart Series by Saul Black

This is a dark and sexy mystery-thriller series with twisted crimes, twisted killers, and twisted cops. I read the first book during a time when my grandmother was in the hospital dying, and the tone was exactly the kind of comfort I needed. I wanted to be with people who were just as angry and depressed as I was. People who, instead of popping champagne when they caught the bad guy, were still cynical and angry. Read this gritty, gory series.

🔪Special mentions:

The Dr. Samantha Owens Series by J.T. Ellison

The Maggie O’Dell Series by Alex Kava

The Jo Beckett Series by Meg Gardiner

The Charlie Davidson Series by Darynda Jones

The D.I. Kim Stone Series by Angela Marsons

The Zoe Goldman Series by Sandra Block

The D.D. Warren Series by Lisa Gardiner

Also…

🔪Special mentions for “series I only read book #1 of but was totally in love with and fully intend to read the rest of” (it’s a bit of a wordy title for a category, but completely accurate):

The Stillhouse Lake Series by Rachel Caine

The 4MK Thriller Series by J.D. Barker

The Detective Jude Fontaine Series by Anne Fraiser

The Keye Street Series by Amanda Kyle Williams

The Audrey Harte series by Kate Kessler

The Will Trent Series by Karin Slaughter

The Smoky Barrett Series by Cody McFadyen

🔪And the award for “the worst series I keep reading for who knows what fucking reason” goes to….

The Women’s Murder Club Series by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.

Honestly, each book is such a piece of shit. For me. You might love them. But, I have the best time reading them knowing I’m going to dislike the book but wondering if Patterson will surprise me with an instalment that actually doesn’t suck.

I’m looking back and realizing that my ability to whittle down my favourite series was severely lacking in effort, and my attempts to cheat the system are transparent and obvious.

I’ll go back to being humble.

What are your favourite series… es?

Later, Booknerds ✌️🔪