TO SERIES OR NOT TO SERIES (PART DEUX)
Posted by: gary
A few posts ago on March 12th, I asked the question: would you use a book in a series for a book discussion? In that case book three in a series seemed to work. To my great surprise, I find myself riding the same horse with this book. It was not until I was finished with this title that I realized I was reading book two in a series.
Would it work for a discussion?
The book I read is The Renegades by T. Jefferson Parker, an award winning author. This is a book that would make any reader troubled about the way we are dealing with crime, drugs, and border crossings. It is for readers who enjoy noir. The character of Charlie Hood should appeal to readers who like Michael Connelly’s Bosch or Ian Rankin’s Rebus.
The premise is that L.A. Sheriff Deputy Charlie Hood is working the Antelope Valley one night when an assassin murders his partner, Terry “Mr. Wonderful” Laws. While the main investigation involves Hood working for IA to discover what was wrong with his wonderful partner, the secondary story is a carryover from the first book.
Or, I know that now. When I read this book, I just thought it was back story. So, perhaps that is the key to the question of whether or not your group will enjoy discussing a particular series title.
In fact, you can use this issue to generate a question or two for the group. How well does the author use their back story from the previous books in the series? For those who have read the earlier books in the series, did you feel left out?
I may be losing my fear of using series books in my crime and mystery book discussion!
