June SeriesCAT: Series that are definitely complete

The most definite reason why a series is complete is because the author is no longer with us. So this month you could read a book from a classic mystery series that has stood the test of time, such as Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Maigret, to name a few. In the non-mystery section, Patrick O’Brian and his Aubrey/Maturin series springs to mind, Maurice Druon and his Accursed Kings, Enid Blyton and her numerous children’s series, Winston Graham’s Poldark.

Another way to end a series is to kill off the protagonist (although there are cases where the reading public has forced the author to reconsider). My dilemma here: naming such series constitutes a serious spoiler, does it not?
Something less drastic happens in C. Northcote Parkinson’s Richard Delancey series where the hero simply retires https://www.librarything.com/series/Richard+Delancey.

And sometimes the adventure ends because the mission is accomplished, the goal achieved:
most famously in the Harry Potter series. This is also true for nearly every fantasy trilogy ever written.

Let us know which series you’re thinking of, and please remember to update the wiki.

ETA: problems with the image. Solved now, I hope.

I'm sure I have a lot of options for this topic on my TBR, but I may go with the next book (for me) in the Brother Cadfael series, The Heretic's Apprentice.

>2 christina_reads: Oh, that is such a wonderful series!

I'm planning reading the third installment in the YA Fantasy Hoodoo Apprentice series by Lea Nolan. It's advertised as a trilogy, so I'm assuming there won't be a fourth book, and they're clearly leading up to a big finale, so I think it's a safe bet. I loved the first book in the series, and enjoyed the second book nearly as much, so I'm looking forward to it.

I'm looking forward to reading Death Mask by Jane Dentinger. It's the third book in her Jocelyn O'Rourke series of which she only wrote six books. I keep dragging out the books since I know there are only six but it's high time I get to book number three.

I love Jane Dentinger! Her books are so laugh-out-loud funny!

There is a series by Julie Hyzy the White House Chef series. It is over because the publisher and the author couldn't agree on continuing specifics. I highly recommend it.

I'm thinking of the Jalna series by Mazo de la Roche. She is dead so presumably there will be no more. My grandmother had a set of these, which I used to read when visiting her.

It looks like i have a few possibilities, but I'm leaning toward reading the next (for me) in the Tiffany Aching series:
I Shall Wear Midnight / Terry Pratchett

I took a BB from Judy for Wool by Hugh Hewey which is the first of a trilogy so I might get that from the library to read and it will fit the TBR Cat too (book bullet).

I've set aside Lone Wolf, by Linwood Barclay, for this challenge. There are only four books in his Zack Walker series, and given his current success with Promise Falls and stand-alone thrillers, I think that series could be considered complete.

I have a couple of possibilities here. One is a series published by Guideposts (they have several) that is now complete, called Home to Heather Creek. I own the series, but there are a couple that I have not yet read. I am not sure why the series ended, although sometimes there is a set number of books before the series is written. Several different authors wrote the books in the series, although the characters and setting are the same throughout.

I also like the Miss Read books, and have read them all in the Fairacre and Thrush Green series--but always love to read more of hers.

I just bought the first Georges Simenon book in the Maigret series at the library's book sale, Pietr the Latvian so I'll read that. Simenon died in 1989.

I may revisit a John D MacDonald Travis McGee tale for this. Or the next one in the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves. That would be White Nights. I guess it's not completely "definite" but she has declared that she is done.

I'm planning to read Gaudy Night in the Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy L. Sayers

>15 sallylou61: I was thinking about giving Sayers another try. I read Whose Body back in 2011 and gave it 3 stars. So I'll see if I can snag a copy of the second in the series.

This works out perfectly for me as The Nine Taylors by Dorothy Sayers already fits both the RandomCat and the TBRCat so I will be reading that for this Cat as well.

The Wheel of Time is definitely done, so I will read A Crown of Swords.

I'll read Viva Jacquelina!: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Over the Hills and Far Away by L. A. Meyer

This one is 10th of 12 books in the Bloody Jack series.

I'll be reading World of Wonders the last of Robertson Davies' Deptford Trilogy.

And, I'm not sure if two books count as a series, but I also plan to read Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler.

Planning to read one of Michael Innes's Inspector Appleby series, A Private View.

E. F. Benson's Queen Lucia, which I'm reading for the Calendar CAT, also counts.

I have finished the first book in the Maigret series by Georges Simenon, Pietr the Latvian. It was first published in 1931 and the last in the series was published in 1972.

Read Death Mask by Jane Dentinger the third of six books in the Jocelyn O'Roarke series. Still enjoy this inside look at Broadway with a touch of murder.

I read Black Coffee by Agatha Christie. This was originally a play and then was re-written into a novel by another author. I did not like it as well as some other Christie novels. It just did not seem to make the transition well from play to novel. I felt as if I was reading the play with all the stage directions added. I still loved the little Belgian detective though.

>17 DeltaQueen50: I love when that happens.

The Winternight Trilogy is complete so I will start it by reading The Bear and the Nightingale.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

I read this for the first time many years ago and thought it would be interesting to read it again even though I know the solution to the mystery - it was impossible to forget. I enjoyed it just as much, maybe even more because I was able to get an idea of how Christie's ideas developed. As well, I've seen David Suchet's documentary about the Orient Express which helped visualize it better and I noticed the small, seemingly inconsequential details, like the watch hook, which really does exist, and which the victim did not use. Considering this was written in 1934 it shows considerably more talent, knowledge and style than others of the same vintage. There is no doubt Ms Christie deserves the full five stars.

I ended up reading The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie yesterday. It qualifies and it was a fun read!

I finished Le fantôme de la rue Royale by Jean-François Parot, who died last year, so no more adventures of Nicolas Le Floch.

Fables, Vol. 20. Camelot / Bill Willingham
3.75 stars

As usual, there were smaller storylines going on at the same time, but the main storyline in this volume is Rose Red trying to recreate the Knights of the Round Table. She has a table built in a field, then spreads the word that she is looking for knights to populate her round table. Many Fables gather to see who she will choose.

I really enjoyed this main storyline, as well as the next biggest storyline in this one, involving Snow White and her children. I so love the illustrations in this, and like the others in the series, the borders are a nice “extra” that also helps you figure out which characters/storyline is happening on that page. It ended on a slow note for me, which is mostly whatbrought down my rating by that ¼ star. Overall, though, I quite liked this volume.

My book from a series that is definitely complete was Appleby's Answer by Michael Innes, number 27 (per LT) in the Sir John Appleby series. This long-running series began in 1937 and ended in 1986--Appleby's Answer was published in 1973. For those not familiar with the series, it's always a crapshoot what kind of story you will get: sometimes it's full-scale traditional British mystery, other times it's a whimsical light adventure. This one is closer to the whimsical than the traditional (with plenty of gentle satire of the school of English murder that involves vicars). I enjoyed enough to give it 3.5 stars.

Starting an ebook box set of the first four novels in the Jalna series by Mazo de la Roche. My grandmother had the complete set and I remember reading my way through them on visits to my grandparents when I was 10 or 11, though I can't remember if I read them all.

I read some of those books a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. I recall that I enjoyed them, so I hope you do too.

I Shall Wear Midnight / Terry Pratchett
3.5 stars

Tiffany Aching is now 15 years old. She is a good witch and helps people when they need help. Unfortunately, an older man, the Baron (also the father of Tiffany’s friend, Roland) passes away under her care. Also a girl, Amber, has been abused by her father and she is found with the Nac Mac Feegles (the tough Scottish fairies) and their “kelda” (female leader). Somehow an evil force has awakened and is coming after Tiffany.

Hard to write a summary, as there were a few different things going on. Overall, I liked the book, though some parts were better than others. I found Amber’s storyline interesting, as well as when Roland’s fiancee, Letitia, appears – I liked her, too. There were parts that I didn’t find quite as interesting, but overall, it was enjoyable.

It just occurred to me that the book I recently finished reading for the translation square in BingoDOG also fits this challenge. Giants in the Earth by O. E. Rolvaag, who died in 1931, is the first book of a trilogy. I would like to read the other books in this trilogy, but will probably have to buy them since the copies in the nearby university library were published in 1929 and 1931, and would probably be too dusty for me to read.

I've finally started my pick, World of Wonders, the third in Robertson Davies 's Deptford Trilogy. I'm thinking I may have waited a little too long between this book and the second. I'm a bit sketchy on characters.

Haven't been reading much this month but managed to get through the pulp science fiction adventure Pirates of Venus which is the first book of Edgar Rice Burroughs' series that is similar in nature to his more familiar John Carter (Barsoom/Mars) books. Review to follow at some point.

I read the 11th Lord Peter Wimsey mystery, The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers which proved to be a 5 star read. :)

I'm afraid I did not read anything deliberately for this challenge, but I did read several books that would fit in June.

Ouran High School Host Club, 18-volume manga: complete because story is finished.
Dalziel and Pascoe series (Under World and others) and Joe Sixsmith series (Killing the Lawyers), by Reginald Hill: complete because Hill is dead.
The Serial Garden: the complete Armitage family stories by Joan Aiken, also dead.

And a couple of other series that are probably complete, but I can't say with 100% certainty that they are definitely complete.

Reached / Ally Condie
3 stars

This is the 3rd book in the Matched trilogy. Possible SPOILERS for the first two books… The Rising is taking over and is trying to cure all those who have become infected with the Society’s plague. Xander works as a medic, Ky as a pilot. Cassia is still working for the Society, as a sorter.

I take too long in between books to remember what happened previously; these books were not great for recapping, so I have to just try to pick up and figure out what’s going on. Once I did, it was ok. I listened to the audio and parts kept my interest and other parts didn’t, so I did miss some things, but was able to follow the gist of what was happening. I think I had a similar reaction to the 2nd book, but I decided to finish the trilogy, so now I have.