I do believe I’ve talked before about the series I read cos they comfort me. Not in a hot toddy and blanket way. Although maybe that is exactly how they comfort me… if a hot toddy involves alcohol of some sort…. but either way, what I’m saying is John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers (aka that f*cking Flowers) series are a couple I rely on to get me through the hard times. And the easy times.
Any time really.
In my review of Sue Grafton’s X (almost exactly two years ago) I mentioned that her Kinsey Millhone alphabet series has been a comfort read for me. There’s something warm, familiar and welcoming about the books. Whether it’s because they’re set in the not-too-distant past when time felt a little less frantic or whether it’s the fact that PI Kinsey lives a kind of ‘small’ (though complicated) life; I’m not sure.
For a long time I wanted to be Kinsey. Perhaps I still do. She’s not aged much in the 35 years since A is for Alibi was released and I note – in Y is for Yesterday – Kinsey makes mention of eight years of living above landlord Henry’s garage… so her life has passed in something akin to dog years… compared to ours. (Or is that vice versa?)
Robert B Parker – most specifically via his Spenser, Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone series – was my go-to author of the last decade or two. Then he died. Tragic, for his family, friends and loved ones. And slightly annoying for his fans. #joking #kinda
However… such was the strength of his Spenser, Jesse Stone and Appaloosa series that his family and publishers found authors to continue those legacies.
In my pre-book blogging life, one of my go-to authors was John Sandford – particularly his Lucas Davenport (Prey) and Virgil Flowers series.
For some reason Sandford’s novels are never really offered for review and as I tend to have no time for reading anything OTHER than books I get for review, I’ve missed the last book or two in both series.
However, stars and planets aligned and the latest Lucas Davenport novel recently appeared on my request list. Thankfully I’d only missed one novel but was surprised to discover Lucas has left his lone-wolf gig with Minnesota BCA and has now joined the US Marshals!
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