Top 5 Mystery Book Characters: In my view

V is for Vengences is the latest in the series. Kinsey continues to develop and change over time, as one would expect. It is fun to see the way Sue weaves past characters back into the stories, and the books, and the years, flow past. Kinsey exudes a special brand of independence that really resonates with me. I look forward, anxiously, to the arrival of each new book in the series. Do you agree? ;-)

This is the latest is the series as well. This is a much newer series, although it is now several years old. Having a professional wife and three grown, professional daughters, you will note that three of my Top 5 are female... it is not by accident.

Joanna also exerts her independence, but 'within' the system rather than outside it, as Kinsey seems to... although she doesn't ever really violate the 'major rules' of her profession. I've read some of Jance's other characters, but this is by far my favorite! ;-)

This was an interesting read... Lawrence Block was the author of Matthew Scudder, that I read first... after several of them (see below), I found out about Bernie. Their is something 'mischievous' about him that really appeals to me, as the reader, I think. I know he does bad things, as well as solving crimes and doing good things. Block has a special talent for creating distinctive characters. I've read several others of his, as well, and like each one of them... each in their special ways. ;-)

As I recall, I started reading about Sharon McCone after the early alphabet books about Kinsey. I went back and got the earlier books in this series in paperback, so that I could read from the beginning. In later years, Muller went too much into the psychology of Sharon's thinking, for, and I dropped off. But, the earlier books, I really appreciated and still carry fond memories.

This is the first series detective mystery I read. In the early years, Matthew Scudder was the hard-drinking, tough-nosed detective that had become common, over the years - but this was the first one I read. I learned, in 'writer's classes' that Block was a master, so that got me started. Over the years, Matthew Scudder changed with the times. In the later books about him that I read, he became a reformed alcoholic. Block wove this story into his individual books over several years. But, eventually, while I appreciated Scudder becoming clean, he also lost some of what he was before... and lost my interest, it seemed. Still loved the early stories! ;-)