To Read or Not To Read in Series Order

I regularly read two series--and can hardly wait for the next release to come out: Jacqueline Winspear's "Maisy Dobbs",and John Lescroart's "Dismas Hardy". Rather than just who-don-its, both of these mystery series have wonderful character development and rich settings: Winspear's post WWI London, and Lescroart's present day San Francisco. You become so comfortable with these cities, that they become a character themselves. I agree with Davina that reading the books out of order is somewhat like reading a book with flashbacks--and adds an element of interest and fun. However, with the Maisy Dobbs series, I would recommend reading the first book, and then it wouldn't matter what order you read the rest.

Rah Rah Reading
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I usually avoid series because I don't want to become hooked on them and risk the frustration of waiting for the next book to come out (and what if the author dies?). But there are series and there are SERIES. John Lescroart's books involve the same Ditmas Hardy character but a reader can start with any of his books and still enjoy them as individuals. The same can be said for Jonathan Kellerman's and his wife Faye Kellerman's books. They involve the same main characters but you don't need to read all the books or read them in any particular order to enjoy any single one of them. If I truly enjoy an author, I will seek out all his or her other books anyway, series or not. In fact, These form a series only in that each book features the same main character or characters.

That being said, of course, I read through all of the Bobbsey Twin, Nancy Drew, Dana Girl Mysteries, and Cherry Ames books in order because that's how my grandmother, who was tired of seeing me read only comic books, sent them to me until she died. In high school, a friend introduced me to a Canadian author, Mazo de la Roche, and her Whiteoaks of Jalna series. The first book I read in the series was the second one (of 16 in all) but I don't think she wrote them in order anyway. I was so hooked by the first book (number two) that I just HAD to read them all and, fortunately for me, the entire series had been completed for many years when I discovered it. The Jalna books form a different kind of series in that they are definitely chronological; they follow the births and deaths of the extended Whiteoak family and reading just one is not very satisfying by itself. I was able to purchase all 16 books from The Strand. It's still my all-time favorite series of books and I know nothing else will ever compare to it.