Some authors spend the bulk of their careers, that may span decades, invested in singular characters and the worlds that frame them. For mystery writers this is a double-edged proposition. For most, the prospect of a creation that catches hold of the public’s imagination on the level that they’re begged to continue returning to the well and sending that character down a gauntlet of challenges and challengers is something to be envied, but it comes with a special set of challenges.

The world of crime and mystery fiction tends to, (appropriately), be a heightened reality full of danger and demanding every ounce of physical, intellectual, and moral fortitude from the protagonist to succeed or at least survive. To ask a character to rise to the occasion countless times, stretches the credibility of the fictional universe, (unless of course it is a supernatural or fantastic world), they inhabit, dilutes the reader’s sense of danger, (after all, the character has survived situations w, x, and y, why not z?) and perhaps saps the artist’s spark.

But it doesn’t have to. For some, an ongoing, character creates a ready-fit lens through which to study themes and societal issues and for others, they are simply a great place to jump off from, a familiar base from which to launch into new adventures and riff on their specific flaws and virtues. Case in point—Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, Ian Fleming’s super-human James Bond, Arthur Conan Doyle’s larger than life Holmes or Patricia Cornwell's brilliant Kay Scarpetta. Robert B. Parker actually did it three times over with Spenser, Randall, and Stone and oh my, exactly how many Eve Dallas adventures has J.D. Robb cranked out?

The Private Eye Writers of America award, each year, honors for the best Private Eye novels and short stories with the Shamus Award. Most of the winners have created long-running series featuring characters deeply impressed into the reading collective sub-conscious. PWA founder Robert J. Randisi has just edited a two-volume collection of the Shamus winning short stories dating from their inception in 1982 through 2009, (Volume 1 '82 – '95 and Volume 2 '96 – '09).

Anybody whose read Ransom Notes for the past few months knows that I’m a fan of the short stories and these books provide good entry points for series and the chance to kick the proverbial tires, or for die-hard fans, bonus episodes from their favorites like Matthew Scudder, Alo Nudger, Sharon McCone, Mike Hammer, and U Is for Undertow (Kinsey Millhone. By the way, Sue Grafton: I've got a great title for "X". Yeah, how 'bout X's For Eyes? Y'know, like dead cartoon characters? Think about it). Both volumes also contain, bonus stories—nominations that didn’t clinch the win, as well as introductions by Randisi, (2009 winner of The Eye, the PWA lifetime achievement award).

Fans of John Lutz and Loren D. Estleman will find stories in both volumes, while Estleman’s detective also has a brand new and complete shorts collection aptly titled, Amos Walker.

What are your favorite long-running series?

Jedidiah Ayres writes fiction and keeps the blog Hardboiled Wonderland.