It’s a sad fact of real life that people we know and care about move to other places or pass away. It’s always hard when that happens, but it is inevitable. It sometimes happens in crime fiction, too (in case you wondered, crime writers are ruthless that way at times). As sad as it is when a beloved ‘regular’ character passes, it does in a way reflect real life, and that can add a bit of authenticity to a series.

In Elizabeth George’s Thomas ‘Tommy’ Lynley series, readers have gotten to know several of the ‘regular’ characters. Several story arcs develop around these characters, and they are woven through the larger main plots of the novels. Their interactions are often important parts of the focus of the novels, too, and many readers feel they truly know those characters. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that readers were shocked when one of…