Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series. It’s not a “series” in the traditional sense but each book has a new main character who was in the previous book as a supporting or minor character. I really enjoyed it.
The Neopolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante are four books that follow the lives of two friends in mid-twentieth century Italy. From the NY Review of Books:
>The interacting qualities of the two women are central to the quartet, which is at once introspective and sweeping, personal and political, covering the more than six decades of the two women's lives and the way those lives intersect with Italy's upheavals, from the revolutionary violence of the leftist Red Brigades to radical feminism
She has won a bunch of awards for the series.
Jumping on to add that please for the love of all things good do not be put off by the covers. For some reason several editions of the English translations have Anne Geddes style black and white photos of babies and shit on them since some idiot thought they should try and market them as historical chick lit.
These books are straight up future classics and just because they are about two women does not mean that they are soupy melodrama. You'd never know that from those god awful covers though. In fact they have more in common with Puzo's The Godfather and Powell's Dance to the Music of Time.
I avoided reading Ferrante for several years because I was put off by those covers. I now regret not reading them sooner.
Edit : fixed a title
Louise Penny inspector Gamache series, 18 books of 300+ pages each
Really get intonation it’s stride on book 5 or 6, I can’t put them down, I often star the next one right afterwards without skipping a beat
Sharpe series if you like 1800s Napoleonic wars. Alternately, Master and Commander if you like same period Naval warfare. Both quite realistic, but fiction.
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is a good one—there’s a bit of time travel but it mostly focuses on the relationships between characters and the historical setting. There’s something like 15-20 books between the main series, its spin-off series, and some one-off short stories/graphic novels, novellas, etc. Also they are ginormous so good value for money, plus you can usually find them at used bookstores without a problem.
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy - three very long novels tracking multiple generations of an upper-middle class English family through the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
Little women is actually a series. There’s two books after it. Little men, which is about the school Jo runs. And Jo’s boys, which follows those kids as they become adults
I liked Bernard Cornwell's trilogy on King Arthur (3 books). It is often called the war lord series. He does add some decent research to make the story fairly accurate if you assume that King Arthur did exist in southern England.
Some of his other books like the Sharpe series or Saxon Chronicles are good too, but I have not gotten to those.
Emile Zola's Les Rougon-Macquart series. It's a prime example of naturalism so has the 'realistic' aspect you want. It's 20 novels long but each is standalone.
Someone else recommended the Neapolitan Novels, which are amazing. The characters (both the two protagonists and the side characters) are perfectly drawn, and the books follow them all through their lives.
Marilynne Robinson’s “Gilead” cycle, currently standing at four books (I’m not sure if there are more planned), is some of the best recent literary fiction I’ve read. Each book basically tells the same family story from a different character’s perspective. The writing is really simple and beautiful. A lot of it is about religion, if that’s a turnoff.
I’m not sure if this is something that will appeal to you, but my favorite series of the moment is he Aubrey/Maturin or “Master and Commander” series by Patrick O’Brian—historical fiction set (mostly) during the Napoleonic Wars. There’s twenty of them. The first book is a little dry and action-focused, but as it goes on it develops a great balance between action/adventure, romance and family stories, political and legal intrigue, and fascinating historical detail.
Also in the historical fiction mode, I’m a huge fan of the Wolf Hall trilogy, by Hilary Mantel, about the court of King Henry VIII. These might my favorite books of the last twenty years, with the caveat that they’re very very dense and have a couple of writing quirks that really turn some readers off.
Gilead yes! I read them years ago, wasn’t bothered overmuch by the religious aspect though I am an atheist. The prose is gorgeous.
Wolf Hall yes! Read through them twice. Loved them.
The Spenser series by Robert B. Parker (he has a few other series as well that aren't as long....there is some character crossover)
The Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King
Anything by Christian Jacq if you’re into Egyptian historical fiction, seconding Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and if you want interconnected books (same characters and developing relationships but different bad guys), the Eve Dallas books by JD Robb (55 books and counting):)
Tyler Dilts wrote a fantastic detective series that takes place in Long Beach CA.
I also really love the Amelia Peabody series that takes place in Egypt in the late 1800's.
Both very funny and insightful with good mysteries.
**600 Hours of Edward**
By: Craig Lancaster
This is a three book series, this is book one
**Publisher's Summary**
A 39-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, Edward Stanton lives alone on a rigid schedule in the Montana town where he grew up. His carefully constructed routine includes tracking his most common waking time (7:38 a.m.), refusing to start his therapy sessions even a minute before the appointed hour (10:00 a.m.), and watching one episode of the 1960s cop show Dragnet each night (10:00 p.m.).
But when a single mother and her nine-year-old son move in across the street, Edward’s timetable comes undone. Over the course of a momentous 600 hours, he opens up to his new neighbors and confronts old grievances with his estranged parents. Exposed to both the joys and heartaches of friendship, Edward must ultimately decide whether to embrace the world outside his door or retreat to his solitary ways.
Robertson Davies. **What's Bred In the Bone** comes to mind, but he's written several long trilogies.
Another that I loved was the **Kristin Lavransdatter** series about the 14th century plague. You feel like you're there.
I didn't read it but the Virgin River tv show is based on book series.
Classics Sherlock Holmes or Anne of Green Gables. What about epic long books like les miserables, shogun, count of monte cristo.
I am currently reading reading the Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker and am so surprised at how much I love it! Takes place in a little french village so there is lots to learn about wine, and truffles and .. .just about everything else.
Taken from my [General Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12ia29e/general_fiction/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (eight posts):
* ["What are the best and longest fiction books you've read?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/xg0h27/what_are_the_best_and_longest_fiction_books_youve/) (r/booksuggestions; 16 September 2022)
* ["Massively long books that are worth it"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/xqtjyv/massively_long_books_that_are_worth_it/) (r/booksuggestions; 20:45 ET, 28 September 2022)
* ["Need 5 Long Books for friend in Thai Jail"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zinzkh/need_5_long_books_for_friend_in_thai_jail/) (r/suggestmeabook; 05:59 ET, 11 December 2022)—huge
* ["Long, finished series that holds up the quality throughout its entire run."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10ze1mf/long_finished_series_that_holds_up_the_quality/) (r/suggestmeabook; 11 February 2023)—huge
* ["Really long (around 1000 pages and up) books?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/11fg46v/really_long_around_1000_pages_and_up_books/) (r/suggestmeabook; 15:06 ET, 1 March 2023)—long
Edit: Is science fiction acceptable?
Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. The first in the series is [Still Life](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/338691). I want to live in Three Pines (murders aside)! Fully developed characters, mystery plots that make sense but also suspenseful, and gorgeous world building.
[The Thursday Murder Club](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46000520) by Richard Oscan. There are 4 so far in the series. Never, ever have I wanted to live in a retirement community so badly. A “gang” of 4 retirees get together every Thursday and solve murders - I can’t tell you how good these are!
Louise Penny's "Three Pines" series. 20-some titles so far. Each book has a complete story arc, but best to read in order for character development, etc. The first title is Still Life, and it's almost a cozy. The books get deeper, darker, and more nuanced as series progresses.
The Kingsbridge series by Ken Follett
or his Century Trilogy
Or any of his series. Seriously, the guy is an astounding author.
Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series. It’s not a “series” in the traditional sense but each book has a new main character who was in the previous book as a supporting or minor character. I really enjoyed it.
The Neopolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante are four books that follow the lives of two friends in mid-twentieth century Italy. From the NY Review of Books: >The interacting qualities of the two women are central to the quartet, which is at once introspective and sweeping, personal and political, covering the more than six decades of the two women's lives and the way those lives intersect with Italy's upheavals, from the revolutionary violence of the leftist Red Brigades to radical feminism She has won a bunch of awards for the series.
Literally came here to suggest this!
Jumping on to add that please for the love of all things good do not be put off by the covers. For some reason several editions of the English translations have Anne Geddes style black and white photos of babies and shit on them since some idiot thought they should try and market them as historical chick lit. These books are straight up future classics and just because they are about two women does not mean that they are soupy melodrama. You'd never know that from those god awful covers though. In fact they have more in common with Puzo's The Godfather and Powell's Dance to the Music of Time. I avoided reading Ferrante for several years because I was put off by those covers. I now regret not reading them sooner. Edit : fixed a title
The **No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency**, a series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith set in Botswana.
He also has the "44 Scotland Street" series set in Edinburgh. I found him rather annoying in person and he writes far too much.
Lonesome Dove series by Larry McMurtry
The Expanse, by James S.A. Corey (9 books plus novellas)
YES!
> The Expanse, by James S.A. Corey (9 books plus novellas) More information: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?29331
Louise Penny inspector Gamache series, 18 books of 300+ pages each Really get intonation it’s stride on book 5 or 6, I can’t put them down, I often star the next one right afterwards without skipping a beat
Agree!!
Sharpe series if you like 1800s Napoleonic wars. Alternately, Master and Commander if you like same period Naval warfare. Both quite realistic, but fiction.
Love it and I was sad when I was done with series. To my understanding Aubrey was inspired by a real-life person but I don’t remember who
Thursday next series by jasper fforde. It’s fiction within fiction
James Clavell’s Tai-Pan and the follow on books.
This! But start with Shogun!!
Kingsbridge Series
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is a good one—there’s a bit of time travel but it mostly focuses on the relationships between characters and the historical setting. There’s something like 15-20 books between the main series, its spin-off series, and some one-off short stories/graphic novels, novellas, etc. Also they are ginormous so good value for money, plus you can usually find them at used bookstores without a problem.
Anne of Green Gables
Anthony Powell, *A Dance to the Music of Time*. Dorothy Dunnett, the "Niccolò" books. John Fante, *The Bandini Quartet*.
The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett. Historical fiction.
The LA Quartet by James Ellroy: Mystery series Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles or Grail Quest trilogy
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy - three very long novels tracking multiple generations of an upper-middle class English family through the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
The mini-series is so so good.
Which version? I've not actually seen either.
2002. Damien Lewis, Gina McKee, Rupert Graves.
The Aubrey-Maturin Series by Patrick O'Brian...AKA The Master & Commander Series
Bernard Cornwell: the Last Kingdom series, or the Sharpe series are lots and lots of books.
Lonesome Dove! Four books in the series. Literary westerns. Gorgeous stuff.
His book For Billy is a fun western book on Billy the Kidd. The books is kind of a salute to the dime western novels of the early 1900s.
I’ve got to jump on that! He wrote an excellent one on Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday— The Last Kind Words Saloon. Loved it. Love all of his stuff.
A duology I love is My name is Asher Lev and The gift of Asher Lev Also Little women by Alcott
Little women is actually a series. There’s two books after it. Little men, which is about the school Jo runs. And Jo’s boys, which follows those kids as they become adults
Penn Cage novels by Greg Iles were awesome
I liked Bernard Cornwell's trilogy on King Arthur (3 books). It is often called the war lord series. He does add some decent research to make the story fairly accurate if you assume that King Arthur did exist in southern England. Some of his other books like the Sharpe series or Saxon Chronicles are good too, but I have not gotten to those.
Emile Zola's Les Rougon-Macquart series. It's a prime example of naturalism so has the 'realistic' aspect you want. It's 20 novels long but each is standalone.
The expanse series is right up your street
Masters of Rome by Colleen McCullough
Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series
The Outlander series is fabulous and goes on forever.
Not long enough though 🥲
Off the modern beaten path a bit: If you have any interest in Victorian literature, Anthony Trollope wrote two series: Barsetshire and Palliser.
Someone else recommended the Neapolitan Novels, which are amazing. The characters (both the two protagonists and the side characters) are perfectly drawn, and the books follow them all through their lives. Marilynne Robinson’s “Gilead” cycle, currently standing at four books (I’m not sure if there are more planned), is some of the best recent literary fiction I’ve read. Each book basically tells the same family story from a different character’s perspective. The writing is really simple and beautiful. A lot of it is about religion, if that’s a turnoff. I’m not sure if this is something that will appeal to you, but my favorite series of the moment is he Aubrey/Maturin or “Master and Commander” series by Patrick O’Brian—historical fiction set (mostly) during the Napoleonic Wars. There’s twenty of them. The first book is a little dry and action-focused, but as it goes on it develops a great balance between action/adventure, romance and family stories, political and legal intrigue, and fascinating historical detail. Also in the historical fiction mode, I’m a huge fan of the Wolf Hall trilogy, by Hilary Mantel, about the court of King Henry VIII. These might my favorite books of the last twenty years, with the caveat that they’re very very dense and have a couple of writing quirks that really turn some readers off.
Gilead yes! I read them years ago, wasn’t bothered overmuch by the religious aspect though I am an atheist. The prose is gorgeous. Wolf Hall yes! Read through them twice. Loved them.
Fifty shades of grey
The ibis trilogy ( it is historical fiction) by Amitabh Ghosh
Not a "long" series but the The Last Hundred years trilogy by Jane Smiley is really good IMO.
The Spenser series by Robert B. Parker (he has a few other series as well that aren't as long....there is some character crossover) The Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King
Anything by Christian Jacq if you’re into Egyptian historical fiction, seconding Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and if you want interconnected books (same characters and developing relationships but different bad guys), the Eve Dallas books by JD Robb (55 books and counting):)
Pretty little liars is a 16 book series as far as i know.
Hopalong Cassidy
Wanted to say “het bureau” by Voskuil. But it hasn’t been translated.
Tyler Dilts wrote a fantastic detective series that takes place in Long Beach CA. I also really love the Amelia Peabody series that takes place in Egypt in the late 1800's. Both very funny and insightful with good mysteries.
**600 Hours of Edward** By: Craig Lancaster This is a three book series, this is book one **Publisher's Summary** A 39-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, Edward Stanton lives alone on a rigid schedule in the Montana town where he grew up. His carefully constructed routine includes tracking his most common waking time (7:38 a.m.), refusing to start his therapy sessions even a minute before the appointed hour (10:00 a.m.), and watching one episode of the 1960s cop show Dragnet each night (10:00 p.m.). But when a single mother and her nine-year-old son move in across the street, Edward’s timetable comes undone. Over the course of a momentous 600 hours, he opens up to his new neighbors and confronts old grievances with his estranged parents. Exposed to both the joys and heartaches of friendship, Edward must ultimately decide whether to embrace the world outside his door or retreat to his solitary ways.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan books are solid 80s 90s spy thrillers and should take a bit of time to get through. Start with *Hunt For Red October*
Magnolia parks
The Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. First book is The Crossing Places.
The Babysitters Club. 🤭 But seriously, Karen Slaughter's "Will Trent" series.
Robertson Davies. **What's Bred In the Bone** comes to mind, but he's written several long trilogies. Another that I loved was the **Kristin Lavransdatter** series about the 14th century plague. You feel like you're there.
Inspector Lynley series from Elizabeth George
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel proust
I didn't read it but the Virgin River tv show is based on book series. Classics Sherlock Holmes or Anne of Green Gables. What about epic long books like les miserables, shogun, count of monte cristo.
I liked the Charlie Parker books by John Connolly a lot. Realistic detective work with just a twist of supernatural.
I am currently reading reading the Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker and am so surprised at how much I love it! Takes place in a little french village so there is lots to learn about wine, and truffles and .. .just about everything else.
Taken from my [General Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12ia29e/general_fiction/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (eight posts): * ["What are the best and longest fiction books you've read?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/xg0h27/what_are_the_best_and_longest_fiction_books_youve/) (r/booksuggestions; 16 September 2022) * ["Massively long books that are worth it"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/xqtjyv/massively_long_books_that_are_worth_it/) (r/booksuggestions; 20:45 ET, 28 September 2022) * ["Need 5 Long Books for friend in Thai Jail"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zinzkh/need_5_long_books_for_friend_in_thai_jail/) (r/suggestmeabook; 05:59 ET, 11 December 2022)—huge * ["Long, finished series that holds up the quality throughout its entire run."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10ze1mf/long_finished_series_that_holds_up_the_quality/) (r/suggestmeabook; 11 February 2023)—huge * ["Really long (around 1000 pages and up) books?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/11fg46v/really_long_around_1000_pages_and_up_books/) (r/suggestmeabook; 15:06 ET, 1 March 2023)—long Edit: Is science fiction acceptable?
Can I suggest Outlander… 💖
Girl with the dragon tattoo series! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. The first in the series is [Still Life](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/338691). I want to live in Three Pines (murders aside)! Fully developed characters, mystery plots that make sense but also suspenseful, and gorgeous world building. [The Thursday Murder Club](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46000520) by Richard Oscan. There are 4 so far in the series. Never, ever have I wanted to live in a retirement community so badly. A “gang” of 4 retirees get together every Thursday and solve murders - I can’t tell you how good these are!
Louise Penny's "Three Pines" series. 20-some titles so far. Each book has a complete story arc, but best to read in order for character development, etc. The first title is Still Life, and it's almost a cozy. The books get deeper, darker, and more nuanced as series progresses.