changing person in the middle of a series

[minervaK]

Has this ever happened? I'm talking a published series that starts out in, say, first person, then switches to third person for the same set of characters.

Don't ask me why I'm asking. It's too horrible to explain.

[Dana King]

Thanks, Chris. I knew someone well-known had done it, but could not for the life of me remember. It's Connelly.

[David DeLee]

And as someone here mentioned, Lee Child's Reacher series, some are first person, some are third.

Interesting to hear why Connelly did that. I didn't know.

[minervaK]

Man, my memory is really going. I've read Lee Child and Michael Connelly, and I can't remember the switch in voices. I'm going to assume it's because they did it so well I didn't even notice.

Thanks for putting my overactive worry center to rest, guys.

[John Dishon]

Lee Child's first, Killing Floor is told in first-person. His second, Die Trying, was in third-person. He's switched other times as well.

[Gil Miller]

If you'll read the Afterword in Crime Beat, MIchael Connelly's nonfiction book, he wrote the two Bosch books in first person as an homage to the first-person LA PI novel. Once Bosch rejoined the LAPD, though, he went back to third person. I've also seen several writers these days who write their protagonist in first person and all other characters in third person. And David Schow, in his novel Upgunned, uses first person for all the characters. So I think you're safe no matter which way you decide to go.

[Jed Power]

My first novel, "The Boss of Hampton Beach" is in third person.  It's coming out in e within days & 2 weeks in paper.  My second, "Hampton Beach Homicide," in the same Dan Marlowe series, is coming out in the fall.  It is in 1st person.  I don't see why not.  I'll see how things go.  From the response I get with each & whichever I feel more comfortable with, I'll be able to make a decision on future books in the series. 

[Cammy May Hunnicutt]

This is SO useful.

It's one reason I like this site better than so many other writer forums.  Instead of people saying "Oh, you have to do this"  or "No, you can't do that"    you get  actual information that makes it clear.