MacDonald begat this profusion of crime series, Hunter with the 50 or so 87th precinct novels he has written (as Ed McBain) since 1956, and the now-departed MacDonald with his twenty-odd Travis McGee novels. You could make a case that Evan Hunter and John D. Even villains can recur: It took Lucas Davenport two books to nail the sexy professional killer Clara Rinker, and Hannibal Lecter, Thomas Harris's cultivated cannibal, is still at large after three. For readers, a Bosch or a Millhone becomes an old friend to revisit every year or two. For writers, a series means not having to reinvent the wheel on every new book - you still have to come up with a plot, but at least you have your main character, his pals and his turf already in hand. These days, many young writers set out not simply to produce a first novel but to launch a series, which they and their publishers hope will become a brand-name franchise.

Some have become bestsellers, like Michael Connelly with his Harry Bosch series, John Sandford with Lucas Davenport and Sue Grafton with Kinsey Millhone, but most toil in relative obscurity, including many who are highly talented. I have no idea how many novelists are now writing crime series, but they certainly number in the hundreds. Tanenbaum, was misspelled, as was the name of the series hero, Butch Karp.

In last Sunday's Thrillers column (Book World, July 28) the name of the author of 'Absolute Rage', Robert K.

Clara rinker john sandford