The Top 30 Murder Mystery TV Shows for January and February

There’s Something For Everyone This Winter!

Welcome to a brand new edition of Only Murders In The Inbox! If you’re a regular reader, thanks for returning. If you’re only just now joining us, hello, we’re happy to have you! Every week, OMITI covers murder mysteries in literature and entertainment. We delve into the ways the Mystery genre is significant in pop culture. You’ll also find curated suggestions and lists here so if you’re looking for a particular type of book, movie or series, I’ve got you! If you’d like to support my writing, please sign up for a paid monthly subscription, become a patron sleuth or gift a subscription to a friend. A monthly paid membership includes all archived editions of Only Murders In The Inbox, as well as exclusive editions, for less than the price of a latte. That works out to just sixty-two cents for each OMITI edition. I would love to have your support! Click this button to subscribe for free or upgrade to a paid subscription:

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The Marlow Murder Club, Image Courtesy of PBS

Things have grown so tense and divisive in the world recently, escapism is more important than ever. Luckily, this year is set to be a great one for television viewers, especially if you love murder mysteries! There are dozens of great shows in post-production right now (Deadloch, The Residence) and many locked and set to air in the first half of 2025 (Watson, Will Trent). There are exciting new mysteries — The Marlow Murder Club, for example — that just got renewed, too, not to mention brand new adaptations from much-loved authors that have just received the greenlight that are long overdue.

This isn’t a comprehensive list of everything available, just what’s currently streaming that I highly recommend and have personally vetted. There are certainly many mystery shows I could mention (Dark Winds, Marcella) but I needed to make room for newer mysteries to keep the list fresh and spotlight lesser-known series you might not have seen. So here it is, OMITI’s mega-compilation of the Top 30 murder mysteries and crime thrillers currently streaming on all major platforms. Let me know what you think!

*This list has been updated from the October 2024 Top 30 edition of Only Murders In The Inbox. For even more show recommendations, see previous Top 30 editions, the majority of which are still streaming.

Image Courtesy of PBS

30. Miss Scarlet - PBS

(Five seasons, 53 minute episodes, currently streaming through PBS Passport, available on PBS beginning January 12th, 2025) Season Five brings big changes to the hit PBS series as Stuart Martin who plays William “The Duke” Wellington exits the show and prompts a series name-change with Miss Scarlet going solo. This Victorian England mystery series has long been heavily reliant on the chemistry between Miss Scarlet and The Duke, so it’s unclear if the new detective at Scotland Yard, Inspector Alexander Blake (played by Tom Durant-Pritchard) can compare, or better yet, top the spark between the show’s original leads. Let me know what you think!

Image Courtesy of CBS

29. Elsbeth - Paramount+

(Two Seasons, 15 episodes total, 43 minutes each) In this howdunit, Elsbeth Tascioni is an unconventional attorney who regularly tags along with the NYPD as they make inquiries and follow leads. This causes friction with her assigned investigative team. Like Brenda Leigh Johnson, Elsbeth is often underestimated because of her Southern charm and disarming manner, but in the end, that’s inevitably how she ensnares the killer.

Image Courtesy of Netflix

28. The Law According to Lidia Poët - Netflix

This Italian period crime drama is a hidden treasure in Netflix’s catalog. Lidia is a female attorney and detective trying to make her own way, much like the female leads in the popular shows Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Miss Scarlet. Like them, she is also is forced to contend with sexism and preconceived notions of a woman’s role in the male-dominated field of crime detection. Netflix has two seasons available, and, while I always prefer my international mysteries in their original dialogue with subtitles, this show has surprisingly good overdub in English, which is a huge plus for anyone visually-impaired.

Image Courtesy of Max

27. The White Lotus - Max

(2 seasons, 13 hour long episodes per season, 13 episodes total, Rated TV-MA) Now is the time to catch up on the first two seasons of HBO’s hit murder mystery series The White Lotus. The first season takes place on the island of Maui in Hawaii, while Season Two is set in Sicily, Italy, with both locales acting as an additional character in the ensemble murder mystery. This dark comedy garnered Emmys, Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards for Jennifer Coolidge for two years straight, and you’ll quickly learn why. (Note: this series requires a warning much like Deadloch and True Detective — there’s nudity, sex, drug use and crass humor in both seasons and is not for your kids. What kind of mom would I be if I didn’t give you a heads up about this? I haven’t even shown this to my teenagers.)

Image Courtesy of Acorn TV

26. My Life Is Murder - Acorn TV

(Four seasons, 45 minute episodes, 38 episodes total) There are a number of things I appreciate about this show. One, you don’t have to see the murder take place to get in on the mystery, which is a surprising and less common take on the genre; two, the fabulous wardrobe of the very amiable Ebony Vagulans; and three, Lucy Lawless, just as comfortable baking bread and catching killers as she is with a sword on a steed (Xena: Warrior Princess).

The first five recommendations will always be free. However, the rest of this list is for paid subscribers only. If you’re a paid subscriber, thanks for supporting me! If you’d like to join us, click the link to subscribe or upgrade to paid below. You may cancel at any time.