The Top 30 Murder Mystery TV Shows For April & May

The Best Murder Mystery TV Shows For Spring 2026, From Cozy Mysteries To Hilarious Whodunits

Welcome to a brand new edition of Only Murders In The Inbox! To all of my new subscribers and returning readers, I’m so glad you’re here. Every week, OMITI covers murder mysteries in literature and entertainment. We delve into the ways the Mystery genre is significant in pop culture. There are also curated suggestions and updates on the latest murder mysteries in television and film (usually with trailers!). If you’d like to support my writing, please sign up for a paid monthly subscription or become a patron sleuth. A monthly paid membership includes a library of over 165 archived editions of Only Murders In The Inbox, so each edition costs only four cents an issue! A membership also gives you full access to special exclusive editions like this one, and you may cancel at any time. Click this button to upgrade to a paid subscription:

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How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, Image Courtesy of Netflix

It’s 2026, and this has become a big moment for Mystery. New murder mystery shows and films are being greenlit at breakneck speed. The Knives Out series is guaranteed box office gold, and Only Murders In The Building is a bonafide streaming phenomenon. Politics, culture and the pandemic have aligned to usher in the Second Golden Age of Crime Fiction.

So if this is the second, when was the first? The Golden Age of Mystery is considered to be the period between the 1920s through the 1940s. Right after World War I, detective stories became immensely popular, mainly in English-speaking countries, especially in the U.K. and the United States. The four Queens of Crime Fiction stood tall during the Golden Age of Mystery: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Louise Allingham. Writers such as John Dickson Carr and G.K. Chesterton grew in popularity. The Golden Age that began in the U.K. soon influenced writers in the United States, too, like hardboiled detective fiction authors Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner and Rex Stout (my personal favorite). Conventions, tropes and settings that were established during this Golden Age period became the foundation for modern crime fiction.

The classic mystery is centered around uncovering the truth. Justice, redemption and closure are found only when the truth is exposed. Today, when people are longing for honesty and integrity, audiences turn to the Mystery genre more than ever.

Young Sherlock, Image Courtesy of Prime Video

For newcomers to Only Murders In The Inbox, a few notes about this bimonthly list: I always personally vet every television series on every Top 30 list I publish. If it’s here, I’ve seen it. Also know I’ll always give you a heads up if anything is excessively violent or has a TV-MA listing; I also recommend Does The Dog Die? for trigger warnings in both television and film. Our family uses that website quite a bit! Here are the Top 30 murder mystery TV shows for April & May. Let me know what you think in the comments.

*This list has been updated from the February and March Top 30 edition of Only Murders In The Inbox. For even more TV show recommendations, see previous Top 30 editions.

Image Courtesy of BBC

30. The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries - Hoopla

(One season, 60-90 minutes episodes, 5 episodes total) This classic limited series from 1998 features the legendary Dame Diana Rigg as Mrs. Adela Bradley, an uppercrust socialite and clever feminist who likes to solve crimes with the assistance of her private driver George Moody (a young Neil Dudgeon). The real appeal of this series is the chemistry between the talented leads and knowing the driver will eventually become our beloved DCI Barnaby on Midsomer Murders. If you love period pieces with strong female protagonists solving mysteries, well, Mrs. Bradley walked so Miss Fisher could run, know what I mean?

Image Courtesy of Britbox

29. Return To Paradise - Britbox

(One season, 50 minutes each, 12 episodes total) In this latest spin-off to the popular locked room mystery series, Death In Paradise, Australian detective Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) returns to her hometown of Dolphin Cove following an incident in London, but tensions are high when she arrives and she doesn’t exactly receive a warm welcome. This is a welcome new chapter in the franchise, with love triangles, cozy cases and entertaining characters — and the beach, don’t forget the beach!

Image Courtesy of Acorn TV

28. Shakespeare & Hathaway - Britbox

(Five seasons, 35 minutes each, 50 episodes total) In the fifth season of this ultra-cozy British series, Frank Hathaway and Luella Shakespeare reunite to investigate unusual mysteries in Stratford-Upon-Avon, in cases inspired by the world-famous bard. This season, there are influencer feuds, deadly football and even a masked vigilante. This is an easy, light show good for some laughs, and is currently streaming on Britbox here in the States.

Image Courtesy of Britbox

27. Ludwig - Britbox

(Two Seasons, 58 minutes each, 12 episodes total) This Britbox show was the best surprise of the 2024-25 television season! Reclusive John “Ludwig” Taylor looks for answers to the mysterious disappearance of his twin brother James by adopting his identity as the lead investigator for Cambridge’s major crimes squad. Fortunately, John’s real-life career as a crossword puzzle designer and his out-of-the-box thinking comes in handy when he assumes his brother’s role. Brilliant but socially awkward and unassuming, his character possesses plenty of parallels to DS Dodds, one half of the duo McDonald and Dodds, one of Britbox’s most popular recent series. Season Two is around the corner!

Image Courtesy of Acorn TV

26. Midsomer Murders - Acorn TV

(Twenty-four seasons, 90 minute episodes, 140 episodes total) The very memorable long-running UK series is popular for a reason — it pairs enjoyable characters with unusual murders in the beautiful scenery of the Cotswolds. Where else in the world could you off someone with an inflatable raft or a block of cheese? Read my review with a Best of Midsomer Murders episode list here. Season 25 is now streaming on Acorn TV.

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 OMITI, click the link to subscribe or upgrade to a paid subscription below. You may cancel at any time.