Britbox is a subscription based streaming service. It is a joint venture with the BBC and ITV. It is THE platform for mysteries, especially the way the Brits produce them.
You can enjoy Britbox on PBS, or, like me, on Amazon Prime. Charges for Britbox go through one’s Amazon account, easy to track and pay.
I am a big fan of most mysteries. When we lived in Europe, everydayI walked to the center of Milan, to the English book store at the Galleria ( now a souvenir shop. Progress!) I bought every Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh and all the other greats that looked interesting. I read everyone. One a day.
Mysteries transport and entertain, you do not have to think too much. The Britbox thrillers usually have characters that you will care about. They are definitely not ciphers. I also love Slow Horses on Apple TV, that is when I can understand what Gary Oldman is saying. So grateful for titles
Here are some worthwhile series I have watched, while also watching my broken bones heal.
Grantchester
Set in 1950s Cambridgeshire, Grantchester pairs a charismatic vicar with a world-weary detective as they unravel murders in a deceptively peaceful village. Behind the church bells and garden parties lie secrets begging to be unearthed. Faith, morality, and mystery beautifully collide.
Annika
DI Annika Strandhed leads Glasgow’s Marine Homicide Unit with sardonic wit and Nordic cool. Each case dredged from the water’s edge reveals not only a crime, but cracks in her own carefully guarded life. A smart, self-aware mystery with literary flair and emotional undercurrents. Nicola walker as Annika is, to me, magical, and funny.
Patience
In this quiet, unsettling mystery, the disappearance of a woman stirs long-buried secrets and raw emotion in a seemingly ordinary community. Patience weaves grief, suspicion, and slow-burn suspense into a haunting tale of what people keep hidden—and why.
Black Work
When a detective’s husband is killed on duty, her search for the truth leads her deep into the heart of a corrupt police system. Black Work is a gripping, emotionally charged thriller about justice, betrayal, and the personal cost of uncovering dark truths.
I, Jack Wright
I Jack Wright begins with the apparent suicide of the wealthy and powerful businessman, Jack Wright. However the revelation at the reading of the will, throws the family into chaos and it just gets better from here. Lots ot twists and turns. One of my favorites.
The cast is wonderful.
Vera
DCI Vera Stanhope isn’t one for small talk—but when it comes to solving murder, no one is sharper. Set against the raw beauty of Northumberland, Vera delivers brooding landscapes, layered plots, and a detective as iconic as the crimes are chilling.
Photo of Idris Elba as ‘Luther’.
Luther
DCI John Luther is brilliant, haunted, and not afraid to break the rules. As he hunts some of London’s most terrifying criminals, the biggest battle is often within himself. Luther is intense, stylish, and unforgettable—a noir-tinged drama of morality on the edge.
The Fall
A steely detective and a seemingly ordinary man locked in a terrifying psychological duel. The Fall explores obsession and control from both sides of the law, unraveling at a slow, nerve-wracking pace. Smart, chilling, and masterfully acted.
