The 10 Best British Detective Shows on Netflix Right Now

Since the very beginnings of the genre, Britain has been the source of many a great detective story. In more recent times, we’ve seen the release of some amazing British crime shows, from Luther and Broadchurch to Sherlock, Happy Valley, and more. Appropriately, Netflix is home to a wide selection of British detective shows across a range of genres, from science fiction to noir, true crime to gritty fiction. That includes a number of great Harlan Coben adaptations as well that have brought record viewership numbers to the streamer. Read on to discover our selection of the best British detective shows you can stream on Netflix right now.

For more recommendations, be sure to check out our lists of the best shows on Netflix, the best crime shows on Netflix, and Netflix crime shows with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Editor’s note: This article was updated March 2025 to include Adolescence.

Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.

‘Adolescence’ (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes: 99% | IMDb: 8.4/10

One of the most talked-about series in the world right now, Adolescence stars Owen Cooper in his screen debut as 13-year-old Jamie, a young boy arrested for the murder of his classmate, Katie. What unfolds is a poignant, emotional, and gripping exploration of the ramifications of such a crime on Jamie himself, his family, and his wider community as a whole. A vital piece of television that simply everyone must watch, Adolescence is one of the best series of the year so far. Featuring some of the best performances in recent memory and a story worthy of global attention, now is the time to catch Adolescence. – Jake Hodges

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‘Giri/Haji’ (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.8/10

Giri/Haji

Release Date

2019 – 2018

Network

BBC Two

Directors

Julian Farino, Ben Chessell

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This BAFTA-winning crime drama, a BBC and Netflix co-production, follows Tokyo detective Kenzo Mori (Takehiro Hira). Leaving his home city, Kenzo travels to London to search for his once-thought-dead brother, who is the target of the dangerous Yakuza. A fascinating tale with countless twists and turns, Giri/Haji will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout its eight-episode run. Packed full of intricate character moments and action sequences, Girl/Haji is pure adrenaline-pumping fun. – Jake Hodges

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‘Paranoid’ (2016)

IMDb: 6.6/10

Paranoid

Genre

Crime, Drama, Thriller

Debut Date

September 22, 2016

An eight-episode crime drama series, Paranoid was written by Bill Gallagher and directed by Mark Tonderai, Kenny Glennan, and John Duthie. The show follows a group of British detectives as they investigate the murder of a local doctor stabbed at a playground. As the investigation progresses, they discover links to a German pharmaceutical company and must take the help of their German counterparts to track down the elusive killer. The series stars Indira Varma, Robert Glenister, and Dino Fetscher, with Neil Stuke, Lesley Sharp, Christiane Paul, and more in supporting roles. Paranoid originally premiered on ITV in September 2016 and was subsequently released for international streaming on Netflix. The show has had a somewhat mixed reception from critics, but its character-driven story makes for an enjoyable watch. While the conspiracy at its heart may not be as brilliantly crafted as it could have been, Paranoid is still an underrated show with great performances and an engaging plot.

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‘Fool Me Once’ (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes: 71% | IMDb: 6.8/10

Fool Me Once

Release Date

2024 – 2024-00-00

Showrunner

Danny Brocklehurst

Directors

David Moore, Nimer Rashed

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Adapted by Danny Brocklehurst from Harlan Coben‘s eponymous 2016 novel, Fool Me Once is a British thriller series that primarily follows a woman in the aftermath of her husband’s murder. Her grief turns to confusion when a nanny cam shows her supposedly dead husband visiting their daughter. The series stars Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Dino Fetscher, Richard Armitage, and Joanna Lumley. Fool Me Once premiered on Netflix in January 2024 and became the streamer’s seventh-most-viewed English language series in a matter of months. The series also received fairly positive reviews from critics and earned Michelle Keegan a National Television Award nomination. As with all Harlan Coben adaptations, Fool Me Once has no end of twists to offer and some amazing performances that anchor the story. A complicated mystery with multiple moving parts, Fool Me Once is a highly bingeable crime series that’s worth sticking with all the way to the end.

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‘Killing Eve’ (2018 – 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 80% | IMDb: 8.1/10

A British spy thriller series based on the Villanelle novels by Luke Jennings, Killing Eve is the story of the cat-and-mouse chase between a British intelligence investigator and a murderous assassin. Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer star as MI5 analyst Eve Polastri and the psychopathic Villanelle, respectively, with Fiona Shaw, Owen McDonnell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and more in supporting roles. Each season of the show was led by a different female head writer: Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Season 1, Emerald Fennell for Season 2, Suzanne Heathcote for Season 3, and Laura Neal for Season 4. Killing Eve premiered in April 2018 to critical and audience acclaim. While the reviews did go down a bit over time, the show is a thrilling journey as a whole. The series is elevated by Oh and Comer’s scintillating performances, which earned Oh a Golden Globe and Comer a Primetime Emmy. With a unique, female-driven take on the spy thriller genre, Killing Eve is an entertaining and stylish series that’s truly engaging from start to finish.

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‘Bodies’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 82% | IMDb: 7.3/10

Bodies

Release Date

2023 – 2022

Showrunner

Paul Tomalin

Directors

Marco Kreuzpainter, Haolu Wang

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Created by Paul Tomalin and directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner and Haolu Wang, Bodies is a science fiction mystery thriller miniseries based on the eponymous DC Vertigo graphic novel written by Si Spencer. The eight-episode series presents a time-jumping mystery centered on the appearance of a corpse in the same spot in London’s Whitechapel area in four different times: 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053. As Metropolitan Police detectives investigate the baffling case, their storylines eventually become interlinked by a terrible crime and a conspiracy of unimaginable complexity. The series stars Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Shira Haas, Amaka Okafor, Kyle Soller, Stephen Graham, and more. Bodies received highly positive reviews from critics at the time of its release. Its mystery is one that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through, and the central conspiracy is so complex that the eventual solution seems far too simple by comparison. Bodies has been favorably compared to other complex science fiction stories like Cloud Atlas and Counterpart.

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‘Stay Close’ (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 6.9/10

Stay Close

Genre

Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Debut Date

December 21, 2021

Based on Harlan Coben’s eponymous 2012 novel, Stay Close is a mystery drama miniseries that follows a washed-up photojournalist, a suburban mom, and a troubled detective whose lives are upended and connected by a mysterious disappearance, which brings back hidden secrets from their pasts. The series stars Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, Richard Armitage, Sarah Parish, Jo Joyner, Daniel Francis, and more. Stay Close premiered in 2021 to largely favorable reviews from critics. While the series may not be quite as deep as it appears, it is a polished and well-crafted production that never ceases to entertain. Full of complex connections and unexpected twists, the show is a thrilling watch that’s further enhanced by its strong performances. Stay Close might not quite have the narrative nuance or memorability it aims for, but it is a highly binge-worthy crime drama that checks off all the boxes for an enjoyable Netflix detective story.

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‘Collateral’ (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes: 79% | IMDb: 6.8/10

Collateral

Release Date

2018 – 2017

Network

BBC Two

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Written and created by David Hare and directed by S. J. Clarkson, Collateral is a four-episode drama thriller series. The show stars Carey Mulligan as a Detective Inspector investigating the murder of a pizza delivery driver in south London. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that this incident is just one part of a vast and complex web involving many seemingly unconnected people. Besides Mulligan, the show also stars Nathaniel Martello-White, Jeany Spark, Nicola Walker, John Simm, and Billie Piper. First broadcast on BBC Two in February 2018, Collateral was released on Netflix in March 2018. The series has received highly positive reviews from critics, with praise for the moving performances of its talented cast. The show also received two nominations for British Academy Television Awards. A complex investigative story underscored with social commentary, Collateral is a fascinating contemporary mystery thriller that presents some keen observations about the state of the world.

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‘The Serpent’ (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 69% | IMDb: 7.6/10

Based on a true story, The Serpent is a 2021 BBC crime drama limited series set in the mid to late 1970s. The eight-episode series follows the criminal career of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who murdered a number of young tourists and stole their identities. The show stars Tahar Rahim as Sobhraj, with Jenna Coleman, Billy Howle, Ellie Bamber, Amesh Edireweera, Tim McInnerny, Dasha Nekrasova, and Mathilde Warnier in supporting roles. The Serpent was released on Netflix in April 2021 after first premiering on BBC One in January of the same year. The series received generally positive reviews from critics, though it was criticized for its excessively complicated storytelling. The real highlight of the show is Tahar Rahim’s performance in the lead role, which captures a sense of enigmatic menace. It’s far from perfect, but The Serpent is a well-crafted period crime story that takes great pains to demystify the truth about its central villain.

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‘Marcella’ (2016 – 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 70% | IMDb: 7.3/10

Marcella

Release Date

2016 – 2020

Network

ITV

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  Nicholas Pinnock

  Jason Backland

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  Ray Panthaki

  DI Rav Sangha

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  Sinéad Cusack

  Sylvie Gibson

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Written, directed, and produced by Hans Rosenfeldt, Marcella is an intense Nordic noir investigative drama that follows the adventures of a former London detective who returns to work to investigate a serial killer who first struck 11 years ago. The second season follows Marcella on a new case involving another brutal serial killer, and the third and final season sees her working undercover in Northern Ireland. The series stars Anna Friel in the title role, appearing alongside Nicholas Pinnock, Ray Panthaki, Jamie Bamber, Jack Doolan, Nina Sosanya, Charlie Covell, Sophia Brown, and others. Marcella premiered in April 2016 and ran for three seasons in total; the last one was released on Netflix in 2020. With a bleak vibe and a complex, enthralling story, Marcella has received generally favorable reviews from both critics and audiences. Anchored by Anna Friel’s masterful performance as a layered and troubled detective, the show is perfect for fans of Scandinavian crime dramas and dark detective thrillers.

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