My Murder Shows! Check Out These Mysteries on Amazon & Hulu.

One thing about me is that I love murder mysteries. I read both fun and classic murder mysteries, ranging from cozy "someone in the small village was murdered" stories to detective procedurals. I usually draw the line at super gory serial murder stories, though.

I also like watching mystery TV shows. The pinnacle of those, in my opinion, was the Hercule Poirot series from 1989 to 2013. So I'm always on the prowl for the next show that I can binge. Happily, there has been a resurgence of the genre lately, and I've been discovering some gems! Mark calls them my "Murder Shows." He usually goes and finds something else to do while I grab some wine and cheese and dig in. Here is what I've been watching lately:

The Night Manager (Amazon Prime)

This isn't a new one- it came out in 2016- but if you haven't seen it... it stars Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie! Hiddleston is the night manager of a hotel who becomes involved in international intrigue. It's based on a John Le Carré novel. It's a six-episode limited series, so you don't have to wonder about future seasons.. Get your wine & chocolate ready. Did I mention that is stars TOM HIDDLESTON?!

Three Pines (Amazon Prime)

This is based on a mystery series by Louise Penny featuring Inspector Armande Gamache, a Quebecois detective played by Alfred Molina. Molina is perfectly cast as this brilliant, older, sophisticated, and extremely empathetic detective that solves small-town murder mysteries. I've read some of the Inspector Gamache novels, and he is up there with Hercule Poirot in terms of memorable murder-solvers. The topics are a bit dark, if not gory, though. There is only one season so far.

The Watchful Eye (Hulu)

The Watchful Eye follows the story of Elena Santos, a nanny who gets hired for a rich influential family in an old New York high-rise. We find out that she got the job for ulterior motives, and soon becomes involved in building intrigue- complete with secret passageways, ghosts, secret societies, and family secrets. It can be a bit cheesy at times, but it feels like a guilty pleasure worth the good wine drunk while watching. There is one 8-episode season.

Will Trent (Hulu)

Will Trent is a detective in the GBI- Georgia Bureau of Investigation. They investigate murders, missing persons, etc. in Atlanta and the surrounding areas (so far- I imagine their territory covers all of Georgia). Trent is a former foster kid made good who has a weakness for those who have been cast aside like he was. It's an ABC network show and feels like it at times, with the characters and plots seeming a bit predictable. But it's a solid police procedural with solid acting and characters that I am starting to get invested in. And a cute dog. So. It's in its first season.