Harry Bosch sits in a chair with a contemplative look on his face in Bosch
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Dani Kessel Odom
Published 24 minutes ago
Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer on the New TV team, focusing on writing and content planning for streaming shows. They often assist with Classic TV coverage, as well.
They have covered events, such as Denver Fan Expo. Their articles have also been shared by professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale.
In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.
Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.
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While Harlan Coben is great, these ten mystery shows based on books by other authors deserve recognition for being great. Harlan Coben books and TV shows are all the rage right now. They’re everywhere. With all respect to the author and his fans, Harlan Coben's shows are starting to oversaturate the mystery TV genre, and there are already five more on the way.
Given their success, there is a clear audience for Harlan Coben mystery shows. However, not everyone who loves mysteries enjoys Coben’s distinctive storytelling style or character archetypes. Even people who love Harlan Coben sometimes want to watch something a little different.
These ten phenomenal mystery shows adapt books by other authors, and they’re very different from Coben’s stories. However, they deserve just as much appreciation.
10 The Field of Blood
Field of Blood
The Patty Meehan books by Denise Mina were adapted into a 2011 show called Field of Blood, and the deeply underrated series is phenomenal. The show follows Patty Meehan, the titular copy editor at the Scottish Daily News in the 1980s Glasgow. She’s desperate to become a journalist and help save her dying newspaper, so she starts investigating a crime for a story and quickly becomes too involved.
The adaptation did a great job of bringing the story to the screen. Each of the two seasons follows a different murder mystery. It includes incredible performances from Jayd Johnson of River City, David Morrissey of Sherwood, and Peter Capaldi of Doctor Who. Johnson even won a BAFTA for her performance as Patty Meehan.
On top of that, the show shines because of its period accuracy. The setting is just as bleak and hopeless as Glasgow in the 80s, and it isn’t attempting to elicit nostalgia.
9 The Sinner
Harry wearing a suit and walking behind Cora, who is wearing handcuffs
The Sinner is notable for its pulse-quickening tension and mysteries that ask “why” not “who.” Most people aren’t aware that The Sinner started out as a book adaptation of the psychological thriller-mystery novel The Sinner by Petra Hammesfahr. However, it has grown past its roots, becoming an anthology that follows a different mystery every season.
By moving past the original story, it has grown into something more impressive. The book's original themes about psychology and the origin of crimes are applied to new characters and situations. Luckily, it has the powerhouse performance by Bill Pullman’s Detective Harry Ambrose to serve as a throughline.
It’s a great example of a well-made thriller-mystery that has all the tension and suspense without the contrived plot twists. Each answer makes sense and feels earned.
8 Murdoch Mysteries
The cast of Murdoch Mysteries pose for a promo shot
Murdoch Mysteries is a delightful book adaptation and one of the more unique mystery shows on TV. Set in the 1980s, a Toronto police detective named William Murdoch works with morgue doctor Julia Ogden, his boss Inspector Brakenreid, and Constable George Crabtree to solve murders using new and unconventional forensic methods, such as fingerprint tracing and blood testing.
One of the most appealing aspects of Murdoch Mysteries is that it covers an interesting period in history when forensics were still very new. It offers insight into the field's pioneers, as they work to solve compelling mysteries.
On top of that, the acting is excellent, and the show features many famous faces throughout its long run. Virtually every Canadian celebrity has appeared on the show in a guest role. The Victorian fashion is just the cherry on top. Luckily for new viewers, there are nineteen seasons and three TV movies to get through.
7 A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder
Emma Myers as Pip in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder in front of an investigation board with pictures and documents
YA mysteries don’t always get the appreciation they deserve, getting discounted due to their target audience. However, some of them are just as good as their adult counterparts. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, based on the book series by Holly Jackson, features a compelling mystery with solid twists and an award-worthy performance by Emma Myers.
The first season follows Pippa Fitz-Amobi (Myers) as she tries to uncover the truth behind a death that has haunted her for years. Everyone else might believe the case is solved, but she knows that they blamed the wrong guy.
The second season, which has already wrapped filming, will put Pippa in the detective seat again on another case, following the events of Good Girl, Bad Blood. It’s expected to be released on Netflix sometime in 2026.
6 The Outsider
Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney in a scene from The Outsider
The 2020 miniseries The Outsider, based on the book by Stephen King, is a fantastic mystery-horror blend that is as fascinating and compelling as it is creepy and dark. While it makes some changes to the book, the miniseries has that signature Stephen King style of horror.
After a young boy ends up brutally murdered, all physical evidence and an eyewitness point to local Little League coach Terry Maitland. However, the case takes a shocking turn when evidence places Maitland 50 miles away. The answer to how he could be in two places at once in The Outsider is surprising.
Between the show’s visual aesthetic and the creeping ambiance, it’s a mystery that’s impossible to stop watching. Plus, the Outsider is packed with A-list actors, including Cynthia Erivo, Bill Camp, and Jason Mendelson. All give performances that match their high caliber.
5 Pretty Little Liars
Of all the shows on this list, the one that’s the least expected is Pretty Little Liars, which adapts the books by Sara Shepard. The show is campy and soapy. The twists are ridiculous at times. It's not a great mystery show because the quality is excellent all the time. Sometimes it's amazing. Sometimes it's not. It's a fantastic show because once it sucks viewers in, it's impossible to abandon, no matter how absurd it gets.
The story follows the same premise as the books. A group of five teen girls named Aria, Spencer, Emily, Hanna, and Alison – collectively known as the Liars – have a sleepover on a stormy night. Alison goes missing, breaking up the group. However, they are brought back together a year later when they start receiving texts from someone named A, who knows all their secrets.
The mystery focuses on A’s identity, how they know all the Liars’ secrets, and their motive for wanting to hurt them. However, it makes plenty of changes that keep it exciting for people who read the Pretty Little Liars books.
4 Cross
Aldis Hodge's Alex looking in thought in Cross season 2
James Patterson is one of the most prolific modern crime-mystery writers, and his most popular series, the Alex Cross books, finally became a TV show on Prime Video in 2024. Though it makes some changes to the Cross books, the show captures the thrilling feeling of the source material.
The story follows Alex Cross, a forensic psychologist and homicide detective in Washington, DC, who works with his partner, John Sampson, to solve impossible cases. Season 1 shows him going up against a sadistic serial killer called The Fanboy, who was created for the Cross show.
Aldis Hodge is the perfect Alex Cross, and his acting is phenomenal in every single episode. He perfectly captures the nuances of a highly complex man who, like in the books, has lost his wife. Luckily, it has already been renewed for a second season, which will debut on February 11, 2026, and release weekly.
3 And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is, by far, one of the darkest and heaviest novels she ever wrote, and it’s the hardest to adapt. The murder isn’t this fun, campy whodunnit like in other detective novels. Luckily, Sarah Phelps understood the assignment. Her TV adaptation of the book isn’t a cosy Agatha Christie show.
The story follows 10 people, each with demons to hide, invited to a secluded island by a mysterious host. As they share their past sins, they start dying one by one. This raises the questions: Who is the killer, and will anyone survive?
Phelps’s version of the story takes inspiration from Scandinavian dramas, which approach murder with more seriousness. The tone is heavy like the book. Luckily, she felt it was important that she didn’t change Christie’s book, and all tiny changes were made with the permission of Agatha Christie’s family (via The Guardian).
2 Sherlock
Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson
When I selected shows for this list, I decided to limit it to just one Sherlock Holmes adaptation or Sherlock Holmes-inspired show. There are so many that the whole list could be just that. Of all the choices, Sherlock was the obvious selection.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books have been adapted for TV and movies over 250 times.
Set in 21st-century London at the iconic 221B Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and his sidekick Dr. John Watson, played by Martin Freeman, solve crimes using medicine and the science of deduction.
While it isn’t the most faithful adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s work, it has the best versions of the characters, the best mysteries, and the best directing. They remain loyal to the book characters in all the ways that matter.
1 Bosch
Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in Bosch
Crime writer Michael Connelly’s books have been adapted into TV shows five times, with three of those – Bosch, Bosch: Legacy, and Ballard – falling into the mystery category. Bosch is the best. With 25 books to adapt, the writers had no shortage of stories to work with.
What’s more, they took a unique approach by blending the Bosch books, rather than sticking to one per season. The slow-burning neo-noir story follows Los Angeles Police Department detective Heironymous “Harry” Bosch, who works to solve cases and frequently uncovers conspiracies.
The directing and pacing are impeccable. The gritty ambiance submerges the audience in LA's darker side, which isn’t as picture-perfect as Hollywood paints it out to be. However, most of the credit for Bosch’s success must go to the incredible actor Titus Welliver, who plays the titular main character. He’s nothing short of amazing, and I’m still mad that the Emmys snubbed him so many times.
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