There is something that draws you in about a great mystery. Whether you’re a dedicated armchair detective or simply love the suspense of an unexpected twist, mystery shows can draw you in and keep you captivated. With crime dramas, psych thrillers, and supernatural mysteries more popular than ever before, audiences everywhere are becoming lost in the tales of secrets, shocks, and suspense. If you’re willing to play sleuth, here are 14 mystery shows that will have you guessing from episode to episode.
1. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Adapted from Holly Jackson’s hit YA book, this thrilling series tracks high school student Pip Fitz-Amobi as she investigates a reopened murder case in her seemingly ordinary town. When Pip begins investigating Andie Bell’s disappearance and Sal Singh’s murder, she discovers layers of deception and hidden secrets. It’s an intelligent, contemporary whodunit that combines teen angst with a cutting-edge mystery.
2. Behind Her Eyes
This British psychological thriller makes a daring attempt at the genre, combining noir with supernatural suspense. A single mother finds herself in a complicated love triangle with her psychiatrist boss and his mysterious wife. The messy affair turns into a twisty game of obsession, secrets, and mind games, ending in one of TV’s most memorable conclusions.
3. Bodies
Time travel and homicide intersect in this creative series based on Si Spencer’s graphic novel. Four detectives, separated by decades—from 1890 to 2053—each stumble upon the same corpse in the same spot. As their investigations continue through time, a sweeping conspiracy is revealed, connecting them in surprising and brain-twisting ways.
4. Dark
A haunting, cerebral mystery that’s also one of the finest time-travel shows ever made. Set in the German town of Winden, “Dark” begins with the disappearance of a child and unravels into a generational mystery involving family secrets, parallel timelines, and fate. It’s a puzzle box that rewards careful attention—and delivers a truly epic payoff.
5. Dept. Q
Having survived a traumatic case, Detective Carl Mørck is rehomed in Scotland’s cold case unit, where he and his team handle long-abandoned crimes. Based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s award-winning crime novels, “Dept. Q” adds a dark, Nordic noir tone to each tale, combining emotional complexity with gruesome twists.
6. Get Even
In this teen thriller-mystery, four teenage girls at an exclusive private school start a secret club to catch bullies in the act. When one student is killed and they’re accused of the crime, they must clear their names and discover the truth before everything falls apart. It’s a quick, well-written thriller that’s a fun, high-stakes mystery with a mix of suspense and social commentary.
7. The Haunting of Bly Manor
A gothic ghost story steeped in a slow-burning mystery, this sequel to “The Haunting of Hill House” is about a young American au pair who works at a secluded English mansion. Unsettling occurrences, buried pasts, and emotional discoveries make Bly Manor as heart-wrenching as it’s haunted, interweaving supernatural scares with a moving tale of grief and love.
8. High Seas
Set on a luxurious 1940s ocean liner, this Spanish mystery series tracks two sisters who find themselves sleuthing a string of suspicious deaths on a transatlantic passage. With its retro look, cramped settings, and old-fashioned suspense, “High Seas” provides a fashionable twist on the vintage locked-room mystery.
9. Inside Man
Stanley Tucci gives a hair-raising performance as a genius criminologist cracking cold cases from death row. On the other side of the Atlantic, an otherwise unassuming English vicar becomes involved in a crime with global implications. As their narratives converge, this gripping miniseries leads to a clever and surprising conclusion.
10. The Residence
A murder mystery inside the most influential house in the world—the White House. Uzo Aduba plays a quirky but exceptional detective who is trying to solve a murder at a state dinner. Witty in tone and sporting an off-kilter cast of suspects, “The Residence” provides political intrigue with new, off-kilter sparkle.
11. Stay Close
From thriller virtuoso Harlan Coben, this suspenseful drama tracks the lives of a suburban mother, a photojournalist, and a detective—all tied together by a case that won’t remain buried. When a fresh disappearance echoes an old one, secrets long buried are thrust to the forefront. It’s a ride so addictive it’s full of red herrings and emotional peril.
12. The Sinner
This anthology crime drama begins every season with a violent act, then strips away the layers to find out why. Bill Pullman stars as Detective Harry Ambrose, whose investigations frequently take him to the darkest recesses of human nature. Season one, which features Jessica Biel, still stands out for its eerie tale and multi-dimensional characters.
13. Wednesday
In this new interpretation of the Addams Family, Wednesday Addams is played by Jenna Ortega as a psychic teenager studying at Nevermore Academy. When a string of strange murders terrorizes the school, Wednesday finds herself both investigating and being investigated. With plenty of gothic atmosphere, witty wit, and spine-chilling twists, it’s a supernatural thriller that’s as stylish as it is suspenseful.
14. The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Kristen Bell goes for broke on the camp of the genre in this black comedy spoofing psychological thrillers. She plays a socially isolated artist with a grief problem who thinks she sees a murder taking place across the street—but nobody believes her. Is she losing her mind, or is something more nefarious afoot? The show ironically plays with genre conventions, and yet still has a twisty plot.
No matter if you’re a fan of old-school whodunits, creepy ghost tales, or high-concept thrillers, these mystery series deliver ample suspense and storytelling that satisfy your curiosity. Just don’t expect not to binge more than you intend to.