10 Best TV Murder Mysteries

TV has always loved a murder mystery. From news headlines that preceded the true crime boom to the heydays of “Poirot” and “Murder, She Wrote,” audiences have always been drawn in by sinister theories — and the often squeamish truth. There’s a morbid fascination with the minds of criminals but also a basic human desire to answer questions, find logic, and make sense of a senseless world.

To honor the end of Alma Har’el’s “Lady in the Lake,” which airs its seventh and final episode August 23 on Apple TV+, IndieWire’s TV team got to thinking about the best TV murder mysteries in recent years. We didn’t include episodic procedurals (sorry to “Columbo”) or anything before the 21st century (sorry again, “Columbo”). We opted for the “whodunit” over the “howcatchem” (sorry, “Poker Face“) — but occasionally allowed a pick where the “who” is known but the “how” drives the series. Single seasons of larger shows were eligible if the main mystery shifts, even if they’re not anthologies like “True Detective,” and comedies like “The Afterparty” and “Only Murders in the Building” were not included (for now…).

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Whether you’ve watched or rewatched or had these shows languishing in your queue, here are 10 TV murder mysteries to check out now.

Ben Travers and Alison Foreman contributed to this list.

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