The Whodunnit is a crime fiction variation that transcends trends and is as popular now as it was when Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie first wrote of their iconic sleuths. It is impossible to mention the whodunnit without mentioning Agatha Christie, in particular, and the sheer number of adaptations of her work still being produced is a testament to that.
Thankfully, these writers continue to influence original works as well as loose adaptations, and the result is a host of complex, plot-driven mysteries that can turn any viewer into an armchair detective. The 2010s was a great decade for whodunnits, with a healthy selection of Christie and Doyle adaptations, as well entirely original, modern-day mysteries that are as puzzling as they are gripping, though they may have slipped slightly under the radar.
The ABC Murders (2018)
The ABC Murders is a three-part BBC adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. The ABC Murders is part of the Hercule Poirot series, and this adaptation stars John Malkovich as the meticulous Belgian detective. It follows Poirot, who has received a series of letters each predicting a murder, and all signed A.B.C.
Poirot takes the letters to Inspector Crome (Rupert Grint) to investigate. Each letter that Poirot receives informs him of the location of the next crime, as the killer makes his way alphabetically through victims and places. Poirot and Crome, armed with this knowledge, set out to stop the killer before he can kill again.
Unforgotten (2015 - )
Unforgotten is a British crime drama series set in London and following two detectives, DCI Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) and DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar). Each season of the show consists of six episodes revolving around the investigation of a single case.
DCI Stuart and DI Khan investigate cold cases of murder and disappearance, often digging up long-buried secrets in the process. The first season follows the discovery of the body of a seventeen-year-old who was declared missing in 1976.
The Tunnel (2013 - 2018)
The Tunnel is the third adaptation of the 2011 Danish/Swedish series Bron/Broen, with the FX adaptation The Bridge being the second. Much like Bron/Broen, The Tunnel begins as a body is discovered on the halfway line of the Channel Tunnel that connects the UK and France.
The body, however, is not a single person, but the upper half of a French politician, and the lower half of a British prostitute. Thus, the British and French authorities must work together to solve a crime that involves both jurisdictions, with Elise Wassermann (Clémence Poésy) representing the French police, and Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane) representing the British police.
Father Brown (2013 - )
Father Brown is a BBC detective-drama loosely based on the short stories of Gilbert Keith Chesterton. Much like the source material, the series follows Roman Catholic priest Father Brown (Mark Williams), who often prioritizes solving murders over fulfilling his priestly duties.
Set in the 1950s in post-World War II rural England, Father Brown takes it upon himself to investigate any crime that piques his interest. Father Brown's vocation often allows him unique insights into the actions of others, although it can also pose its limits. Much to the embarrassment of the local police, Father Brown's investigations often prove successful.
Top of The Lake (2013 - 2017)
Top of The Lake stars Elisabeth Moss as Sydney-based detective Robin Griffin. The first season of the miniseries follows Robin as she travels home to the remote mountain town of Lake top, in New Zealand to visit her mother. While there, Robin becomes involved in the search to find Tui, a pregnant twelve-year-old girl who has gone missing.
Viewers quickly learn that Laketop is home to a host of shady characters, many of whom become suspects in the case of Tui’s disappearance, including a lakeside women’s camp lead by GJ (Holly Hunter). The series is rich with clues that uncover many of the town's hidden secrets, each of which could potentially play a part in Tui’s disappearance.
Miss Sherlock (2018)
Miss Sherlock is a 2018 HBO Asia Japanese adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories, in which both Sherlock and his sidekick Dr. Watson are transformed into female characters. The series is the first to present a female adaptation of the iconic detective.
Miss Sherlock is set in modern-day Tokyo and follows Sara "Sherlock" Shelly Futaba (Yūko Takeuchi), as she uses her skills of deduction to solve a host of mysterious cases, with the help of her friend Dr. Wato Tachibana (Shihori Kanjiya).
The Bletchley Circle (2012 - 2014)
The Bletchley Circle is an ITV miniseries that follows a group of women who worked together as codebreakers during the Second World War. Although they have now adapted to living everyday, mundane lives in London, the former colleagues find themselves reuniting to investigate a series of murders.
The series follows Susan (Anna Maxwell Martin) in the 1950s, seven years after the end of the war, now a mother and housewife, as she recognizes a pattern among a series of recent murders. When Susan fails to convince the police of her theories, she seeks out her fellow codebreakers, who decide to team up and use their skills to try and catch the killer.
Dublin Murders (2019 - )
The Dublin Murders is a BBC/Starz adaptation of two novels from Tana French's literary series The Dublin Murder Squad. The series is created by Sarah Phelps and adapts the novels In the Woods and The Likeness, joining them into a single coherent narrative.
Just like the novels, the series is set in Dublin, Ireland, and follows two cops as they investigate the murder of a young teenage girl found in the woods. The murder bears a likeness to the disappearance of two children in that same woods 20 years before and brings to the fore memories of that event which are shown throughout as flashbacks.
Ms. Ma, Nemesis (2018)
Ms. Ma, Nemesis is a South Korean television adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple that takes influence from many novels of the series, including the titular Nemesis. Ms. Ma, Nemesis adapts the iconic, elderly Miss Marple into Ms. Ma, a resourceful mother determined to get revenge.
The series follows Ms. Ma (Yunjin Kim), who is sent to prison for the murder of her daughter, eventually escaping and uncovering the real murderer, thus exonerating herself. After escaping, Ms. Ma finds herself solving not only the case of her daughter, but also a host of other mysteries, as well.
The Pale Horse (2020)
The Pale Horse is a loose adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, written by Sarah Phelps. After a young woman is found murdered with a list of names hidden inside her shoe, the police question Mark Easterbrook (Rufus Sewell) in connection with the murder.
Set in London in the 1960s, the series follows the wealthy Easterbrook as he sets out to investigate the mysterious list, as well as the death of his own wife a year earlier. The two-part series follows Easterbrook as he finds himself in the idyllic English village of Much Deeping and begins to suspect a trio of witches who live in the village.