Murder, Mayhem & a Nice Cup of Tea...

If you're anything like me, you have an unquenchable thirst for British mysteries and the detectives who solve them. Happily, there seems to be an endless supply of nefarious plots, adulterous liaisons and everyone's favorite, cold-blooded murders! To help you find a few new series or remember ones long forgotten, take a stroll through this guide to the essential DVDs you'll need to start your British Detective/Mystery Collection!

  Sherlock Holmes: This series based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories and novels is a must for any collection. The world's greatest "consulting detective" as portrayed by the late Jeremy Brett in this series from Granada is a can't miss for any mystery fan. Beautifully brought to life by Brett, this Holmes is enigmatic, graceful and simply unforgettable.   

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• The Return of Sherlock Holmes
• The Sherlock Holmes Feature Film Collection
• The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes
• The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Foyle's War: Equally superb, although far less well-known, is this lovely series starring Michael Kitchen (The Railway Children, House of Cards). With WWII England as the gripping backdrop, Chief Inspector Foyle fights his own battles on the home front. In a beautifully understated performance, Kitchen manages to give Foyle pathos and gravitas in equal measure. The supporting cast is equally appealing from his young female driver, Sam, to his dashing, young RAF pilot son.  The dramatic setting of war-time England is beautifully entwined into the plots, from the London Blitz to the shattered quiet of the countryside.

• Foyle's War - Set One
• Foyle's War - Set Two
• Foyle's War - Set Three

 Midsomer Murders: It's the coziest of the cozies! Quaint hamlets in the charming countryside are turned upside down with murder and mayhem in this wonderful series inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham. John Nettles stars as the imperturbable Chief Inspector of Midsomer County (possibly second only to Murder, She Wrote's Cabot Cove for murders per capita).  Accompanied by his young and eager partner, Chief Inspector Barnaby works to solve clever mysteries set in some of the loveliest villages in England. Look for a young Orlando Bloom in the second set episode, "Judgement Day".

• Midsomer Murders: Set One
• Midsomer Murders: Set Two
• Midsomer Murders: Set Three
• Midsomer Murders: Set Four
• Midsomer Murders: Set Five
• Midsomer Murders: Set Six
  

 Inspector Lynley Mysteries:  Author Elizabeth George's mismatched partners come to life in this engaging series. Nathaniel Parker (Bleak House, Haunted Mansion) stars as Inspector Lynley, an Oxford alumn and the 8th earl of Asherton, who is forced to partner with working-class, and rather cranky, Sergeant Barbara Havers, played brilliantly by Sharon Small (About a Boy). This odd couple, however, forms a potent team. Complicated personal lives, class issues and more than a few murders make this a complex and interesting series.

• A Great Deliverance
• Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Set One
• Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Set Two
• Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Set Three
  

 Touching Evil: If you caught the short-lived US version on cable a few years back, you might be a bit skeptical about this series, but fear not. It's brilliant, dark and disturbing. Robson Green (Reckless, Me & Mrs. Jones) stars as D.I. Dave Creegan a moody, impulsive and unpredictable detective whose own recent brush with death changed the way he sees the serial killers he chases, and ruined his already shaky marriage. Through intricate and thought-provoking plots, we follow Creegan and the rest of the OSCU (Organized and Serial Crime Unit) as they wrestle with darker side of our nature.

• Touching Evil 1
• Touching Evil 2
• Touching Evil 3
  

Wire in the Blood: Ubiquitous UK star, Robson Green, stars in this wonderfully dark and thoughtful series. Green is Dr. Tony Hill a clinical psychologist - socially inept, frenetically passionate and desperately lonely - who has an unerring ability to crawl inside the skin of the most disturbed criminal.

• Wire in the Blood - Complete First Season
• Wire in the Blood - Complete Second Season
• Wire in the Blood - Complete Third Season
  

Rebus: Based on the wildly popular novels by Ian Rankin this series follows John Rebus, a Scottish Inspector who just might be his own worst enemy. John Hannah (The Mummy, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Sliding Doors) deftly plays this complex character, who is both tough as nails and endearingly fragile. A world of disillusionment seems to follow him, but he no matter what the obstacles, Rebus stays on the case. This unusual (and all too brief) series is gritty and compelling.

• Rebus
• Black and Blue
• The Hanging Garden
• Dead Souls
• Mortal Causes
  

A Touch of Frost: This long running series (12 seasons and counting!) stars David Jason (Darling Buds of May, Danger Mouse) as a Columbo-esque, rumpled and reluctant hero.

• A Touch of Frost Season 1
• A Touch of Frost Season 2
• A Touch of Frost Season 3
• A Touch of Frost Season 4
• A Touch of Frost Season 5
• A Touch of Frost Season 6
• A Touch of Frost Seasons 7 & 8
• A Touch of Frost Seasons 9 & 10
• A Touch of Frost Seasons 11 & 12 (not yet released)
  

 Cracker: Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter, Mona Lisa) plays Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a psychologist fighting his own addictions (gambling, drinking, smoking) and a chaotic personal life, he somehow manages to work on a case or two.

• Cracker Series 1
• Cracker Series 2
• Cracker Series 3

 Second Sight: This unique and striking series stars Clive Owen (Closer, Sin City) in this smart and stylish series. The hero struggles against darkness from without (salacious crimes) and from within (his own encroaching blindness).

• Second Sight 1 & 2
  

And don't forget...

Inspector Morse: The late John Thaw stars as Chief Inspector Morse in this outstanding series.

Inspector Alleyn: Although usually playing the heavy Patrick Malahide is charming as Ngaio Marsh's civilized sleuth.

Campion : Versatile actor Peter Davison gives surprising layers to this foppish 1930's sleuth.

Miss Marple:Although many wonderful actresses have played the role, it was Joan Hickson's portrayal that Agatha Christie herself most delighted in.

Poirot : David Suchet is simply irresistible as the ultra-refined Belgian sleuth in this rendition of the Agatha Christie classics.

Prime Suspect: Two-time Academy Award Nominee, Dame Helen Mirren, stars as DCI Jane Tennison in this dark and cynical series. Everything in life is a struggle from keeping her marriage afloat, earning the respect of her peers to stopping the heinous crimes that abound in the night.

Lord Peter Whimsey: Ian Carmichael stars in this smooth adaptation of Dorothy L. Sayers' aristocratic sleuth who solves crimes between sets of badminton and high tea amongst the upper-crust of British society in 1920's England.

Cadfael: Versatile Derek Jacobi plays a crusader-turned-monk (yes, you read that right!) in this very engaging medieval whodunit series based on the books by Ellis Peters.