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girl watching Netflix while eating pizza in bed
Marvin Meyer

5 Detective Shows to Binge Watch This Summer

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Jenny Yau
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Evan Grogan
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. Andrews chapter.

One of my favorite TV genres is definitely the good old crime-solving procedural, a staple of comfort TV. With its broody detectives (and murderers), and ingenious mysteries, what could be better than curling up with popcorn and a murder mystery show during your summer downtime?

1.     Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

An Australian television series set in the 1920s in the aftermath of WWI, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is centered around wealthy heiress Phryne Fisher who ends up working with Detective Jack Robinson on police cases, along with her companion Dorothy Williams. The 1920s setting keeps things unique and interesting and Essie Davis’ portrayal of the independent, feminist Phryne makes her one of my favourite female characters of all time. 

2.     Monk

Another unique twist on a procedural detective drama with Tony Shalhoub starring as Adrian Monk, a former police officer struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder after the tragic murder of his wife, which is an ongoing plotline within the series until the last season. The show’s perfect balance of comedy and drama and Monk’s sympathetic character definitely makes this one worth watching. 

3.     Inspector Lynley Series

Based on a series of novels by Elizabeth George, the Inspector Lynley television series pairs Thomas Lynley, 8th Earl of Aston, with Detective Seargent Barbara Havers – half the fun of this series is watching these two bicker while taking down murderers and the other half is watching their friendship and relationship evolve throughout the series. 

4.     Castle

Having just recently been cancelled by ABC Studios after eight seasons, now is the perfect time to start binge watching Castle since the show will shortly be complete. The premise revolves around Richard Castle, a murder mystery writer who ends up shadowing Detective Kate Beckett for inspiration – this is for people who like their murders to be a little more literary :p 

5.     Elementary

Everyone’s heard of BBC’s Sherlock, but my favorite incarnation of Sherlock Holmes currently on television is Elementary, with Lucy Liu playing a female version of Watson, a change that keeps the show fresh compared to other versions of Holmes. The casting of Joan Watson with a Asian-American actress also demonstrates the importance of representation within media. 

And also, for everyone who has finished with exams, congratulations! For those who still have exams to work through, good luck :D

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Jenny Yau

St. Andrews

I'm Jenny Yau, 19 and from Hong Kong. Reading, writing poetry and watching tv are my main obsessions. I am sometimes mistaken for a hermit, but I'm friendly once you get to know me :p
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Evan Grogan

Holy Cross

Evan Grogan is a senior at the College of the Holy Cross who is studying abroad for the year at the University of St Andrews. She is an English and Art History double major and eventually hopes to attend graduate school for journalism and write for The New York Times. When Evan is not busy with school and writing for both Holy Cross' newspaper and Her Campus, she loves to read; go for runs; and spend time with her friends. She is obsessed with the color navy, rainbow sprinkles, and anything involving glitter.