Helsinki Crimes
Based on Matti Yrjänä Joensuu’s bestselling novels, this eight-part Finnish drama centres on Detective Timo Harjunpää (Olli Rahkonen) – known for his honesty and empathy for victims, as well as criminals – and his partner Onerva Nykanen (Olga Temonen). Under the full bright sky of summertime, the pair are kept busy investigating a wave of murders rocking the capital city. This is a stylish polished series, as we’ve come to expect from the Nordic region.
D.I. Ray
When police officer Rachita Ray is promoted to join a homicide investigation, she soon realises it may be more to do with her heritage than skill set. Nevertheless, she’s determined to help solve this ‘culturally specific’ case. Her colleagues might underestimate her, but she’s had to work harder than anyone thus far. This particular case sees her wandering into the world of organised crime, and presents plenty of challenges for her to rise to. The always solid Parminder Nagra (Bend It Like Beckham, Fortitude) stars in this chewy lead role.
Don’t Leave Me
The heinous murder of a child takes investigator Elena and her son back to Venice after decades away. The case reunites Elena with old flame, Daniele. The pair work tirelessly to find the killer, while their personal lives entwine: Daniele is married to Elena’s best friend. The writers’ CVs include Gomorrah, The Newsroom and Narcos so we know we’re in good hands. The Venetian setting is also a major drawcard.
Les Honorables
The tragic death of Gabrielle Dessureaux (Myriam Gaboury) plunges her family into a living hell. Each member of the family will react differently to the acquittal of the man everyone believes to be her killer. For Gabrielle’s father Ludovic (Patrick Huard) (who, like Gabrielle’s mother, is a judge), the experience will turn into a nightmare as he begins to feel abandoned by the judicial system in which he’s always believed. This French Canadian series is above all the story of a family torn apart. Family members struggle to put the broken pieces back together, to face their demons and to find new meaning in their lives, with or without the aid of what society calls justice.
True Colours
In this hit SBS and NITV Original drama, detective Toni Alma (Rarriwuy Hick, Wentworth) returns to her hometown to investigate a suspicious car accident. The trouble is getting people to talk to her. Toni must navigate both cultural and Western law to solve the case, alongside her police officer uncle Samuel Alma (Warren H. Williams) and ex-boyfriend Detective Nick Gawler (Luke Arnold). True Colours was filmed on country in the East Macdonnell Ranges – Yeperenye – and also stars Miranda Otto.
Stella Blómkvist
This popular Icelandic legal thriller canvasses a lawyer's life, and her destructive life choices. While fiercely defending her clients through her personal anger and frustration, she is headed towards a dramatic showdown with her arch nemesis. We’re so glad to have front-row seats.
The Fall
From Ireland comes this compelling crime drama starring The X-Files’ Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan (50 Shades of Grey). From the outset, we learn that Paul Spector (Dornan) is not the loving husband and father he appears to be, but the serial killer preying on women in Belfast and surrounds. Enter, homicide detective (and now television icon) Stella Gibson (Anderson) who works out the string of murders are all linked to the same person. Because we’re in on whodunnit, the series gains in intensity as the drama unfolds, as the cat creeps closer and closer to the mouse.
Vienna Blood
Student of the cutting-edge practice of psychology Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard) teams up with old-school Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt (Jürgen Maurer) in turn-of-the(20th)-century Vienna to tackle crimes where issues of the time – race, class, the still struggling acceptance of women’s rights – collide with the dark recesses of the mind. Full of suspects leading double lives and people controlled by desires they barely understand, it’s a compelling look at the dawn of our current understanding of how the mind works, with a series of mysteries as twisted as the urges of the criminals behind them.
Cardinal
Based on the best-selling books, Cardinal has all the elements you want for a perfect noir crime drama. There's our charismatic detective duo John Cardinal () who has a haunted and complex history and his partner Lise Delorme (Karine Vanasse) who is secretly investigating him. The murder cases are complex, full of mysteries and twists and turns. Plus there is the incredible cold and beautiful Canadian landscapes as a back drop. Cardinal is made up of all the best parts of the genre, and makes them all its own.
Gomorrah
You want crime time? You got crime time. Following the Savastano Camorra clan, there are plenty of rival clans and internal family struggles to keep the drama coming. Bestselling author of the book on which the series is based, Roberto Saviano, also created the show, guaranteeing authenticity. If you’re late to this engrossing party, catch all five (!) seasons now.
The Unusual Suspects
Just your everyday glamorous Sydney Eastern Suburbs ladies getting together for an amazing heist. When self-made businesswoman Roxanne Waters’ $16 million necklace goes missing, the ensuing police investigation exposes cracks in the sparkling façade of Eastern Sydney. With the stakes higher than ever, the masterminds can either turn on each other, or discover a friendship worth more than any diamond. The brilliant cast includes Miranda Otto, Susie Porter, Aina Dumlao, Michelle Vergara Moore, Peter O’Brien, Matt Day and Toby Leonard Moore.
The Unusual Suspects is now streaming . It is available with , , , , and subtitles.
This just scratches the surface. Explore the wider offerings at , where it's always Crime Time.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
We are curious, slightly scared and making music on SBS VICELAND this month