5 best mystery TV shows that will keep you on the edge

Attempting to unravel a great mystery is always an engaging experience. Hardly anything compares to the thrill of a big revelation following a series of dramatic detours and diversions. For many years, popular mystery TV shows have been a hallmark of excitement in leisure.

There is a practically inexhaustible supply of terrific TV shows to binge on for fans of murder mysteries and crime thrillers. The genre's popularity and prominence stems from its adaptability, which ranges from extremely realistic portrayals to the insertion of supernatural, otherworldly elements.

Mystery TV shows, including murder mysteries and crime dramas, are entertaining to watch because they serve as a vehicle for understanding and exploring human behavior. From convoluted mysteries to to witty comedy thrillers, here's a list of the top five mystery series to watch right now.

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Briefly discussing five mystery TV shows that will keep viewers on edge

1) How to Get Away with Murder

ABC's How to Get Away with Murder starring Viola Davis as Annalise Keating (Image via @LetZoeSpoilYou/Twitter)

How to Get Away with Murder kicked off in 2014, taking viewers on a crazy ride with unexpected twists around every corner. The show has managed to keep viewers hooked across 90 episodes over the course of six years. HTGAWM, starring Viola Davis as Annalise Keating, wrapped its run on ABC in May 2020, but all six seasons are now available to stream.

The show features murders, betrayals and misdeeds galore. Viewers find themselves on a thrilling journey to uncover mysteries and deceit.

How To Get Away With Murder features several dramatic elements that add depth to the mysteries. Viola Davis is dynamic and compelling as the protagonist, and it is difficult to take your eyes off her. As Annalise, she does not see the world in black and white; following her moral and ethical decay is fascinating.

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2) Only Murders in the Building

The popular Hulu comedy-mystery, Only Murders in the Building, has been a roaring success from the very beginning. It premiered as the platform's most-watched original comedy. The quirky mystery features Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short as a group of authentic crime buffs who start a podcast to investigate a murder in their own building, only to be drawn in by their unintentional connections to the crime.

In an often bleak criminal genre, the series has blessed us with a constant supply of lighthearted entertainment. Hulu has renewed the show for a second season, which will hit the platform in the summer of 2022.

Only Murders in the Building, by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, features spine-chilling murders, unexpected twists, and loads of suspects, all in a historic building. The innovative narrative has a satirical flair as the creators masterfully thread connections between the building and its occupants. With every inhabitant under suspicion in the baffling mystery, there is a lot to uncover.

Viewers experience moments of fear, laughter and even resentment as the three protagonists chase culprits. While comedy icons Short and Martin will impress you with their quirkiness, Gomez will humor your cynical side.

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3) Sherlock

Sherlock is a fantastic on-screen adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's novels about Sherlock Holmes. There are plenty of mysteries to solve and victims to help, but the onscreen carnage and violence is minimal. Terrorists, mass murderers, organized crime- the show features it all to arouse intrigue.

BBC's Sherlock expands the iconic narrative of the famous detective to fit within the setting of contemporary London. Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) and Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) work together to solve crimes. That explains Holmes' onliance of technology and gadgets in the show.

In this rendition, Watson is a considerably more active participant, and Holmes retains many of his original traits. Benedict Cumberbatch does a terrific job with his expressions and dialogues, and Martin Freeman is equally compelling to watch.

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4) Lucifer

The ensemble cast of Netflix's Lucifer including Tom Ellis as Lucifer (Image via @lucifernetflix/Instagram)

Lucifer Morningstar in Lucifer is the Devil who abandons abdicates his throne in Hell and arrives on Earth. After spending millennia as the ruler of Hell, Lucifer wants a change so he settles down in Los Angeles where he opens his own club and spends most of his time indulging in hedonistic pleasures.

His trajectory changes after meeting Detective Chloe Decker and he decides to help her solve murders. Lucifer's ability to extract a person's deepest and darkest wishes with just a smoldering look often proves to be handy in these adventures.

The series has many parallel plotlines with well-structured developments. Lucifer's character is complex and exciting at all times. The show also does a great job of injecting humor so that the subjects never feel too heavy or tedious.

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5) Dark

Dark, a German mystery/thriller produced by Netflix, targets an adult audience because of its grotesque scenes and disturbing themes.

While it might be difficult to understand the show fully in the beginning, viewers find that things begin to make sense very soon. The combination of crime, intrigue, and otherworldly aspects generate more questions than answers but there's an undeniable pleasure in the terror of being kept in the dark.

This 3-season-long mystery series features a ground-breaking sci-fi narrative that includes time travel and other illusions. Each episode gradually builds on the previous one, giving only enough material to tempt viewers to watch the next. It is definitely worth your time.