Peter White Public Library has a great selection of detective mysteries on DVD. Many series started years ago, but are still being produced, which means you can find the newest season on our New DVD Shelf. Catch up on the latest episodes or enjoy the whole series from the beginning.

“ENDEAVOUR,” a British detective series set in the 1960s, is a modern-day prequel to the long-running “Inspector Morse” series which ran from 1987 to 2000 featuring John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Whately continued the tradition of solving murders in the most unlikely places with eight seasons of the “Inspector Lewis” series, which is also on the DVD shelf. All three shows, based on novels authored by Colin Dexter, are set primarily in Oxford, England, with idyllic scenes of rowing teams on the river and the imposing brick buildings of Oxford University. Shaun Evans brilliantly portrays the young  Endeavour Morse beginning his career as a Detective Constable with the Oxford City Police. The series, produced for Masterpiece Mysteries, began in 2012 and continues through five seasons of Morse and his mentor, Detective Inspector Fred Thursday played by Roger Allam, along with a strong cast of supporting characters. The sixth and final series will be on DVD at the end of 2019.

“DEATH IN PARADISE” is a lighthearted detective series from the fictitious Caribbean island of Saint Marie that began in 2011. The story centers around a British detective who is transferred to the Honore’ police division of this tropical paradise while sticking to the “suit and tie” formalities of London. Each new Detective Inspector comes to the island fresh out of England and has to adjust to the relaxed island culture — leading to some very humorous situations. They also have to adjust to the office staff who are replaced every few seasons. Only two members of the original cast, Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, and the bar owner, Catherine Bordey, remain after seven series. Each episode ends with the quaint Agatha Christie formula of gathering the suspects, using  flashbacks  to show what happened, and revealing the murderer. Viewers will be happy to know that Season 7 is on the New DVD shelf and Season 8 has already been filmed, with plans for two additional seasons.

“JANET KING” is an Australian mystery about Senior Crown Prosecutor Janet King, portrayed by Marta Dusseldorp, which ran from 2014 to 2017 as a spin-off from the legal drama “Crownies.” When Janet King returns to work from maternity leave, she is tasked with building a case around a controversial incident involving a senior-ranking police office while navigating through interference from Chief Superientendent Jack Rizzoli and collegue Owen Mitchell. Connecting the dots between unrelated crimes, King unearths a crime network that puts her family and police officers in danger. Her next challenge is to form a royal commission investigating how firearms are entering the country, bringing her closer to finding her partner’s murderer. The third series explores the links between professional sports, gambling, and organized crime. There’s never a dull moment in this suspenseful series. Seasons 2 and 3 are both on the New DVD shelf.

“MURDOCH MYSTERIES” is a Canadian detective series featuring the Toronto Constabulary in the early 1900’s. Detective William Murdoch, played by Yannick Bisson, is an unassuming investigator well versed in math and science, who invents primitive versions of modern forensic tools to catch some very sophisticated criminals. The period clothing and settings add character to the stories. Don’t be surprised to find appearances by historic figures such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Nikola Tesla. Episodes revolve around the main four characters of Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), Constable Crabtree (Johnny Harris), and Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy), a forensic doctor who inspires modern themes of women’s rights in an era when women had none. The series began in 2008 and is has been released on DVD through Season 11. Season 12 will be available later this year.

By Lynette Suckow

Reference Department