Copyright Screen Rant
Many mystery books are getting adapted for the small screen, and these TV shows are the ones we’re most excited to see. While movies have been the go-to format for book adaptations, more and more producers have bought the rights to turn novels into TV shows. This means there are plenty of exciting fantasy book-to-TV adaptations to look forward to. Similarly, popular sci-fi books will be adapted into TV shows in the near future. These aren’t the only genres that TV producers are pulling from, though The mystery book genre is also slated for some fun TV adaptations. Rather than drawing on the same old stories, some of the most exciting upcoming shows will bring modern mysteries to the screen. 8 His & Hers In January 2026, the Alice Feeney novel His & Hers will hit Netflix, bringing an exciting new mystery for audiences to unpack. The story follows two opposing forces, investigative journalist Anna Andrews and detective Jack Harper, who are both working to solve a woman’s murder in the British village of Blackdown. Both quickly become suspects in their own murder investigations. His & Hers has the fundamentals of a great TV show. The book's descriptions and writing style already feel cinematic. While some mysteries are highly predictable, His & Hers will keep readers and viewers guessing until the very end. Additionally, the book has excellent character backstories and development, so the show's writers needn’t create anything entirely new. The excitement for the Netflix original show increases when looking at the actors and producers attached. Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal, who play Anna and Jack, are excellent actors. What’s more, many of the producers have experience in the mystery and thriller genres. All in all, His & Hers is bound to be great. 7 Listen For The Lie In April 2025, The LA Times reported that Universal would adapt the bestseller Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera into a TV show. The show has everything a mystery lover could want – a funny protagonist, a compelling mystery, lots of clues, plenty of red herrings, and a suspenseful atmosphere. The story follows Lucy, a woman who was accused of murdering her best friend, Savvy, after she was found with Savvy’s blood and no memory of what happened. Five years later, she must open past wounds to solve the case after a true crime podcaster with a hit show makes it the focus of his new season. Aside from the story and characters, mystery lovers should look forward to the TV version of Listen for the Lie because it’s being written by Rachel Shukert, who served as the writer and executive producer on Nine Perfect Strangers and The Baby-Sitters Club. She clearly has the mystery know-how to transform this already great story for the small screen. 6 While Justice Sleeps The genres of mystery and thriller are a Venn diagram, and While Justice Sleeps by politician and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams lands squarely in the middle, telling a compelling mystery with the tone of a political thriller. This book has one of the most intricate mysteries I have ever read, where every revelation connects and makes sense by the end. The book follows Avery Keene, a law clerk at the Supreme Court, who becomes entangled in a political mystery after her judge, Justice Howard Winn, falls into a coma. Avery discovers that Winn was investigating a possible conspiracy, and she must piece together the clues he left behind. In 2021, Deadline announced the TV show While Justice Sleeps, but it has since gotten stuck in development hell. That being said, there are two big reasons to be excited about the show’s eventual release. Firstly, Abrams is executive producing the TV show. Secondly, a sequel already exists, which could be adapted in a later season if the show is successful. 5 Joe Nesbø’s Detective Hole Norwegian author Joe Nesbø is one of the most successful modern crime writers, garnering a passionate worldwide fanbase. Unsurprisingly, his books have been adapted numerous times. Netflix has garnered a reputation for its crime dramas, and soon that will include Joe Nesbø’s Detective Hole, which adapts the 2003 book The Devil’s Star. The story will follow Harry Hole, a homicide detective who tries to track down a serial killer in Oslo who is killing young women and mutilating their bodies with pentagrams. At the same time, Hole is managing his feud with a dirty cop named Tom Waaler. One of the most exciting parts of Joe Nesbø’s Detective Hole is the fact that the author is serving as both the writer and showrunner. This will prevent a disaster like the 2017 adaptation of The Snowman. What’s more, the show will adopt the book’s gritty Nordic noir style, which will be refreshing yet familiar to international audiences. 4 The Inheritance Games Most of the mystery TV shows getting adaptations are aimed at new adult and adult audiences. However, one big exception is The Inheritance Games trilogy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The first novel won the Teen Buckeye Book Award and was a selection for the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list in 2021. The books follow a teen girl named Avery Grambs who earns the inheritance of billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, despite not knowing him. She must live with the Hawthornes in Tobias’s mansion to uncover the truth about the inheritance. Aside from having an interesting premise, the TV version of The Inheritance Games is exciting because both Lionsgate and Temple Hill Entertainment are signed on to bring this story to life. Lionsgate was behind The Hunger Games movies, while Temple Hill Entertainment brought The Maze Runner and The Twilight Saga to the big screen. On top of that, there are tons of stories within the world of The Inheritance Games. Aside from the three main books, there is a connected standalone, a short story and novella collection, and a spinoff series. With so much source material, the TV show could last for multiple seasons without surpassing the books. 3 Darling Girls After Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth released in 2023, the book quickly became popular in book club circles. It also won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel. The judges described the novel as “cleverly written and exquisitely plotted” (via Australian Crime Writers Association). Understandably, it was quickly optioned for a TV show. In Darling Girls, three former foster children – Jessica, Norah, and Alicia – return to their foster home after 25 years, after a dead body is discovered underneath the building. They quickly find that the place they once considered a safe haven wasn’t as idyllic as they remembered. What’s worse, they become the prime murder suspects. One of the biggest reasons I’m looking forward to the Darling Girls TV show is the fact that the frequent spelling and grammar errors in the book distracted from the incredible story. This won’t be an issue in a visual medium. Additionally, Darling Girls’ messages about growing up and reflecting on family will undoubtedly resonate with a large audience. 2 The Maidens The Maidens by Alex Michaelides is a divisive mystery book, with most readers either loving it or hating it. The novel is the epitome of a beach read, leaning into genre tropes almost to a fault. However, it’s also unique from other mystery TV shows because it’s set within the dark academia genre. Dark academia mysteries haven’t been adapted for the small screen very often. The story follows Mariana Andros, a therapist who develops a potentially deadly interest in a Cambridge secret society called “The Maidens” after her niece’s friend, one of the members, is murdered. She quickly homes in on a Classics professor as her main suspect, but it won’t be easy to prove this. Not much news has come out about this TV show yet, but what we have is exciting. Actor-producer-writer Morweena Banks is tapped to write the script for The Maidens. Her behind-the-scenes work proves that she can handle it. She executive-produced and wrote Down Cemetery Road, and she wrote four episodes of Slow Horses. 1 Dark Pines Dark Pines by Will Dean is the first of six books about the deaf, bisexual investigative reporter Tuva Moodyson, and it will soon be adapted into a TV show. Rather than sticking to strict genre boundaries, Dark Pines draws on Nordic noir, horror, thriller, and mystery elements. The combination of styles makes it feel interesting, despite its simple premise. The story follows Tuva Moodyson after she moves to a small Swedish town to take care of her mother. Tuva is one of the most likable crime protagonists in a long time. She’s terrified of the woods, but she must overcome that as she works to solve the crime of a lifetime. While the show will move the story to Scotland, it will maintain the same premise. A significant reason to get excited about the TV show is that the book makes you care about the mystery and outcome. If they can capture this for the small screen, it will go great. Additionally, deaf actor Rose Ayling-Ellis is a driving force in the adaptation (via Deadline), serving as both the EP and the lead actor.
