I’m back with five more mystery and thriller shows I enjoyed watching recently(ish), plus a BONUS NUMBER SIX. 😉

This is a post I thought I’d written—the list was already in my blog post file!—and yet, here I am sharing it (mumble, mumble) months later.

That’s okay because they’re not going anywhere. Most are from the 2020s, but one is ten-plus years old. We watched on a mix of streaming services and (gasp!) DVDs. Some of you remember those, right? (Brace yourself for an admission of even older tech use below.)

As always, your mileage may vary, and you can click on the series titles to see their trailers.

I’m beginning and ending the list with my favorites of the bunch.

• THE OFFER: This dramatization of the making of the classic gangster film The Godfather is from the point of view of producer Al Ruddy. Embarrassing confession: I think I’ve seen The Godfather? One of them? 🤔 The point is, I’m not a fan, but I absolutely loved this series, as did The Hubs. Behind-the-scenes, deep dives into industries or places or times we don’t know are catnip for us (we’re currently watching Drive to Survive). You definitely get that here, from Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola trying to figure out the script to filming and screening logistics to just plain swinging 60s/70s Hollywood. Is everything in here true? Of course not; it is drama, not a documentary. I don’t care. It’s fun. Matthew Goode as Robert Evans alone is worth a watch. Bubby. 😎
• DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY: I am a Jane Austen fan. Not a convention and cosplay super-fan, but I will admit to wearing out a set of the Colin Firth-Jennifer Ehle Pride & Prejudice VHS back in the day. Needless to say, I’m often biased against other portrayals of Elizabeth and Darcy. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this adaptation of the PD James novel, perhaps because it was so different from Pride and Prejudice. Taking place several years after Elizabeth and Darcy are married, for me it stood as its own separate thing. It is so gorgeous to look at, and the cast was great. Matthew Goode appears as Wickham, so bonus points if you watch this and The Offer back-to-back.
• BAD SISTERS: This darkly funny series begins with the funeral of JP Williams, husband to a Garvey sister and a complete asshole, then poses the questions: which Garvey sister—or sisters—killed him? How? And will she/they get away with it? The cast was brilliant and the Ireland locations made me want to book a flight. However,  I could not binge-watch the show. Every episode you learn more about what an evil sack of shit the murdered man was (we fancy-pants writer types call that motive), and I often found these bits truly painful to watch. That said, the sisterhood and the scenery still made the show a net enjoyment for me.  
• HIJACK: Idris Elba on a hijacked plane. That’s it. Do I really need to say anything else? 😂 I didn’t love all of the ending (if you’ve seen it, you know), but this was so much adrenaline-packed fun. Just let go and enjoy the ride. 
• SPRUNG: If you’re looking for something a little lighter, a little weirder, you might enjoy this show from Greg Garcia, the creator of My Name is Earl. Three inmates are released because of the Covid pandemic. With the world locked down, they end up living and working together. Criminally. Did I mention Martha Plimpton plays one of their larcenous moms? Think a touch of Robin Hood and a healthy dose of the absurd. 
• SILO: To the purists angrily shouting in the back, No sci fi! this show probably isn’t for you. Everyone else, bear with me. Based on High Howey’s Silo trilogy (Season 1 covers Wool), the Apple TV adaptation was created by Graham Yost, who also created Justified, produced and wrote for Sneaky Pete, and produced The Americans and Slow Horses. He could be the Kevin Bacon (as in, Six Degrees) of my Stories I Love world. The series takes place in a dystopian world, with the remnants of humanity residing in a subterranean silo, but mystery is its beating heart: a murder mystery, and the mystery of the true nature of the silo. It features another excellent cast, anchored by the amazing Rebecca Ferguson. This is one of the best shows I’ve seen. Ever. And it has been renewed. 🙌