With all the holidays bearing down on us, many mystery fans are looking for those last minute gifts.
Books are always nice. Here’s a list of my picks for the year that has run in various newspapers around the country.
But sometimes you just want to watch, not read. So I am turning to Acorn Media for some of the best in mystery viewing with DVDS that can be enjoyed all year.
And these films may introduce you to the novels on which many are based.
Many of these also are available on the “best British TV streaming service” on Acorn TV…and while the streaming may not make the “present” you want to give, it will give you a break from all the holiday planning.
Jack Irish: Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) broods away as Jack Irish, a former lawyer turned private investigator and debt collector, in these films based on Peter Temple’s novels. Originally broadcast on Australian television, the Jack Irish series is addictive. Expect a lot, and I do mean a lot, of brooding, from the often scruffy Pearce who struggles with grief and bad guys.
Republic of Doyle: Set in Newfoundland, this comedy drama from Canada is as much about solving crimes as it is the relationship between Malachy and Jake Doyle, a father and son detective team. Ex-cop Malachy, played by Sean McGinley, and Jake, played by Allan Hawco, are a tight-knit family who, like any family, bicker and jab at each other. They also have their share of troubles with girlfriends, ex-wives and one rebellious teenage daughter. And how many times do we see any mystery set in the lovely St. John’s area of Newfoundland? Fortunately, the series makes the most of this area.
Line of Duty: Police corruption is at the center of this British series that examines a different case each season. As gripping as the investigations are, the characters are so well sculpted that we care deeply about their complex personalities. A true ensemble series in which each role, no matter how seemingly small, is important.
Barbary Coast: How did this short-lived American series get into this mix? Not sure. Barbary Coast aired for less than a year, beginning in 1975, and with its combination of western and espionage was, no doubt, inspired by The Wild Wild West. Set in 1880s San Francisco, it featured post-Star Trek William Shatner as Jeff Cable, an undercover government agent, and Doug McClure as Cash Conover, a gambler and casino owner whose motto was “Cash makes no enemies.” Maybe. But the two of them certainly had their share of corruption in dealing with a post-Gold Rush city rift with violence and corruption. The series holds up fairly well, and while the outlook is a bit dated, the crimes they pursued are not. Corrupt bankers, casino robberies, racketeering, stolen shipments—all that still happens in the 21st century. On a personal note, I had forgotten how handsome Doug McClure was.
Mr. and Mrs. Murder: Also from Australia is this witty series about Charlie and Nicola Buchanan who are crime-scene cleaners. Their assignments often lead them into solving the crime as well as wiping out all traces of it. The chemistry between the couple, played by Shaun Micallef and Kat Stewart, comes across quite nicely. This is a couple you’d like to spend time with, but you do not ever want to visit them at work.
