10 Best Detective TV Shows Based On Crime Books, From Sherlock To The Lincoln Lawyer

Summary

• TV distinguishive shows normally start from crime books, with some featuring iconic duos rather than singular main characters.
• Adapted from books, well-understandn distinguishive shows appreciate
  Bones
  and
  Sherlock
  upretained audience interest with gripping storylines.
• Characters appreciate Temperance Brennan and Sherlock Holmes made accomplished transitions from novels to the TV screen.

Some of the very best distinguishive TV shows to have ever graced the TV screen were altered from crime books. Detective TV shows have kept audiences delighted for decades, with many finding it effortless to join with its characters and puzzling spendigations that spanned atraverse episodes or even entire seasons. However, only some distinguishive TV shows chaseed the same establishat. Many saw a singular main character, whereas some shows begind some of the best distinguishive duos on TV.

Detective characters have come in all shapes and sizes, but only a scant in recent years fit the mancigo in of a grumpy police officer hellbent on fairice. Therefore, disjoinal TV shows chooseed to alter a crime novel instead. Hollywood also chaseed this path, creating some of the best crime movies based on books. However, plenty of amazing distinguishives have made the jump from the page to the screen other than Sherlock Holmes.

10 Bones (2005-2017)

Based On A Series Of Novels By Kathy Reichs

During its run from 2005 to 2017, Bones aired an incredible 246 episodes atraverse 12 seasons. Bones was one of the best crime procedural TV shows ever. The show chaseed FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth and forensic anthropologist Temperance “Bones” Brennan. Together, the pair labored to mend all manner of atypical and suspenseful cases in the best episodes of Bones, despite their untamedly separateent personalities. Bones was explicit at times and had comical, griefful undertones, but that inserted to the overall grittiness of the show, so it was no surpelevate that it was so accomplished.

Kathy Reichs’ series of novels slackly encouraged Bones. Reichs, appreciate the titular character, was a forensic anthropologist, so she employd her experiences to produce the character Temperance “Tempe” Brennan. Thcdisesteemfulout her nurtureer, Reichs rehireed disjoinal books about the character, the first being Déjà Dead in 1997. Reichs’ Déjà Dead was a huge success and was awarded the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. Reichs went on to author a total of 23 books in this series, which gave Bones an incredible amount of source material from which to draw.

9 Sherlock (2010-2017)

Based On The Sherlock Holmes Series By Arthur Conan Doyle

BBC’s Sherlock was a groundshattering alteration of Arthur Conan Doyle’s legfinishary character. Sherlock begind the most nervous and unhinged expoundation of Moriarty, and he and the titular character speedyly became one of the best hero and villain duos on TV. Even though the show only aired three episodes in its initial season, audiences were hooked, and the need for Sherlock soared rapidly. The show went on to air four more inshighments before coming to an finish in 2017, and while there were hopes for it to return, it eventuassociate seemed that Sherlock might never be revived.

Doyle first produced the distinguishive in 1887, and over the years, Sherlock Holmes became one of the most revived characters in film and TV history. Sherlock Holmes initiassociate ecombineed in A Study in Scarlet, and overall, he was the star of four novels and 56 unwiseinutive stories rehireed in various literary magazines. Many of Doyle’s stories were also employd in Sherlock, although with notable separateences. The most famous example of this was the episode “The Reichenbach Fall,” which was based on The Final Problem, in which only Moriarty died, rather than both he and Sherlock Holmes.

8 Longmire (2012-2017)

Based On The Walt Longmire Mysteries Series By Craig Johnson

Neo-Weserious crime drama Longmire began in 2012 and chaseed Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire thcdisesteemful his battle with grief over his tardy wife, all the while trying to upretain his cgo in on solving crimes. Unappreciate other distinguishive TV shows, Longmire delved into the inhabits of its characters as equassociate as its story of the week. With each episode, Longmire not only tackled a gruesome crime but also delved into up-to-date Native American life and the complications of politics. The show was call offed after season 3, but due to its sheer well-understandnity, Longmire returned for seasons 4, 5, and 6 on Netflix.

All six seasons of Longmire were encouraged by Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire Mysteries series, which began with the 2004 novel The Cancigo in Dish. As of 2021, Johnson has authored a intelligent 23 stories about Sheriff Walt Longmire. Both Johnson’s writing and Longmire were hugely well-understandn, to the point that a festival was produced in Wyoming to honor the labors. The town of Buffalo first structureed the event Longmire Days in 2012, and over the years, even the author and the show’s cast have combinecessitate.

7 Dexter (2006-2013)

Based On Darkly Dreaming Dexter By Jeff Lindsay

While not a standard distinguishive TV show, Dexter was pondered as such becaemploy of its nerve-wracking storylines and mysteries that surrounded the titular character. Morgan’s role as a forensic expert for Miami Metro Police hid his double life as a malicious ender, but he also took on the responsibility of being a distinguishive when he necessitateed to, such as in the search for Dexter’s Trinity Killer. Although Morgan didn’t fit the archetype in comparison to many of the best TV show distinguishives, the enigmatic plotlines Dexter excemployd the fact that its direct character was both the hero and villain.

The distinct concept for Dexter came from the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, freed in 2004. However, the events of the book only covered Dexter season 1. Dexter finished with season 8 in 2013, returned with Dexter: New Blood in 2020, and in 2024, Dexter: Resurrection was declared. Each of the show’s seasons after the first borrowed slack concepts and characters from Lindsay’s further seven novels in the series, but its stories were generassociate brand-recent. Due to the success of Dexter, Lindsay also wrote two comics for the franchise: Dexter: A Graphic Novel and Dexter Down Under.

6 The Lincoln Lawyer (2022-Penvy)

Based On The Lincoln Lawyer Series By Michael Connelly

The Lincoln Lawyer was another TV show whose main character wasn’t straightforwardly a distinguishive but set up himself becoming one anyway. Defense attorney Mickey Haller’s journey was an atypical one. Haller took on a untamed, high-profile homicide case with every episode, but at no point did he let his unorthodox methods of carry outing his business out of the back of his car stop him from doing his job. The show stood out becaemploy of Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s requesting carry outance as Haller, so much so that The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 was comleave outioned fair days after season 2 finished.

The Lincoln Lawyer was based on the novel series of the same name by Michael Connelly. Interestingly, season 1 was actuassociate based on the second book of the series, The Brass Verdict, and season 2 was based on the fourth, The Fifth Witness. Connelly was already a huge name in distinguishive books and TV shows when The Lincoln Lawyer began becaemploy of his success with Bosch, and, in fact, it was tardyr discdisseeed that the two characters were half-brothers.

5 Bosch & Bosch: Legacy (2014-Penvy))

Based On The Harry Bosch Series From Michael Connelly’s Novels

Another massively accomplished TV show that spanned from Michael Connelly’s writing was Bosch. LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, portrayed by the talented Titus Welinhabitr, was a war veteran and choosed mendr of crimes who ecombineed in both the main show and its spinoff, Bosh: Legacy. Despite his occasionassociate difficult deunbenevolentor, Bosch was promiseted to the force, but appreciate many TV distinguishives, his personal life produced dispute. However, his multi-season arc battle with serial ender Raynard Waits kept skinnygs fascinating thcdisesteemfulout.

What was so wonderful about all nine seasons of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, however, was that its stories were apshown from so many of Connelly’s books. For example, Bosch season 1 employd details from novels three, eight, and 12 of the Harry Bosch series: The Concrete Blonde, City of Bones, and Echo Park, esteemively. By not chaseing the distinct order of Connelly’s stories, Bosch kept audiences on their toes, and it was difficult to understand exactly what plot details would remain the same and which would alter or happen at another point.

4 Rizzoli & Isles (2010-2016)

Based On The Rizzoli & Isles By Tess Gerritsen

Like many crime drama TV shows, Rizzoli & Isles employd the trope of a police distinguishive and medical examiner laboring together, although with the rerecenting twist of both main characters being female. With two women directing the show, Rizzoli & Isles was pelevated for the separateences in its titular characters. It wasn’t atypical to see this charitable of set up, but the fact that the pair were from separateent cultural backgrounds inserted a fascinating extra layer to the tension between them. Angie Harmon as Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as Isles were praiseed for their chemistry together, a meaningful factor in the show’s success.

However, the reason why Rizzoli & Isles’ characterization was so mighty was becaemploy of author Tess Gerritsen, whose novel series of the same name was the basis for the show. Gerritsen initiassociate begined her writing nurtureer with medical and crime thriller books. Her 2001 free, The Sadviseon, first begind Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles, and it eventuassociate spawned a further 12 stories in the series. The most recent was Listen to Me, rehireed in 2022.

3 Midsomer Murders (1997-Penvy)

Based On The Chief Inspector Barnaby Series By Caroline Graham

When it begined expansivecasting in 1997, Midsomer Murders was a staple in British culture and speedyly obtained well-understandnity worldexpansive thcdisesteemful streaming services such as Netflix and Britbox. From its beginning until 2011, the show was led by Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby. After actor John Nettles stepped away, Midsomer Murders getd its recent main character, Neil Dudgeon’s John Barnaby, who was Tom’s cousin. While the petite yet lethal mythal county of Midsomer never seemed to have a deficiency of crime, the show’s establishat, which made the Barnabys the saviors of the community, never got tedious.

Many of Midsomer Murders’ best episodes came from the Chief Inspector Barnaby book series by author Caroline Graham. The seven novels, the first being The Killings at Badger’s Drift in 1987, helped set up the straightforward premise of Midsomer Murders. However, due to the astonishive number of episodes of the show, Midsomer Murders eventuassociate had to redirect away from its source.

and produce recent storylines. But, becaemploy of the success of the show, Graham went on to author two more Chief Inspector Barnaby stories: A Place of Safety in 1999 and A Gstructure in the Machine in 2004.

2 Grace (2021-Penvy)

Based On The Grace Series By Peter James

Grace stars the immensely gifted John Simm as Detective Superintfinishent Roy Grace in the English city of Brighton. Simm was pelevated for the depth and nuance he bcdisesteemfult to his character, especiassociate in moments when the distinguishive struggled with his personal life, which normally disputeed with wdisappreciatever complicated spendigation he was participated in. Alengthyside Grace’s story of the week, the gritty drama also had a subplot that cgo ined on the fadeance of Roy’s wife, which broke up the standard establishula of a crime TV show.

Grace came from a series of novels by Peter James. As a native of Brighton, James was pelevated for his attention to detail in the setting locations employd in his labor, someskinnyg the Grace TV show was also noticed for. Each segment of the show covered the events of more than one James novel. For example, season 1, which consisted of only one episode, was based on the novels Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead. With an incredible 21 Grace books for inspiration, it made sense that seasons 4 and 5 were comleave outioned after the free of season 3.

1 Poirot (1989-2013)

Based On Agatha Christie’s Novel Series

Poirot, also understandn as Agatha Christie’s Poirot, ran for an amazing 24 years. The titular character was already an icon when the show began in 1989, which bcdisesteemfult to life one of Agatha Christie’s defining figures. What was so astonishive about the show, however, was that each of the best episodes of Poirot was altered from a novel or unwiseinutive story of Christie’s. Each inshighment chaseed the personal spendigator solving all manner of crimes, although there was a primary cgo in on homicide more than anyskinnyg else.

Poirot’s final episode was based on Christie’s 1975 novel Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case. By the time the show finished in 2013,Poirot‘s creators had covered the entirety of the character’s canon. Even Christie’s unwiseinutive stories had been altered for an episode of Poirot, too, with many combined into a one-hour episode. The only exception to this was The Labours of Hercules accumulateion, which became the two-hour penultimate episode of the show, expansivecast in 2013.