Way back when this blog was starting out, I did one of my very first posts on International Mysteries. I love mystery novels, and I especially enjoy ones set in other countries. This time around, I’m going to share some mystery TV shows set in other countries (and not only the United Kingdom because there are a million of those!). International travel might be off the table right now, so here’s the alternative – you get to see another country, and there’s a zero-percent chance of getting murdered!

The Doctor Blake Mysteries

There are five seasons of this show (which ended in 2017). They are set in (and were made in) Australia, but they are also historical – specifically, the late 1950s. Dr. Blake is a medical doctor who also works as the medical examiner when needed, which leads to him getting involved in investigating murders. The supporting characters are also good – especially the foil his character has in his housekeeper, Jean.

The Bridge (Streaming Only)

We don’t have this one on DVD, but it’s available to stream on hoopla. The series begins with a dead body being found on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden. Because it involves both countries, the police pair up a homicide investigator from Denmark with one from Sweden. In the tradition of Scandinavian mysteries, this one can be pretty dark – the characters are interesting, but it’s absolutely not a cheerful show. If you’re in the mood for something darker, though, this one is very good. It even inspired an American remake involving the border between the United States and Mexico – I haven’t seen that one, but we do have it on DVD.

Broadchurch

I don’t care at all about Doctor Who, so this is the series that made me a fan of David Tennant. He co-stars here with Olivia Colman; I had only seen her in comedies before, but she is excellent in this show, and they play very well off each other. The first season centers around the investigation into the murder of a young boy as well as the effects of the crime (and investigation) on the small town of Broadchurch. Apparently, even the actors were not allowed to know who the murderer was until the big reveal at the end of the season!

Zen

This is also a British tv series, but it is set in Italy (and was filmed in Italy as well). I love this series, and my only complaint is that it unfortunately only ran for one short season. It stars Rufus Sewell as the police detective Aurelio Zen, and I have always liked him as an actor. You will absolutely root for him to find a way to navigate (or avoid) the petty politics going on around him in order to solve the series’ cases.