Broadchurch meets Midsomer Murders: Murder in a Small Town is the “dream” detective drama to binge tonight

What do you get when you combine Broadchurch’s glorious coastal setting with Midsomer Murders’ baffling murder mysteries? A dream detective drama in the form of Murder in a Small Town. The series, which introduces us to big-city detective Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) who relocates to an idyllic harbour town where he hopes to find peace and finds no such thing is, in our humble opinion, one of TV’s best hidden gems – and the good news is you can binge it on Netflix tonight.

Far from the peace he seeks, Karl discovers that the small town he moves to is actually one filled with many secret and many murder mysteries - and it's up to him to get to the bottom of them. Thankfully, there’s also a bit of light at the end of the tunnel in the form of his love interest librarian Cassanda (Kristin Kreuk). If you’re in a mood for picturesque scenery, gripping mysteries and a sprinkling of romance, we’d highly recommend tuning in.

Before you do, here’s everything you need to know about Murder in a Small Town, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.

What is Murder in a Small Town about?

The series, which first aired in the US and Canada in 2024, introduces us to Karl Alberg (played by Rossif Sutherland) who moves to a quiet coastal town in Canada after serving on the police force in the big city of Minneapolis. What he expects is a fresh start and an opportunity to reset after the psychological toll that policing has had on him – but what he gets is quite different.

The small town has more than its share of secrets, and Karl must call upon all the skills that made him a world-class detective to solve the murders that continue to wash up on his shore. Over the course of two series, we also see Karl’s relationship with local librarian Cassanda (Kristin Kreuk) play out - a local librarian who becomes Karl’s muse and romantic interest.

Star Rossif Sutherland told Deadline how, despite the show going on the become a huge success, he almost didn’t audition for the part at all. “It was just another audition in the beginning,” he said. “I had played a bunch of detectives, and I was quite reluctant at first, but the material was nice.

“It was a Zoom audition, and I’m not particularly good with those, but I just told my son to be brave and do things that scare him. So I followed my own advice, and I did the audition.

What appealed to him, he added, was his character’s humanity, describing him as “this detective who wasn’t going about doing his job with the tropes of intimidating people with his badge, his gun, his uniform, but instead got to get the truth out of people with his humanity. He’s somebody who wears his heart on his sleeve, and he’s not possessed by demons.”

Who’s in the cast of Murder in a Small Town?

The main cast of Murder in a Small Town includes:

• Rossif Sutherland (Three Pines) as Karl Alberg
• Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) as Cassandra Lee
• Mya Lowe (My Life with the Walter Boys) as Corporal Edwina Yen
• Aaron Douglas (The Bridge) as Sid Sokolowski
• Cassandra Sawtell (Boy in the Walls) as Steph Alberg
• Fritzy-Klevans Destine (Superman & Lois) as Andy Kendrick
• Savonna Spracklin (Wildhood) as Isabella Harbud
• Dakota Guppy (Damaged) as Holly Alberg
• Fiona Vroom (Sailing into Love) as Phyllis Diaz
• Paloma Kwiatkowski (Riot Girls) as Bree
• Alisha Newton (Heartland) as Devon Travis
• Bethany Brown (Operation Christmas Drop) as Laila Jackson (series 2)
• Marcia Gay Harden (The Mist) as Christine Holman (series 2)
• Marci T. House (Monster High 2) as Angela Clyburn (series 2)
• Jacob Shoemay (Untamed) as Brett Holman (series 2)
• Jodelle Ferland (Case 39) as Vanessa (series 2)

Is there a trailer for Murder in a Small Town?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for Murder in a Small Town below.

View full post on YouTube

Is Murder in a Small Town any good?

Yes - the combination of the coastal setting, believable but intriguing mysteries and brilliant chemistry between its leads Rossif Sutherland and Kirstin Kreuk sets the series apart from a lot of other detective dramas. Fans have praised it for being easy to watch, cosy (to a degree!) and they particularly enjoy its picturesque setting. If Broadchurch, Midsomer Murders or even Shetland are up there with your favourite detective dramas, we have a feeling you’ll like Murder in a Small Town.

How can I watch Murder in a Small Town?

Murder in a Small Town series one and two are available to watch now Netflix.

What other detective dramas can I watch now?

If you enjoy a dark and twisty series, it’s well worth giving Chasing Shadows a go. The ITV drama introduces us to DS Sean Stone (Reece Shearsmith) and his professional partner Ruth Hattersley (Alex Kingston) who track down serial killers targeting vulnerable people. It’s creepy, to say the least. You can watch Chasing Shadows now on ITVX. For fans of Shetland and Unforgotten, we’d recommend Thorne. Adapted from author Mark Billingham’s novels, David Morrissey plays the titular DI Tom Thorne, who has a rather unsettling spate of murders to deal with. Thorne is available to binge now on ITVX.