If you enjoy a crime thriller as much as we do, you’ve probably already binged the likes of The Capture, True Detective and Top of the Lake – but have heard of Collateral or even Rillington Place? Probably not.

We’ve been scouring the TV archives to find the hidden gem crime thrillers you probably haven’t heard about yet – and one is even better than a Harlan Coben series. So, remotes at the ready as these are the 7 hidden gem crime thrillers to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.

Collateral

individual standing in front of a teal door wearing a clerical collar
Netflix

The genius of this 2018 series is the premise, which deserves far more praise than it got when it first aired. Set over the course of four days, the story revolves around the repercussions of a fatal shooting of pizza delivery man Abdullah Asif (Sam Otto) and the impact it has on those who were connected to it without even knowing. Among them are politician David Mars (John Simm) who becomes embroiled thanks to his relationship with his troubled ex Karen (Billie Piper), and Jane Oliver (Nicola Walker), a compassionate vicar who struggles to conceal her affair with the only witness to the crime. Utterly brilliant. Available to watch now on Netflix.

Rillington Place

rillington place
BBC

Killing Eve star Jodie Comergives an exceptionally good performance as one of real-life serial killer John Christie’s victims in Rillington Place. The unsettling series portrays how, during the 1940s and 1950s, Christie murdered at least eight people, including his wife Ethel Christie (Samantha Morton) and his tenant Beryl Evans (Jodie Comer), inside his flat at 10 Rillington Place in London’s Notting Hill. Expect a dark and deeply compelling watch. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

Redemption

editorial use only mandatory credit: photo by itv/shutterstock (13796087p) paula malcolmson as colette cunningham. redemption tv show, series 1, episode 1 uk 17 mar 2023 redemption, is a british itv six part crime drama television series created by sean cook. di colette cunninghams no nonsense approach to policing has earned her the respect of her merseyside police colleagues. she seems unflappable, until she gets a call from the garda in dublin after the body of a young woman is discovered her estranged daughter kate has taken her own life. unaware of their existence, colette meets her two teenage grandchildren. colette sets out to uncover the truth about her daughter’s death.
ITV/Shutterstock

There can’t be anything worse as a detective than having to investigate your own daughter’s death but that’s the situation Liverpool-based DI Colette Cunningham (Paula Malcomson) finds herself in in Redemption. The story is far from straightforward as her daughter, Kate, disappeared when she was just 17 and hadn’t been heard from since. Now, two decades on, she has apparently taken her own life, but to Colette, something doesn’t quite add up. As twisty as it sounds. Available to watch now on ITVX.

The Crow Girl

the crow girl
Paramount

One that’s not talked about enough but, in our opinion, is better than a Harlan Coben series, this spine-tingling thriller introduces us to DCI Jeanette Kilburn, played by Keeping Faith’s Eve Myles, who’s leading a murder investigation unlike anything she’s faced before. First, a mummified body, horrifically beaten up, is discovered in Bristol, but then more corpses are found dumped at public locations. When she enlists the help of psychotherapist Dr Sophie Craven (Katherine Kelly), she starts unravelling a scary world of historic abuse and police corruption. Available to watch now on Paramount+.

Midwinter of the Spirit

editorial use only mandatory credit: photo by ben blackall/shutterstock (5269694bb) rev. merrily watkins [anna maxwell martin] and sister cullen [josie walker]. midwinter of the spirit tv programme. sep 2015 merrily is deeply human in her doubts and scepticism, but her knowledge of the paranormal underworld brings her to the notice of local police who need her advice in the investigation of a grisly murder.
Ben Blackall/Shutterstock

Anna Maxwell Martin is as watchable as ever as vicar Merrily Watkins, who’s one of the few female priests working as an exorcist in the UK. When a local Satanist Paul Sayer (Stephen Walsh) is found crucified to a tree, she finds her unique skills are in demand and along with DCI Annie Howe (Kate Dickie) and DS Frank Bliss (Simon Trinder), she’s plunged into a dark and dangerous world. It gets a 10/10 from us. Available to watch now on ITVX.

Smoke

smoke
Robert Falconer

Created crime novelist Dennis Lehane (Shutter Island), this nine-episode series is inspired by true events and follows two investigators, enigmatic arson expert Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton), and haunted detective Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett). The pair are on the trail of two serial arsonists and their race to stop them ignites a twisted game of secrets and suspicions. If you enjoy a good cat-and-mouse game, this one’s for you. Available to watch now on Apple TV+.

The Shadow

the shadow
Channel 4

Channel 4’s Walter Presents snapped up this brilliantly creepy German series and we’re glad it did. The series follows Norah (played by Deleila Piasko), a journalist who embarks on a new life in Vienna. So far, so ordinary. But when she gets there, things take a dark turn as she meets a beggar who tells her that, in six weeks, she’s going to a kill a man named Arthur Grimm. The question is, was she telling the truth? Available to watch now on Channel 4.