'All I do is watch murder mysteries. Here are the best ones you haven't seen yet.'

A few days ago, I wrote a story about how I watch TV for a living (kind of) and then listed a bunch of TV shows you definitely haven't watched yet. 

It went gangbusters. 

You can read it here: 'I watch TV for a living. Here are the best shows you definitely haven't watched yet.'

It turns out people really want TV recommendations at the moment. 

What I didn't mention in that story is that my favourite TV genre is murder mysteries. I love them all. Big prestige TV series like Mare of Easttown and Big Little Lies. Dirty little thrillers like Behind Her Eyes and The Sinner. British, Scottish, Irish, Welsh thrillers? Can't get enough of them. 

Watch the trailer for True Crime Conversations, Mamamia's true crime podcast. Post continues after video.

So today I thought I should introduce you to my top faves by rounding up the best murder mystery series that you definitely (hopefully) haven't watched yet: 

Cheat

Image: Stan.  

Cheat is one of those gloriously twisty British mini-series you can binge in one afternoon. 

The series centres around a university professor named Leah who accuses her student Rose of cheating on an essay. 

But Rose is not going to take accusation lying down and the escalation between the pair soon results in a death. 

Watch it if you like: Serious British people doing terrible things to each other, short-term commitments, plenty of plot twists and ivy-clad colleges. 

Cheat is streaming on Stan now. 

Kiri

Image: Stan.  

Kiri is a four-part British crime mini-series starring Happy Valley's Sarah Lancashire. 

The series is set in Bristol and it centres around the abduction of Kiri Akindele (Felicia Mukasa), a nine-year-old girl. Kiri lives with her middle-class, white foster parents Jim and Alice Warner (Steven Mackintosh and Lia Williams) and their teenage son Si (Finn Bennett). 

During an unsupervised visit to her biological grandparents, Kiri goes missing. 

And soon everyone is a suspect. 

Watch it if you like: Anything Sarah Lancashire is in, family secrets, storylines that feel like they're ripped from the headlines, and... sausages. 

Kiri is streaming on Stan now. 

Defending Jacob

Image: Apple TV Plus.  

Based on the 2012 New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, Defending Jacob follows assistant district attorney Andrew 'Andy' Barber (Chris Evans) and his wife Laurie Barber (Michelle Dockery).

Andy and Laurie's life is turned upside down when their 14-year-old son, Jacob (Jaeden Martell), is accused of murdering his classmate.

From that point onwards, Andy is forced to choose between his duty to uphold justice and his unconditional love for his teenage son.

With a mixture of courtroom drama and murder mystery, Defending Jacob is a gripping, suspenseful watch.

Watch it if you like: Seeing your teen crushes all grown up, family dramas with a side of murder, plot twists, and shock endings. 

The first two seasons of Defending Jacob are streaming on Apple TV Plus now. 

The Nest

Image: Stan.  

The Nest is a five-part series set in Glasgow. It centres around Emily (Sophie Rundle) and Dan (Martin Compston), a wealthy married couple who aren't able to conceive a child. 

Emily and Dan think their luck has turned when 18-year-old Kaya (Mirren Mack) offers to be their surrogate. 

But Kaya has a dark past and soon questions are raised about who the baby really belongs to. 

Watch if it you like: A handsome fella from a certain bent copper show, beautiful houses beside majestic lakes, and plot twists with a side of redemption. 

The Nest is streaming on Stan now. 

Smother

Image: ABC iview.  

Smother is an Irish thriller written by Kate O'Riordan, in which the accents are delightful and the twists are non-stop. 

The series is set in a small town on the rugged coast of County Clare and follows the story of Val Ahern (Dervla Kirwan) whose husband, Denis, announces their impending divorce during her birthday party. Then he's found dead at the bottom of a cliff. 

As Val looks into Denis' relationships with the people around them, while trying to solve the mystery of his death, she becomes determined to protect their three daughters - Jenny, Anna and Grace - at all costs. 

Watch it if you like: Family dramas with a spot of murder, truckloads of secrets, big parties, and Irish accents. 

You can watch the first season of Smother on ABC iview now.

The Outsider

Image: Binge.  

The Outsider is based on Stephen King's novel of the same name so you know things are going to get a bit... weird.

The mini-series stars Jason Bateman as Terry Maitland, a dad of two and a local baseball coach, who is arrested and charged with the murder of a young boy. 

The only problem is - Terry wasn't even in town when the murder occurred. 

Watch it if you like: Jason Bateman's face, your murder mysteries with a side of the supernatural, and Ben Mendelsohn's sexy, gravelly voice. 

The Outsider is streaming on Binge now. 

Thirteen

Image: Stan.  

After being held captive for 13 years, Ivy Moxam (Jodie Comer) escapes from the cellar she was being held in and attempts to resume her life. 

But Ivy is holding back from the investigators and there could be more to her story than they initially thought. 

Watch it if you like: Killing Eve, British people doing terrible things to each other, rainy days, and non-stop plot twists. 

Thirteen is streaming on Stan now. 

Truth Be Told

Image: Apple TV Plus.  

If you love true crime podcasts, you need to watch Truth Be Told.

This drama series follows true crime podcaster Poppy Scoville-Parnell (Octavia Spencer) as she reopens the murder case that made her a podcast sensation.

When new evidence surfaces about convicted killer Warren Cave (Aaron Paul), a man Poppy incriminated after he allegedly murdered the father of two identical twins, the podcaster worries that Warren may have wrongfully been put behind bars.

This series is based on the novel Are You Sleeping by lawyer Kathleen Barber.

Watch it if you like: True crime podcasts, talking to yourself in Sarah Koenig's voice, and that nice young man from Breaking Bad. 

The first season of Truth Be Told is streaming on Apple TV Plus now. The second season will premiere on the streaming service on August 20.

Speaking of true crime podcasts, listen to the latest episode of Mamamia's True Crime Conversations. Post continues after podcast.

Deadwater Fell 

Image: SBS on Demand.  

Broadchurch's rather tall and handsome David Tennant is back with another dark and twisted murder mystery in the four-part British miniseries, Deadwater Fell.

The series is set in a remote Scottish village, and stars Tennant as the local GP, Dr Tom Kendrick. 

When Tom's wife and three children are killed in a house fire - in which he is the only survivor - he is immediately put under suspicion. 

So did the tall, dark, handsome doctor do it? Or is he being set up? 

Watch if you like: Tall handsome fellas, short-term commitments, small town doctors and topical storylines. 

You can watch Deadwater Fell on Binge or SBS on Demand. 

The Pact

Image: Stan.  

The Pact is a Welsh series which kind of combines Horrible Bosses with A Weekend At Bernies and Pretty Little Liars. 

The series centres on a bunch of women - Anna (Laura Fraser; Breaking Bad), Nancy (Julie Hesmondhalgh; Broadchurch), Louie (Eiry Thomas; Keeping Faith) and Cat (Heledd Gwynn; Ordinary Lies) - who work on the floor at a local brewery. 

During a work night out, they decide to play a prank on Jack, their new boss and heir to the brewery throne, by leaving him drunk, passed out, with his pants around his ankles in the middle of the woods. 

The next morning, Jack is found dead. 

So did the four friends have something to do with it? Or is someone setting them up?

Watch it if you like: Plotting all sorts of nefarious things with your workmates, getting on the beers, and lots and lots of plot twists. 

The Pact is streaming on Stan now. 

The Drowning

Image: Stan.  

When Jodie's (Jill Halfpenny) son Tom was just four years old, he drowned in a lake during a family gathering. His body was never found. 

Eight years later, Jodie is driving to see a client when she sees a teenager named Daniel boarding a bus. She becomes convinced Daniel is her son. 

But getting close to Daniel means opening the lid on the past and finding out what really happened during that family gathering. 

Watch it if you like: The Missing, lakeside holidays (jks), and last-minute plot twists. 

The Drowning is streaming on Stan now. 

Guilt

Image: SBS on Demand.  

This four-part mini-series is set in Edinburgh. It follows two brothers, Max (Mark Bonnar) and Jake McCall (Jamie Sives), who accidentally run over and kill an old man while driving home from a party. 

Their lives begin to unravel when neighbours and relatives of the dead man begin to have doubts about the way he died. 

Watch it if you like: Weekend At Bernies, your murder mysteries with a side of lols, and nosy neighbours. 

Guilt is streaming on SBS on Demand now.  

Keryn Donnelly is Mamamia's Pop Culture Editor. For more of her TV, film and book recommendations and to see photos of her dog, follow her on Instagram. 

More like this: 

• 'I watch TV for a living. Here are the best shows you definitely haven't watched yet.' 
• The best TV shows of 2021 so far.
•  7 of the best shows on Amazon Prime Video Australia.

Feature Image: Mamamia + Apple TV.