British Country-House Mysteries

Murder at the Manor

A grand house, a weekend party, a body in the library and a guest list full of suspects. Nine British country-house mysteries to stream, from Agatha Christie classics to clever modern twists.

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A grand English country house at sunset
Jump to Christie's Great HousesModern TwistsCozy EstatesWhere to WatchFAQ

Curated and verified by British TV Hub · Streaming availability checked September 2026

What Is a Country-House Mystery?

A country-house mystery gathers a closed circle of suspects in a grand house, usually family, guests and servants, and cuts them off from the outside world until the killer is found. It's the classic setup of the golden age of detective fiction, and British television has been returning to it ever since.

Agatha Christie's Great Houses

Agatha Christie became one of the defining masters of the country-house murder. These four adaptations are the place to start.

Essential

Poirot: Dead Man's Folly

2013 · ITV · BritBox

Ariadne Oliver is hired to stage a murder hunt at a fête at Nasse House in Devon, senses something is wrong, and calls in Poirot just before the game turns real. It was filmed mainly at Greenway, Agatha Christie's own Devon home.

Filmed at GreenwayDavid SuchetSeries 13BritBox
At a glance
Aired2013 (Series 13)
The HouseNasse House, Devon
Best ForChristie purists
ToneClassic, sunlit, sinister
Watch OnBritBox
Watch on BritBox →Full Show Guide →
Essential

Marple: The Body in the Library

2004 · ITV · Acorn TV

Colonel and Dolly Bantry wake to find the body of a young woman in the library of Gossington Hall, and nobody in the house admits to knowing her. Geraldine McEwan's Miss Marple takes the case in the opening episode of the series.

Geraldine McEwanJoanna LumleySeries 1Acorn TV
At a glance
Aired2004 (Series 1)
The HouseGossington Hall
Best ForThe textbook country-house setup
ToneBrisk, colourful
Watch OnAcorn TV
Watch on Acorn TV →
New Classic

Towards Zero

2025 · BBC One · BritBox

A tennis star, his ex-wife and his new wife gather with a volatile mix of guests at his aristocratic aunt's house on the south coast in the 1930s, and murder follows. Anjelica Huston plays the formidable Lady Tressilian, with Matthew Rhys as a troubled Inspector Leach.

Anjelica HustonMatthew Rhys3 episodesBritBox
At a glance
Aired2025
The HouseA coastal estate, 1930s
Best ForA modern, moodier Christie
ToneTense, glamorous
Watch OnBritBox
Watch on BritBox →
New Classic

Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

2022 · BritBox Original · BritBox

Out playing golf, Bobby Jones finds a dying man at the foot of a Welsh cliff whose last words are the question in the title, and he and Lady Frances Derwent follow the trail to a grand country house. Hugh Laurie wrote and directed, with Will Poulter, Lucy Boynton, Emma Thompson and Jim Broadbent.

Hugh LaurieAmateur sleuths3 episodesBritBox
At a glance
Aired2022
The HouseA country estate
Best ForSomething lighter and witty
TonePlayful, adventurous
Watch OnBritBox
Watch on BritBox →

Modern Twists on the Manor Murder

Two clever takes that play with the country-house form, one through a novel within the story, one through Jane Austen.

Hidden Gem

Magpie Murders

2022 · PBS Masterpiece

Editor Susan Ryeland reads the final Atticus Pünd manuscript, a 1950s-style mystery about a death at Pye Hall, home of Sir Magnus Pye, and finds the last chapter missing. Lesley Manville leads Anthony Horowitz's adaptation of his own novel, which runs the book's mystery and a present-day one side by side.

Lesley ManvilleAnthony HorowitzStory within a storyPBS Masterpiece
At a glance
Aired2022
The HousePye Hall, Saxby-on-Avon
Best ForPuzzle lovers
ToneClever, playful
Watch OnPBS Masterpiece
Watch on PBS Masterpiece →
Hidden Gem

Death Comes to Pemberley

2013 · BBC One · PBS Masterpiece

Six years after Pride and Prejudice, on the eve of the Pemberley ball, gunshots ring out in the woods, Captain Denny is found dead, and Wickham is arrested for murder. Matthew Rhys and Anna Maxwell Martin play Mr and Mrs Darcy in this adaptation of P.D. James's novel.

Jane AustenP.D. James3 episodesPBS Masterpiece
At a glance
Aired2013
The HousePemberley
Best ForPeriod drama fans
ToneRomantic, brooding
Watch OnPBS Masterpiece
Watch on PBS Masterpiece →

Cozy Country Estates

For when you want the grand house and the gardens, without too much darkness.

Comfort Watch

Rosemary & Thyme

2003–2007 · ITV · BritBox

Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris play two gardeners whose work takes them into the grounds of grand houses and estates, where bodies have a habit of turning up among the flowerbeds. Beautiful gardens, gentle humour and a proper whodunit every episode.

Felicity KendalPam Ferris3 seriesBritBox
At a glance
Years2003–2007
The HousesA new estate each case
Best ForGarden lovers
ToneGentle, sunny
Watch OnBritBox
Watch on BritBox →
Comfort Watch

Father Brown

2013–present · BBC · BritBox

Mark Williams plays G.K. Chesterton's crime-solving Catholic priest in the 1950s Cotswolds village of Kembleford, where the local gentry and their grand houses supply a steady stream of cases. Warm, unhurried and a dependable comfort watch.

Mark Williams1950s CotswoldsLong-runningBritBox
At a glance
Years2013–present
The HousesKembleford and its estates
Best ForWeeknight comfort
ToneWarm, gentle
Watch OnBritBox
Watch on BritBox →Full Show Guide →
Comfort Watch

Midsomer Murders

1997–present · ITV · Acorn TV

Grand estates, feuding landed families and inheritance squabbles turn up in episode after episode of Midsomer. If you want the country-house murder on tap, this is the long-running answer.

Village mysteriesStately homesLong-runningAcorn TV
At a glance
Years1997–present
The HousesManors across Midsomer county
Best ForBingeing
ToneEccentric, cosy
Watch OnAcorn TV
Watch on Acorn TV →Full Show Guide →

Where to Watch in the US

These three services currently carry the shows featured on this page in the US. Availability can change, so it's worth double-checking a title before settling in.

BritBox
Poirot, Towards Zero, Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, Rosemary & Thyme and Father Brown.
Watch on BritBox →
Acorn TV
Agatha Christie's Marple and Midsomer Murders.
Watch on Acorn TV →
PBS Masterpiece
Magpie Murders and Death Comes to Pemberley.
View PBS Masterpiece Options →

What Readers Ask Most

What is a country-house mystery?

A murder mystery set in a grand house where a closed circle of suspects, usually family, guests and servants, is cut off until the killer is found. It's the classic setup of golden-age detective fiction, and Agatha Christie used it often.

Where can I stream British country-house mysteries in the US?

Poirot, Towards Zero, Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, Rosemary & Thyme and Father Brown are on BritBox. Agatha Christie's Marple and Midsomer Murders are on Acorn TV, and Magpie Murders and Death Comes to Pemberley are on PBS Masterpiece. See Where to Watch for links.

Was Dead Man's Folly really filmed at Agatha Christie's home?

Yes. The 2013 Poirot adaptation of Dead Man's Folly was filmed mainly at Greenway, Christie's own house in Devon.

Which country-house mystery is best for beginners?

The Body in the Library is the textbook setup: a grand house, a body nobody can explain, and Miss Marple. For something lighter, try Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

Are there cozy country-house mysteries that aren't too dark?

Rosemary & Thyme and Father Brown both keep things gentle, with grand houses and gardens and very little gore.


Explore More

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Agatha Christie Guide
Agatha Christie Guide
Christie on screen and on the page, all in one place.
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Shows Like Downton Abbey
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Cozy Autumn Mysteries
Full series for the season, not just single episodes.
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Streaming availability listed for U.S. viewers and can change. Affiliate disclosure: British TV Hub is a participant in the Amazon Associates program and earns from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page may be affiliate links to BritBox, Acorn TV, PBS Masterpiece, and books on Amazon.

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