It’s no secret that the British do whodunits exceptionally well. We’ve seen this manifested in offerings like “Vera”, “Grantchester”, “Endeavour”, “Shetland” and “Midsomer Murders”.
Personally, I love the quaint village settings of most of these offerings. The quirks, eccentric personalities and familiarity with the townsfolk add to the charm and intrigue.
This is why I couldn’t help but binge-watch “Sister Boniface Mysteries”, which is a spin-off of “Father Brown”.
Again, the murder-solving antics defy convention and, as such, lures the viewer in.
Set in the 1960s in a fictional town called Great Slaughter in the Cotswolds, the period comedy-drama is anchored by a Catholic nun named Sister Boniface (Lorna Watson).
When it comes to science and religion, Sister Boniface has her feet firmly planted in both worlds as she works in an advisory capacity with the local police.
Aside from her friendly disposition, she has a knack for spotting clues that would otherwise go unnoticed.
In season 2, she is joined by Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie (Max Brown), Detective Sergeant Felix Livingstone (Jerry Iwu), and Constable Peggy Button (Ami Metcalf).
In the 10-part second season, the team looks into the murder of an insufferable programme editor of a well-known children’s TV show, the killing of a vindictive manager and an old case where new evidence raises eyebrows on whether the right person was convicted of several murders in the past.
And this leaves Sam out of sorts as it relates to his case.
Along the way, Sister Boniface finds herself drugged with LSD and dealing with past family issues that surface during an investigation.
And if this series doesn’t pique your interest, then you might consider “Grace”, which has just returned for a second season. John Simm reprises his role as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.
In the first episode, he looks into the death of a former schoolteacher. And the investigation leads him to the dark and disturbing world of snuff films.
Also coming up on August 24 is the second season of “Whitstable Pearl”, which is based on the novels by Julie Wassmer.
It centres on Pearl Nolan, a single mother running a restaurant with her mother, who also happens to sleuth on the side.
∎ “Sister Boniface Mysteries” season 2 and the other whodunits are on BritBox.