7 Best Mystery Book Series With Screen Adaptations You Can Watch Now
Mary Kassel is a Senior Writer & Critic who joined the Screen Rant team in 2023.
After graduating from Emerson College with a degree in Media Arts Production, Kassel started at Screen Rant with a focus on the critical analysis side of movies and television while continuing to work on set in film production.
At Screen Rant, Kassel primarily writes for the Classic TV section, mining their encyclopedic knowledge of television history for content. However, they also contribute to the Books team and review both film and television as a critic.
The mystery genre is a favorite for a reason, as books that revolve around crime, thrilling plot twists, and compelling lead characters are sure to get readers' blood pumping. There are plenty of perfect thriller books with plots so well-crafted that even the most dedicated mystery fan will never be able to predict what's coming next. No matter what, there will always be a thirst for original mystery novels, and a home for their adaptations in film and TV.
It's no surprise that many of the best murder mystery movies and TV shows are based on books. Of course, many of the screen adaptations of these beloved novels are far from perfect. In the process of translating a book into another medium, certain storylines will be dropped, and decisions will be made that don't necessarily support the author's vision. However, these are all iconic texts within the genre, and it's exciting to compare and contrast how they unfold in film or television.
Bullet Train (2010)
By Kōtarō Isaka
What sets Bullet Train apart from other mystery series is the action and comedy that Kōtarō Isaka weaves throughout the story through his descriptive language. Overflowing with characters who jump off the page, Bullet Train uses familiar tropes of the mystery genre, like trapping the characters on a train, and refreshes them for modern readers. It's a violent, fast-paced book that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, wondering which assassin will triumph.
The 2022 film adaptation sparked criticism, as Bullet Train whitewashed characters from the original text. It's important to keep this context in mind while watching the movie. It's amazing that the book has a screen adaptation with beautifully directed action sequences, but it's far from a perfect interpretation. Bullet Train is a fantastic work of mystery fiction, and it's possible that one of Isaka's other works will hit screens again like the 2022 Bullet Train movie.
Bullet Train is available for purchase here.
Devil In A Blue Dress (1990)
By Walter Mosley
Drawing inspiration from the noir and thriller genres, Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress is the first installment of the Easy Rawlins series, and it's not hard to see why there are 17 installments. Devil in a Blue Dress introduces readers to the iconic character Easy Rawlins, who finds himself drawn into a conspiracy much larger than he could've imagined. Centering on a Black man as a hard-boiled detective following leads and meeting femme fatales was groundbreaking at the time of the book's publication.
It's no surprise that the book was quickly turned into a film. The 1995 movie pays tribute to Mosley's story and is elevated by the fantastical ensemble cast who bring his characters to life. Denzel Washington is compulsively watchable in Devil in a Blue Dress, drawing the viewer deeper into the neo-noir story every moment he's onscreen.
Devil in a Blue Dress is available for purchase here.
A Good Girl's Guide To Murder (2019)
By Holly Jackson
It's no secret that true crime has quickly become one of the most popular genres in literature, film, and television, and Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder explores how this cultural obsession impacts us. Jackson's main character, Pip, is a high schooler determined to get to the bottom of her town's most infamous murder, as she believes the truth has yet to be uncovered. Plucky, determined, and a throwback to some of mystery's best detectives, Pip is forced to reflect on her own desire to solve the story's mystery.
Audiences will recognize Emma Myers, who plays Pip in the Netflix TV adaptation, from her role in the hit fantasy series, Wednesday. However, Myers does a great job of disappearing into the role of Pip and committing herself to Pip's deeply felt struggle to do what's right while being true to herself. With three total books in the series, Jackson's trilogy sees Pip grow and change as new mysteries come to light.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is available for purchase here.
The Other Black Girl (2021)
By Zakiya Dalila Harris
Zakiya Dalila Harris' brilliant debut, The Other Black Girl, not only crafts a winding mystery that readers will get lost in, but she also turns a critical eye on the publishing industry itself. The novel explores the experience of Nella Rogers, who is initially the only Black woman working at a publishing agency. However, when Hazel-May McCall is hired, Nella is no longer the only Black woman at the company, but her relationship with Hazel is not what she expected.
Examining the racial discrimination in publishing and the atmosphere that frequently pits Black women against each other, The Other Black Girl finds deep emotional truths within its jaw-dropping story. Hulu brought the novel to life onscreen in 2023, with the miniseries starring Sinclair Daniel and Ashleigh Murray. The satirical and thriller elements that make The Other Black Girl so compelling to read are translated brilliantly to the screen.
The Other Black Girl is available for purchase here.
The Hunting Wives (2021)
By May Cobb
Sexy, campy, and energetic, it didn't take long for May Cobb's The Hunting Wives to hit screens, or for the TV adaptation to become one of Netflix's biggest series. The story is told from the perspective of Sophie, played by Brittany Snow in the show, who moves to Texas and struggles to find her place in her new community. The Hunting Wives sees Sophie drawn into a world full of lies and secrets as she is seduced by one of the most popular women in town, Margot.
Unashamedly fun and poised to shock the reader, The Hunting Wives never holds back, always pushing the characters to their limits. The Hunting Wives season 2 premieres on Netflix on November 26th, 2026, and is primed to be just as explosively popular as the series' debut installment. Since Cobb's book is a standalone, it will be interesting to see where the show takes the story and how Sophie and Margot's trajectory will change onscreen.
The Hunting Wives is available for purchase here.
Sharp Objects (2006)
By Gillian Flynn
It's no wonder that Gillian Flynn has become one of the most famous authors in the mystery and thriller genres, as Flynn is an expert at crafting stories that leave readers shocked. Sharp Objects was Flynn's debut novel, and 20 years after its publication, it's just as fresh and compelling as it was in 2006. It follows the protagonist, Camille, as she returns to her small town to investigate a series of murders that is just the beginning of the novel's twists and turns.
The narrative is well-suited for a TV adaptation, as each episode of the limited series is able to dive into Camille's past and present, demonstrating how the cycles of abuse she faced are still at play in the seemingly idyllic town. Led by a brilliant Amy Adams, Sharp Objects does justice to the original text, crafting a TV series that viewers won't be able to stop watching and leaving them on a final misdirect that stays with you.
Sharp Objects is available for purchase here.
Fingersmith (2002)
By Sarah Waters
It might surprise fans of the brilliant 2016 thriller film, The Handmaiden, from director Park Chan-wook, that the movie is based on Sarah Waters' Fingersmith. The Handmaiden takes liberties with the source material, changing the setting and time period from Victorian England and moving it to Korea in the 1930s, when the country was under Japanese rule. However, this was a brilliant decision, as the thrills and twists of Waters' book are only heightened in the screen adaptation.
A dark mystery full of forbidden love and betrayals, audiences will never be able to predict the ending of Fingersmith, as it tests the resolve of its characters. Both the book and film are lauded for their boundary-breaking LGBTQ+ representation and gorgeous imagery, both on the page and screen. After reading Waters' novel, watching The Handmaiden offers a compelling new take on the story that fans will enjoy from start to finish.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.