Debapriya Bhattacharya
Based on Mick Herron’s eponymous novel, ‘Down Cemetery Road’ by Morwenna Banks follows Sarah Trafford (Ruth Wilson), an art restorationist living in South Oxford with her husband. While hosting a small dinner party at her home, she witnesses her neighbor’s house being destroyed in an explosion. Two people lose their lives, and a small girl is taken to the hospital, grievously injured. Sarah becomes obsessed with the investigation into the disaster, which authorities claim was caused by a gas leak. She refuses to believe the explanation provided, and her suspicions about a conspiracy grow stronger as the injured girl vanishes from sight. To get to the bottom of the situation, she secures the services of private investigator Zoë Boehm (Emma Thompson), a sharp and snappy silver-haired woman, and the duo soon find themselves entangled in a much greater conspiracy, with government agents and assassins all getting in their way. If the Apple TV thriller has you hooked, here is a list of shows similar to ‘Down Cemetery Road’ that you can consider for your next binge.
12. Shetland (2013-)
Created by Ann Cleeves based on her crime novels, ‘Shetland’ is set in the titular Scottish archipelago that marks the northernmost point of the UK. The narrative follows DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) and his team of police officers as they investigate crimes within the close-knit community. As a result of the inhospitable environment and close personal nature of crimes within the small population, the police, at times, have to adopt a different style to meet the challenges. Similar to ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ the show has stunning visuals of the European locale where things often get hairy.
11. The Killing (2011-2014)
Developed by Veena Sud based on the Danish television series ‘Forbrydelsen’ by Søren Sveistrup, ‘The Killing’ follows Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos), a homicide detective with the Seattle Police Department. When former narcotics officer Detective Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) joins her department, Sarah is assigned to be his mentor and show him the ropes. Coming from different work backgrounds, the two follow different styles of investigation. While Sarah is methodical, Stephen follows a more freewheeling approach. The first case that they work on together, the death of a teenage girl, turns out to be linked with the mayoral campaign of Seattle. Like ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ the show has one veteran investigator showing the ropes to a newbie, with a case whose roots are farther reaching than first expected.
10. Poker Face (2023-)
Helmed by Rian Johnson, ‘Poker Face’ revolves around young Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), who has the ability to know whether a person in front of her is telling a lie. While she initially uses this ability for personal gain, a death in a casino sets her on the run across the country, driving her Plymouth Barracuda. No matter where she travels, crime seemingly follows her, and Charlie gets to work solving them. Like Zoë Boehm in ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ Charlie is not linked with any law enforcement organization, but becomes a private investigator for the love of the game, traveling extensively all the while.
9. Marcella (2016-2021)
‘Marcella,’ created by Hans Rosenfeldt and Nicola Larder, centers around Detective Marcella Backland (Anna Friel), who rejoins the London Metropolitan Police Service after 12 years. The decision comes as she is abruptly dumped by her husband, Jason (Nicholas Pinnock), with their children in boarding school. Marcella starts looking into the open case of a serial killer, who is seemingly back on his crime spree after disappearing for over a decade. The middle-aged female detective going across the UK on the hunt for a murderer with multiple victims is reminiscent of ‘Down Cemetery Road.’
8. Lady in the Lake (2024)
Adapted from Laura Lippman’s novel of the same name, ‘Lady in the Lake’ by Alma Har’el is set in 1960s Baltimore and stars Natalie Portman as Maddie Schwartz, a middle-aged woman who leaves her husband and her home to become an investigative journalist. The first case that she comes across involves the murder of an 11-year-old girl. As she goes about her work, Maddie comes across Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), who works to advance the rights of the Black community in town, and who also soon disappears. Maddie learning the steps of being an investigator is akin to what Sarah Trafford goes through in ‘Down Cemetery Road.’
7. Prime Suspect (2011-2012)
Developed by Alexandra Cunningham, ‘Prime Suspect’ is based on Lynda La Plante’s British series of the same name. The narrative centers around Jane Timoney (Maria Bello), a homicide detective in the New York City Police Department. After she gets transferred to a new squad, Jane finds herself around people who do not take an immediate liking to her. Nevertheless, she stays focused on her job and is as sharp as ever while dealing with the underworld of the Big Apple. The strong and unapologetic way in which she operates is reminiscent of Zoë Boehm in ‘Down Cemetery Road.’
6. The Bletchley Circle (2012-2014)
Created by Guy Burt, ‘The Bletchley Circle’ is set in the 1950s and follows Susan Gray (Anna Maxwell Martin), Camilla Harcourt (Rachael Stirling), Lucy (Sophie Rundle), and Jean McBrian (Julie Graham). During World War II, the four women were cryptographers working with mathematicians to break the German Enigma cipher at Bletchley Park. A string of murders in the news catches their attention, and they believe that there is a pattern to the crime. However, when the police department turns a deaf ear to their theory, they decide to investigate for themselves, much like Sarah Trafford in ‘Down Cemetery Road.’
5. Deadwind (2018-2021)
Originally titled ‘Karppi,’ ‘Deadwind’ by Rike Jokela, Jari Olavi Rantala, and Kirsi Porkka revolves around homicide detective Sofia Karppi (Pihla Viitala), who rejoins the police force following the accidental death of her husband. The mother of two gets rookie detective Sakari Nurmi (Lauri Tilkanen) assigned as her partner, and the duo tackles their first case, which initially involves a missing woman. As the investigation proceeds, they start discovering dead bodies and hidden secrets, and soon realize that they have become involved in something that can destroy their personal lives. Like ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ the scope of the investigation keeps getting bigger as the veteran female detective climbs further down the rabbit hole.
4. Top of the Lake (2013-2017)
Helmed by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, ‘Top of the Lake’ stars Elisabeth Moss as Robin Griffin, a police detective from Sydney who specializes in sexual assault cases. She arrives in the small town of Laketop, New Zealand, when 12-year-old Tui Mitcham (Jacqueline Joe) is found standing chest-deep in a frozen lake while being five months pregnant. Later, Tui disappears without a trace, and Robin does her best to bring her back, uncovering hidden secrets about the town and the people. Similar to ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ the series follows the female detective getting embroiled in a greater conspiracy that starts with a missing girl.
3. Happy Valley (2014-2023)
‘Happy Valley,’ created by Sally Wainwright, centers around divorced police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), whose daughter became the victim of a sexual assault. She gave birth to a son as a result of the traumatic incident, and later took her own life. Catherine has been raising her grandson since then. When the boy’s father, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), is released from prison, Catherine decides to confront the man responsible for her daughter’s death herself. However, much like ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ things with Tommy turn out to be more complicated than apparent.
2. Broadchurch (2013-2017)
Developed by Chris Chibnall, ‘Broadchurch’ tells the story of the titular fictional town on the east coast of Dorset, England. Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) begin investigating the death of 11-year-old Danny Latimer, which gets highly publicized by the media. The Latimer family, comprising Danny’s mother, Beth (Jodie Whittaker), father, Mark (Andrew Buchan), and sister, Chloe (Charlotte Beaumont), all become suspects as the case slowly unravels. The disappearance of a child in an English town is reminiscent of ‘Down Cemetery Road.’
1. Mare of Easttown (2021)
Created by Brad Ingelsby, ‘Mare of Easttown’ stars Kate Winslet as Marianne “Mare” Sheehan, a police detective in the fictional titular suburb of Easttown, Philadelphia. While she was once considered a local hero for winning the town its first state championship, she has been in a bind of late for not being able to solve a year-old case of a missing girl. As she is coping with her failure, a teenage mother is murdered, and Marianne is assigned to investigate the case. Much like Zoë Boehm and Sarah Trafford in ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ she gets embroiled in an ever-growing mess even while trying to balance out her own personal life.
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