Sleuth Into March’s New Mystery & Thriller Adaptations
⚓ Books 📅 2026-03-04 👤 surdeus 👁️ 4Mystery readers and adaptation fans have a great month of choices this March. From deep backlist series that are still ongoing to recent thrillers getting the adaptation treatment, there’s a range of tropes and mood for the many different tastes of mystery fans.
You can watch a hot mess PI in Florida, a Sherlock origin story by Guy Ritchie (action guaranteed), Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis as sisters in a medical thriller, Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Kate Mara as “imperfect women,” an accidental murder cover-up, and an anti-hero detective after a serial killer and a dirty cop. There’s so much to choose from—I say sample them all.
And be sure to check out my bonus book recommendations!
RJ Decker (ABC/Hulu)
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![]() Double Whammy by Carl HiaasenKnown for his comedic, Florida-set mystery novels, Carl Hiaasen already has an Apple TV+ adaptation series of his Andrew Yance (Bad Monkey) books. Now, his 1980 series starter Double Whammy, starring a hot mess PI who can list ex-con and former news-photographer on his resume, is the inspiration for a new TV show. Double Whammy premiered yesterday on ABC, and premieres today on Hulu. In it, Scott Speedman plays RJ Decker, who is starting his life over as a PI in South Florida. He’s certainly going to find plenty of mysteries and trouble to get himself into. Check out the trailer for RJ Decker. |
Young Sherlock (Amazon Prime Video)
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![]() Death Cloud by Andrew LaneArthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes made his first printed appearance in 1887 in A Study in Scarlet and has remained a staple of the mystery genre, with not only countless new characters inspired by him but also an unending amount of reimaginings, including the YA series Young Sherlock Holmes by Andrew Lane. Guy Ritchie—who previously directed Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in a series of Sherlock action films—is back behind the camera with an origin story for Sherlock Holmes based on Lane’s series. Starting today, you can watch the eight-episode series, Young Sherlock, on Amazon Prime Video. Sherlock meets James Moriarty and has his first murder mystery to solve—action scenes, of course, are guaranteed. Watch the trailer for Young Sherlock. Bonus book recommendations: Want more reimagined Sherlock? Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series is a must. Manga readers should pick up Ryōsuke Takeuchi’s Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1, and sci-fi readers should read Malka Ann Older’s The Mimicking of Known Successes. |
Scarpetta (Amazon Prime)
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![]() Postmortem by Patricia CornwellPatricia Cornwell’s popular Kay Scarpetta is an ongoing series that began in the ‘90s and stars a leading forensic pathologist who is a Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia. The start of the series, Postmortem, begins with a fictional serial killer plot that has Scarpetta working with an FBI profiler and a homicide detective to solve the murders. The eight-episode series premieres on Amazon Prime Video on March 11th with a dual timeline plot of Scarpetta in the late ‘90s—early in her career—and in the present day, returning to Virginia. Nicole Kidman plays Scarpetta, with Jamie Lee Curtis playing her sister. Also rounding out the cast are Ariana DeBose, Bobby Cannavale, and Simon Baker. Bonus book recommendations: If you’re looking for another long-running medical mystery series that also has an adaptation, check out Tess Gerritsen’s series starter, The Surgeon. |
Imperfect Women (Apple TV)
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![]() Imperfect Women by Araminta HallAraminta Hall’s Imperfect Women is the kind of crime novel that explores the aftermath of a murder and the destructive nature of secrets. Nancy, Mary, and Eleanor have been best friends since the start of college. Nancy reveals she’s having an affair before being murdered, but she never said with who… Apple TV’s eight-episode limited series premieres on March 18th and has a very good cast. Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Kate Mara play the very imperfect women—and Hamilton fans will be thrilled to know Leslie Odom Jr. is also in the series. |
That Night (Netflix)
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![]() That Night by Gillian McAllisterWould you cover up an accidental murder to protect someone you love? That’s the heart of Gillian McAllister’s That Night. When on vacation in Italy, a woman accidentally kills a man and calls her brother and sister to come help her. They do, by burying the body and never saying anything… The six-episode limited series will drop on Netflix March 13th and has kept the core of the crime novel while making some changes. Elena is on a family vacation in the Dominican Republic when she accidentally hits a man with her car. Then she calls her two sisters for help… Watch the trailer for That Night. Bonus book recommendations: If you want “help me cover up an accidental murder” mystery books, definitely read Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (a comedy of errors), My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (a novella tht packs an emotional punch), and The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (a light sci-fi about clones!). |
Detective Hole (Netflix)
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![]() The Bat (Harry Hole #1 ) by Jo Nesbø, Don Bartlett (translator)You will always find Jo Nesbø on Nordic Noir and Scandinavian crime lists. His Harry Hole series, which began in the late ‘90s, follows an anti-hero detective working for the Oslo Crime Squad. In the series opener, he’s sent to Australia to look into the murder of a young Norwegian celebrity. Netflix’s thriller adaptation series will drop all nine-episodes on March 26th, and center “two police officers — and supposed colleagues — operating on opposite sides of the law.” Harry has the task of stopping a serial killer, and a dirty cop who is his nemesis. |
Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf, and see 2026 releases! Until next time, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Goodreads, Litsy, and Multitudes Contained.
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