Fables. Gerald Kidd as Mylonas in Legends. Ten million. Courtesy of Justin Downing/Netflix © 2026
From true stories to adaptations of classics, Netflix has delivered some excellent crime dramas so far in 2026, but which ones have been the most rewarding for us?
Crime dramas are one of Netflix’s biggest categories; Look no further than the abundance of Harlan Coben series on the streamer, which recently reached a total of 13 titles. Be it dramas based on true stories, fantasy fiction, or adaptations of classics – Netflix has already released a number of top-tier genre series.
In this list, we’re taking a look specifically at the best crime dramas. For the best new series of 2026 so far, take a look here.
In no particular order, so:
Go away
Image Credit: Netflix
2026 started off in the best way – with a new crime thriller from Harlan Coben. Falling on January 1st, Go away It takes place in the United Kingdom, following Simon (James Nesbitt, who plays his third role in a Cobain drama after ‘Stay Close’ and ‘Missing You’), a desperate father who searches for his missing daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) when he becomes involved in a murder case and comes into conflict with a cult. The main cast features Simon’s wife, Ingrid (Minnie Driver), and their three children, Paige (Ellie de Lange), Anya (Ellie Henry), and Sam (Adrian Greensmith). Also playing big roles are Maeve Courtier-Lilly as Dee Dee and John Pointing as Ash, a pair tasked with killing a specific group of people (for reasons we won’t go into in spoilers).
Go away Everything about the drama ‘Cobenverse’ is great; There’s adventure, hidden identities, complex family drama, a series of clues and breadcrumbs, and a gripping, hard-to-guess mystery at its core. However, we praised it for all those things in our review Did Feels a little too formulaic, especially after all the Cobain dramas that came before it.
his his
Image Credit: Netflix
just over a week later Go awaynetflix dropped his hisA crime thriller that rocked the charts, spending an impressive 7 weeks in the streamer’s top 10 rankings. perhaps the first extraordinary element of his his Its lead stars: Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal. The two play estranged spouses Anna, a news reporter, and Jack, a skilled detective. Their work becomes intertwined and complicated when they both become involved in a murder case in which they both believe the other is the suspect. Are there really two sides to every story? If yes, who is lying?
Based on the 2020 best-selling psychological thriller by Alice Feeney (which was set in the UK, while the show’s setting changes to the US)his his Plays really well on its central premise of “two sides to every story”. It takes the audience on a complex journey that changes perspectives and keeps you guessing.
The 6-part drama is a limited series that is completely complete and ends well, without the need for another season.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials
Image Credit: Netflix
Agatha Christie is considered the greatest crime and mystery writer of all time. he is actually nicknamed queen of crime, And some of his most notable works include And then there were none And murder on the orient express. Earlier this year, Netflix addressed that by reimagining one of their lesser-known stories seven dial mystery (1929) brought to television by the former am a doctor From showrunner Chris Chibnall, the stylish 3-episode drama is a fun, entertaining and albeit dense watch.
Seven dial Starts with an English country mansion called Chimney. The story begins with a lavish, glamorous house party at the stately home, hosted by Sir Oswald Coote and his wife, Lady Coote, and attended by the guests of Lord Caterham, the master of the fireplace. There, handsome and extremely desirable Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchrist) flirts with Bundle (Mia McKenna-Bruce) – Caterham’s daughter – hinting at a possible marriage. However, the next morning, when everyone wakes up still tired after the previous night, Bundles is shocked to find that Gerry Wade has overslept. This is especially strange because there were seven alarm clocks going off in his bedroom.
In our review, we praised young headline star Mia McKenna-Bruce’s extraordinary performance, and deemed it a ‘mystery worth solving’. For further reading, we also had a great interview with showrunner Chris Chibnall.
million followers spy
Coming out of Netflix’s international slate, Taiwanese crime drama million followers spy Brings a unique twist to the crime genre, blending a traditional murder mystery story with a modern, influencer-centric twist. The 8-episode drama centers on Detective Chen Chia-jen (Akin Cheng), who jumps onto a case involving a sadistic online tarot reader. witch babaWho predicts the death of influential people… and is extremely accurate in his predictions.
million followers spy is a timely, thrilling, no-holds-barred drama. It’s alive with high-octane action, all wrapped up in some great performances. million dollar detective Was released as a limited series and presents a complete, complete narrative with a definite ending. No need to worry about getting hung up!
Jo Nesbo’s spy hole
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The TV adaptation of Norwegian author Jo Nesbø’s internationally acclaimed Detective Harry Hole series has been in the works for several years, but it actually happened earlier this year. Novels started in 1997 BatA series spanning 14 novels. After immense anticipation, the series received much praise. In particular, Titanic star Tobias Santelmann plays the flawed, but brilliant Detective Hole excellently.
The 9-episode show is based on Nesbo’s novel devil’s starWhich is the fifth book of his series. Nesbo personally chose to start with his fifth story because this is the point where the world and characters develop the most, and it is where everything comes together. In this story, Detective Hole investigates a murder case in which the criminal commits a series of pentagram-adorned murders in Oslo. In his search for the killer, Hole also has to contend with a corrupt police colleague, Tom Waller (Joel Kinnaman).
spy hole The first film to be highly rated was; In fact, it currently boasts an impressive 91% average critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Netflix has not yet renewed the series for a second installment. Should the streamer renew, there is a wealth of other (arguably better) stories in the series of novels up for adaptation.
fables
Image Credit: Netflix
An incredible true story that lifts the curtain on the war on drugs in the United Kingdom during the 1990s, fables It reveals how a tight-knit team of ordinary customs officers went undercover – with very little training – to disrupt one of the country’s biggest drug gangs.
The team of four customs officers – Guy (Tom Burke), Hayley Squire (Kate), Amal Amin (Bailey), and Erin (Jasmine Blackborough) – are placed undercover at the center of a drug empire in England, stemming from London and Liverpool. The team is led by Don, played by acting veteran Steve Coogan. not only does fables portrays the mystery and tension of undercover officers, but it also presents a whole segment of the drug empire in the UK, from the biggest players, to street dealers, to opium cultivators.
In our review, we rated fables 4/5.
Witness
Witness. (Left to Right) Jahsiah Williams as Alex Hanscombe, Jordan Bolger as Andre Hanscombe in The Witness. Ten million. Courtesy of Anna Blumenkron/Netflix © 2026
In the 1990s, the United Kingdom was shocked by the murder of mother Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common. She was murdered in broad daylight, while her three-year-old son Alex was the only witness. The murder caused Andre Hanscombe to become a single father overnight, with the case causing a huge media uproar. Struggling with the shock of what happened, both Andre and Alex were mainstays in the news headlines; So much so that due to pressure and harassment he had to flee the country. All the while, the police continued to investigate the murder, leading to the arrest of Colin Stagg – a conviction that became one of the largest miscarriages of justice in British history.
This 3-part series is incredibly personal, chronicling the intimate journey of father-son duo Alex and Andre in the aftermath of tragedy. It also shows the flawed police investigation of the murder. We gave in our review Witness A very strong 4/5 rating.
i will find you
Caption/Description: I’ll find you. Sam Worthington as David Burrows in episode #102 of I’ll Find You. Ten million. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
i will find you 2026 is the second Harlan Coben drama, and the first of them to be set in the United States. It is headlined by Sam Worthington, who plays David Burrows, a man sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his son – a crime in which he strongly denies he had any involvement.
This series takes place 5 years after his prison sentence. An obedient and quiet inmate who doesn’t take any calls, everything is turned upside down when David receives a video from his former sister-in-law, Rachel (Britt Lower), who shows him a photo of her son Matthew, who appears to be alive and well, complete with his distinctive birthmark. Convinced that his son is alive, he breaks out of prison and follows a series of clues and signals to find Matthew. The police are on the lookout for him all the time.
similar to Go away Before this, i will find you Plays on many of the same narrative beats. You to do Get a sense of the Harlan Coben-driven déjà vu, but this show is so entertaining you can’t look away.
What has been your favorite crime drama on Netflix so far in 2026? Let us know in the comments below!
