7 fan-favourite crime fiction novels that are now addictive shows

By TVPlus8 February 2022

7 fan-favourite crime fiction novels that are now addictive shows

These books-turned-TV-series will keep you on the edge of your seat, whether you’ve read the source material or not.

Bosch Seasons 1-7

Author Michael Connelly’s books The Concrete Blonde (1994), City Of Bones (2002) and Echo Park (2006) got mashed into a hit first season as LAPD detective Hieronymus Bosch aka Harry takes on a new case. He’s by the book… mostly. So when he does bend or break the law, you know that he’s doing it for a seriously good reason. He’s an ex Afghanistan war veteran and his brain works very differently from the Average Joe.

So while everyone from bank robbers to drug cartels think they’ve got one up on Harry, the very opposite is true and he’s waiting for them to walk into his trap. The other 17 Bosch books by Michael make up the rest of the season – there are 7 in total so far.

Sharp Objects Season 1

It’s based on the award-winning 2006 novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, and sees disgraced crime journalist Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) going back to her small hometown. There, she’s planning on investigating two teenagers’ murders that’ve shocked the community. But first she’s got to cope with her overbearing mom’s condescending tones and attitude, as well as having her every move scrutinised by “mommy dearest”, who’s about as pleasant as a rattlesnake.

Plus, Camille has to deal with people knowing that she’s an alcoholic who’s been in the nuthouse for a couple of years after self-harming herself to the point of being committed.

CB Strike: Lethal White Season 1

It’s written by Robert Galbraith and if you know who that is, you’ll want to watch this action cop show. If you don’t know RG, that’s the pen name of JK Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter books – you can find all the movies on Showmax, too.

It follows Cormoran Strike (Tome Burke), an ex-soldier who’s found his calling working as a private detective with a difference – he’s hired by victims and/or their families when the cops can’t crack cases. Everything from murders, to kidnappings, to blackmailing pop up as work for Cormoran, but thankfully he’s got a trusty sidekick – Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger) – to help catch the baddies.

Get Shorty Seasons 1-3

Elmore Leonard’s 1990 novel of the same name was turned into a movie in 1995 with John Travolta, and now it’s a three-season series featuring Ray Romano as movie producer Rick Moreweather and comedian Chris O’Dowd as Miles Daly.

Miles is a mob enforcer in Las Vegas who wants to get out of the business and try something new – and legal – for the sake of his daughter. And his career decision is to become a movie producer. The problem is that the more Miles tries to escape his past, the quicker it catches up to him and reels him back in just as he’s about to make his breakthrough.

Condor Seasons 1-2

Author James Grady’s novel Six Days of The Condor was first turned into a movie in 1975 and got its series reboot in 2018 with Jeremy Irons’ son Max in the lead role as Joe Turner, a CIA analyst who goes on the run when his colleagues in the CIA’s Research & Development division are gunned down by unknown assailants.

At the same time that Joe tries to escape, he discovers that his algorithm to spotlight potential terrorists is being used for other “Black Ops super-secret” work at the office and suddenly he realises that the enemy is a lot closer than he – or anyone else, for that matter – suspected…

Alex Rider

Anthony Horowitz’s spy series of the same name features Otto Farrant as Alex Rider, a London teenager who’s hired by MI6’s Department of Special Operations. He’s got skills and the ability to infiltrate any organisation on the planet and that makes him perfect to go undercover at a controversial academy for super-rich kids who’ve gone off the rails.

But the more Alex digs for answers, the more he realises that a game is afoot and he’s got to deal with far more dangerous things than drunk teens who’ve got more money than they know what to do with.

BONUS: The Wife Seasons 1-3 (Showmax Original)

Based on Dudu Busani-Dube’s novels, ambitious news journalist Hlomu discovers the darker side of love when she’s given a murder case to investigate. Before she knows it, she’s fallen for Mqhele Zulu, one of the infamous Zulu brothers who run the local crime syndicate. They’re mean and vicious and wouldn’t bat an eyelid at shooting an enemy, but Mqhele has a magnetic attraction for Hlomu and she’s blind to his evil side as he continues charming her.

And the more involved in Mqhele’s life Hlomu becomes, the harder it will be to escape when she comes to her senses and realises that she could be the next corpse being buried in the ground…

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