14+ Binge-Worthy British Detective Series with Female Leads

As we turn the corner into cozy winter nights, I've rounded up my favorite British drama series with strong, female detective leads to keep you entertained all season long!

Photo: The Guardian/iTV

Disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links. If you purchase a linked item, I will make a commission, at no extra charge to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Looking for a British detective series with a strong female detective?

Happy Valley. Photo: iNews

As a dedicated anglophile and an avid watcher of all things British, particularly detective series, the last few years have definitely given me more time than usual to watch nearly everything AcornTV and BritBox have to offer. As with most lovers of British detective series, my gateway show was Midsomer Murders (a classic), and I've branched out from there. Thankfully, the Brits keep churning out excellent detective and mystery programming, with an ever-more diverse range of main characters. Though Miss Marple was actually one of the original British detectives, the 20th century was largely dominated by male detectives. Things are looking up though, so let's discuss our favorite British detective series with female leads!

1. Vera

The top spot on my list very deservingly goes to Vera, the long-running series staring Brenda Blethyn as the fairly curmudgeonly DCI Vera Stanhope, a whiskey-drinking woman of a certain age forcing confessions out of all of Northern England. You'll find yourself almost immediately becoming enchanted by the disarming, caring way Vera takes down the north's worst, from every drug dealer to the most devious family disputes, and the incredibly prickly way she deals with her own team at the Northumberland and City Police, not to mention her string of excellent medical examiners (Paul Kaye has the honor currently). Watch Vera for Blethyn's performance and stay for the solvable, yet consuming, murder mysteries, and haunting landscapes. A few excellent female actors also make early appearances on Vera, such as Cush Jumbo.

2. Agatha Raisin

For a completely different vibe from Vera, I'd recommend Agatha Raisin, following the spunky, bubbly, over-the-top amateur sleuth Agatha as she retires from her life in PR in London to uproot herself and move to quaint, quintessentially-Cotswolds village, only to find that murder abounds and she's the only one who can solve the case. Based on the series of Agatha Raisin novels by M.C. Beaton.Ashley Jensen is vivacious, quirky, funny, and likable as the titular character (you may recognize Jensen from Extras) and the various trials and tribulations in her small town love life drive the non-mystery plot line. And if you like Agatha Raisin, check out Queen of Mystery, with a distinctly Desperate Housewives-vibe, which was intended to replace Agatha Raisin, but alas it didn't take and there are only 2 seasons.

3. The Fall

The Fall is a must-watch for fans of personality-driven, rather than mystery-driven, cop drama, staring Gillian Anderson (The Crown, Sex Education) as the enthralling Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson and Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades) as her highly skillful, serial killer, criminal adversary. The thriller has three seasons, but I got through them so fast that I thought it was a mini-series.

4. The Bletchley Circle

For fans of period piece mystery, The Bletchley Circle made a serious splash when it debuted in the UK in 2012. Set in the early 1950s, it follows the mystery-solving feats of women who had worked as codebreakers at Bletchley Park in England during WWII (the same wartime service as the real grandmother of The Duchess of Cambridge). Just a heads up- it's not quirky like Agatha Raisin, and is actually surprisingly macabre at times, especially for a period piece. Fans of British TV will recognize all 4 of the stars: Anna Maxwell Martin (Becoming Jane, Death Comes to Pemberley), Rachel Stirling (Detectorists), Sophie Rundle (Bodyguard, Peaky Blinders), and Julie Graham (Shetland, Queens of Mystery).

Though only renewed for 2 seasons, there is a spin-off on our side of the pond, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco.

5. Happy Valley

A Netflix original, Happy Valley started off as a little-known show watched only by dedicated detective show watchers...like me, and ended up exploding into a monster hit. Sarah Lancashire has garnered almost universal praise as Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood, seeking the capture of the man who she believes killed her daughter, portrayed by James Norton in a polar opposite from the lovable, conflicted vicar on Grantchester. You'll also recognize Siobhan Finneran from Downton Abbey. The West Yorkshire setting is haunting and eerie; the plot line...extremely dark. 

6. Marcella

Another Netflix original, Marcella follows its titular character as she returns to police work after taking time out to care for her kiddos. Her dedication to the job becomes paramount, and as time passes, we learn that her seemingly sunny home life wasn't so great after all. Next thing we know, fits of anger lead to blackouts at extremely inconvenient moments. Anna Friel is *excellent* in what is surely a challenging and exhausting role. Fans of Midsomer Murders will recognize DS Ben Jones in the first season. There are three seasons of Marcella, with the third changing venues and venturing over to Northern Ireland.

7. Agatha Christie's Marple

The most recent series of Miss Marple reboots, now freshly rebranded and just called Marple, based on Agatha Christie's original books, is no less good for its age. Small towns, seaside hotels, and classic 1930's glamor, with Miss Marple serving up all the answers at the end in a palatial mansion- what more could we want? Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan, and Julia McKenzie have all taken on the role and it's certainly fun to compare and contrast their differing approaches. Expect to see lots of (younger), familiar faces in the earlier episodes!

8. Broadchurch

Unsurprisingly, Olivia Colman is excellent in the role that marked her official transition from comedic (though you can't help but love her in Peep Show) to much more serious work...and, eventually, an Oscar! Broadchurch tells the heartbreaking story of a picturesque English seaside town, torn apart by the disappearance of young boy. Colman starts alongside David Tennant.

9. DCI Banks

Photo: BBC

Despite the title, I think DS Annie Cabot (Andrea Lowe) and DI Helen Morton (Caroline Catz) truly make this show worth watching (no slight to Stephen Tompkinson, who plays DCI Banks). DS Cabot and DCI Banks meet, not knowing they'll eventually be working together, and a few sparks fly. They keep up a believable will-they-won't-they through the series, solving Vera-esque murders.

Pro tip: Do not Google this show. The salient piece of the series finale comes up in right in the FAQ.

10. The Cormoran Strike & Robin Ellacott Series

If you've been following my blog for any period of time, then you know that I am obsessed with the C.B. Strike series, both on TV and in audiobook. It is, without any competition at all, my favorite detective book series of all time. Holliday Grainger (Robin Ellacott) stars as the temporary secretary, turned trainee detective, under the tutelage of Cormoran Strike, private investigator extraordinaire, and it's only a matter of time until Robin takes on her own case. Robin is one of the best female detectives ever created as, unsurprisingly, J.K. Rowling creates unparalleled characters.

11. Line of Duty

Not unlike Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I took up watching Line of Duty during the pandemic, as the series was drawing to a close. It follows the detectives of the Met's fictional anti-corruption unit ("AC-12") as they root out corruption from seemingly every side. Each season generally follows one specific corruption path, but it generally goes "all the way to the top," and there are a number of season-after-season guest stars and carry-overs. Adrian Dunbar stars as Ted Hastings, with Vicky McClure's Kate Fleming and Martin Compston's Steve Arnott trying, and succeeding, in learning the ropes. Recurring badass female characters include Keeley Hawes, Kelly Macdonald, and Anna Maxwell Martin.

12. Foyle's War

Photo: Acorn TV

Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks will captivate and draw you into Foyle's War from the first episode. Frustrated at being stuck with domestic policing as WWII rages in Europe, DCS Foyle is assigned a female driver, Sam, who quickly becomes his surprising mystery-solving accomplice.

Honorable Mentions

13. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Australia)

Photo: Acorn TV

Essie Davis is enchanting as the vivacious Miss Fisher in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Set in the 1920s Melbourne, we follow 
Phyrne Fisher as she and her beautiful bob (and tiny pistol) solve fairly light mysteries, often with a heavy side of flirtation. And yes, I know it's Australian, but it channels the classic era of British crime fiction so well that it deserves to be on the list.

14. Endeavour

Though the star of Endeavour is undoubtedly the incomparable Shaun Evans, the seasons featuring Dakota Blue Evans as Shirley Trewlove earn an honorable mention an excellent female detective.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope you enjoy these great British detective shows with female leads! And if you love all things British, check out:

• Best British Detective Series
• Books about England
• Cozy English Mystery Novels on Audible
• Contemporary Cozy British Mystery Novels

Love it? Pin it!