10 best BBC crime dramas based on top-selling books – five-stars to masterpiece
The BBC is renowned for making some of the best crime dramas out there.
(Image: BBC)Sometimes, there’s nothing better than getting lost in a great book – but it becomes even better when your favourite story is brought to life. The BBC has long been celebrated for its compelling crime dramas, but many viewers may not realise that some of the broadcaster's most acclaimed series have drawn their inspiration from bestselling books.
By discovering stories and characters that readers have already fallen in love with, the BBC has gone on to elevate them through screen adaptations, creating some of the best series out there. From Agatha Christie’s timeless whodunits to the haunting modern mysteries of J.K. Rowling, we take a closer look at 10 of the best BBC crime dramas adapted from some of the most successful novels.
Wolf follows DI Jack Caffery (played by Ukweli Roach), a detective tormented by the decades-old disappearance of his brother. As his personal demons resurface, they unfold alongside a chilling hostage crisis that becomes central to the series.
The six-part drama, released in 2023, is based on the Jack Caffery novels by acclaimed crime writer Mo Hayder. The first instalment, Birdman, was published in 2000 and quickly became a bestseller, establishing Hayder as a powerful new voice in crime fiction.
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Virdee, which premiered on BBC One in early 2025, is based on the bestselling crime novels by AA Dhand. This six-part drama follows Detective Harry Virdee (Staz Nair), a police officer in Bradford grappling with family rejection after marrying a Muslim. While his personal life is in turmoil, Virdee is tasked with tracking down a killer targeting the Asian community.
Dhand's first novel in the series, Streets of Darkness, was released in 2016 and he went on to publish six more. Raving about the six-part series online, one wrote: "Superb, intense suspense building storyline based in my hometown of Bradford. From intriguing to addictive! Absolutely love it."
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Based on Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad novels, the series follows detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox, played by Killian Scott and Sarah Greene, as they investigate the murder of a young girl in Ireland’s capital. The gritty drama, praised for its shocking twists and intense storytelling has been hailed "one of the best crime shows out there".
Dublin Murders aired on BBC One in 2019. The eight-part series is available to stream on Disney and BBC iPlayer.
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Hailed as one of the best, Strike follows a former war veteran turned private detective who leverages his specialised skills from the Special Investigation Branch to tackle complex cases that have stumped the police. The series stars Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike and Holliday Grainger as Robin Ellacott.
Since its debut in 2017, Strike has aired six seasons, with all 19 episodes available on BBC iPlayer. Each season adapts one of J.K. Rowling’s bestselling Cormoran Strike novels, beginning with The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013) and most recently The Hallmarked Man (2025). The series now includes eight books in total.
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