With the dark, cold nights of winter drawing ever nearer, there’s no better time to get under a warm blanket and binge watch a good old-fashioned crime series. Whether you’re looking for dark and grisly, or as cosy as cosy crime gets, Acorn Media has something for everyone. November sees the DVD releases of the first series of newcomer Signora Volpe starring Emilia Fox, and the complete (so far!) boxsets of fan-favourites London Kills and My Life is Murder along with individual releases of their latest seasons. These releases – along with their other recent titles, including Mrs. Sidhu Investigates and others – prove that there’s nothing better than a good whodunit. Grab yourself a couple of boxsets and those chilly nights will fly by.
Signora Volpe | Series 1 Available on DVD – 20 November 2023
Sylvia Fox (Emilia Fox, Silent Witness) is a top British spy who finds herself at odds with her ruthless MI6 bosses. Disillusioned and in need of a break, she heads to Italy for her niece’s wedding. But when the groom goes missing, leaving a dead body behind, it’s up to Sylvia to solve the mystery and save her niece from disaster. Enchanted by the little town of Panicale and longing to reconnect with her sister (Tara Fitzgerald, Game of Thrones), Sylvia buys a crumbling old house on a hillside and decides to start anew in Umbria. But this secret agent was never cut out for a quiet life, and she’s soon tackling a variety of cases, from a skeleton unearthed in an archaeological dig to a kidnapped truffle pig and a complex case of murder and blackmail. Investigating the crimes brings Sylvia closer to a handsome local cop, Capitano Giovanni Riva (Giovanni Cirfiera, American Crime Story), even as her ex-husband and ex-colleague, Adam Haines (Jamie Bamber, Battlestar Galactica), tries to lure her back.
My Life is Murder | Series 3 / 1-3 Available on DVD – 20 November 2023
Award-winning actress Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) stars in this contemporary mystery series as retired police officer Alexa Crowe. With her old boss (Bernard Curry, Once Upon a Time) regularly asking for her insight on cold cases and a young police data analyst, Madison (Ebony Vagulans, The Heart Guy), eager to be mentored – whether Alexa wants to or not – Alexa can’t seem to stop solving crime in Melbourne, Australia. Series 2 and 3 see Alexa return to her New Zealand hometown of Auckland, where she is called upon to investigate puzzling murders by charismatic DI Harry Henare (Rawiri Jobe, The Brokenwood Mysteries). But to truly make a fresh start, Alexa must deal with the family troubles she’s avoided for decades, all while poking her nose into bizarre, unsolved murder cases.
London Kills | Series 4 / 1-4 Available on DVD – 27 November 2023
London’s crack team of detectives – DI David Bradford (Hugo Speer – Marcella), DS Vivienne Cole (Sharon Small – The Inspector Lynley Mysteries), DC Rob Brady (Bailey Patrick – Bodyguard) and DC Billie Fitzgerald (Tori Allen-Martin – Unforgotten) – return to our screens to tackle the capital’s multitude of monstrous murders. Set against the backdrop of one of the most electrifying cities in the world, this slick and gritty show sees the savvy team face some of their toughest cases yet. Visit the mean streets of London Kills for enthralling and compelling mysteries that will reel viewers in from the get-go with its edge-of-seat action.