Following leads, speaking to witnesses, and making highly astute connections are a few elements that are a part of a good detective story. Being able to follow a detective and solve what appears to be an impossible case is thrilling to watch, along with the character development unfolding alongside the mysteries and drama. From adaptations of well-known books to original stories, detective series have flooded the small screen for quite a while, including on one of the biggest channels today, HBO.

HBO has always had huge successes, from It's Garry Shandling's Show in 1986 to this year's Euphoria. Once the channel became known as the home of Game of Thrones, it has produced several other fantasy TV shows, such as the prequel, House of Dragon. Nevertheless, HBO has been killing (pun intended) it with crime stories for quite a while, especially in the last decade, and has some of the best shows available today.

The premium cable channel and its streaming service HBO Max has become a leader for some of the most interesting original material in the past couple of years, and its crime genre catalog is one of the best available to watch. Here are the best HBO original detective/crime series.

8 Perry Mason

Matthew Rhys in Perry Mason
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

This series is an origin story of a famous fiction defense lawyer Perry Mason. Set in Los Angeles in the 1930s, the series touches on various important subjects, such as the outcomes of the great depression, veterans with PTSD, and divorce; the show is a much darker update on the classic 1950s television program with the same name. A bit different from the other shows on the list, but not less important, this noir-inspired story has everything a detective show needs, plus courtroom drama and the excellent Matthew Rhys (from The Americans).

Related: 15 Best HBO TV Shows of All Time, Ranked

7 Strike (aka C.B. Strike)

Strike
BBC
Warner Bros.

The show is an adaptation of the crime novels by Robert Galbraith, a pseudonym used by J.K. Rowling. Strike (also known as C.B. Strike in America) is set in London and follows the war veteran turned PI, Cormoran Strike, and his assistant, Robin. The protagonist has to fight physical and psychological problems due to the war while being in his best mindset to try to stop a series of horrendous murders. The anticipated next season should air between late 2022 and early 2023.

6 The Undoing

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in The Undoing
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

This miniseries had everyone eager to know who committed the crime. With Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant as the leads, this "who did it" story has as many twists and turns that is impossible not to be consumed by it. The Undoing follows wealthy therapist Grace Fraser as her life is turned upside down when she and her family are dragged into the middle of a murder case. The show is based on the novel called You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

5 True Detective

Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey in True Detective season one in a wooden enclosure
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

A fan favorite, the first season of True Detective has influenced how detective stories are told on television. An anthology series (that received lower ratings after the first season), True Detective deals with different unrelated cases and detectives every season. The series has had some brilliant actors over the years: Matthew McConaughey stars alongside Woody Harrelson in season one. Other great names such as Mahershala Ali and Collin Farrell took the leading roles in later seasons. It was announced that Jodie Foster will be the lead in season four.

4 Mare of Easttown

Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown
Warner Bros.

Kate Winslet stars in this miniseries Mare of Easttown as a detective that lives in the fictionalized and small Easttown. While dealing with various personal losses (grief, divorce, etc.), Mare has to keep it together and be the best investigator she can after a girl has been missing for over a year. Everything is trickier when crimes keep occurring in a small town where she grew up with the possible guilty parties and has known them all her life. A detective from the county comes to help her, Colin (Evan Peters), and their troubled but steady relationship will determine if they will be able to solve these cases.

Related: Nicolas Cage Will Play Vodka-Drinking Dragon Detective in Highfire for Paramount+

3 Big Little Lies

Reese Witherspoon and Adam Scott in Big Little Lies (2017)
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

An Emmy and Golden Globe favorite, Big Little Lies practically became a synonym for incredible acting, with a veritable who's wo of talent taking part in the show -- Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, Zoë Kravitz, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling, Laura Dern, Iain Armitage, and Meryl Streep have all starred, along with many more. Playing with timelines and different types of crimes, the narrative is about a group of mothers that live in a wealthy suburb. Fighting to have things their way is the easiest part of what they have to deal with daily. Sexual assault, fraud, and murder infiltrate their lives, and they will fight harder than anyone to keep their families together.

2 Sharp Objects

Amy Adams in Sharp Objects
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn, the writer of another successful book and adaptation, Gone Girl, Sharp Objects was an utterly gripping thriller about abuse, trauma, and family. Between amazing performances, dark mysteries, and extremely relatable and recognizable characters, the series is impossible to stop watching. When a murder happens in her hometown, Camille (an incredible Amy Adams), has to go back to face more than a possible murderer: her (extremely) dysfunctional family, including a young and haunting Sydney Sweeney. Viewers beware that this series is not for everyone. The show has plenty of possible triggers: including explicit suicide and cutting scenes. It is advised to do research before watching the show, even if it is one of the best HBO miniseries of all time.

1 The Wire

Idris Elba in The Wire
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

One of the shows that solidified television as a serious medium to tell stories, The Wire had to be on this list. The series still is very innovative, even 20 years later, because it follows the drug-related crimes in Baltimore from different perspectives: the police, the drug dealers, and the users. A series that marked and influenced most of the new detective and crime series that came later, The Wire is a must-watch for anyone that likes the genre.