An 'expertly woven' Scottish Netflix crime drama has been hailed as the perfect series for crime drama fans08:21, 06 Aug 2026A crime drama on Netflix has been capturing the attention of mystery fans, and unlike many streaming originals, it comes with a beloved book series to binge alongside.‌The show, set in Scotland, was adapted from an eleven-book Danish Nordic noir series by Jussi Adler-Olsen - so popular it was translated into dozens of languages and was adapted into a film in Denmark.‌Dept Q premiered in 2025 and tells the story of DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), an impressive but difficult detective returning to work after an tragic incident.‌Upon his return, instead of being welcomed with open arms, Morck is given a near-derelict basement office which had been used as the police station’s shower quarters, and told to work on a mountain of cold cases alone.He’s soon joined by Akram Salim, a Syrian former policeman played by Alexej Manvelov, partner James Hardy (Jamie Sives), still recovering from the incident and rookie constable Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne).‌The team then joins forces to investigate the disappearance of Crown solicitor Merritt Lingard (played by Chloe Pirrie), which becomes the season's central plot.On Rotten Tomatoes, many reviewers have nothing but priase: “A great, entertaining detective series with quirky, interesting characters, an amazing cast, morbid sense of humour, and a (cold) case that keeps you guessing," wrote a fan. They added that it’s especially suited to “an audience that likes fleshed-out characters, black humour and a slow-burn mystery story.”The one flaw several reviewers flagged is a slower start, which they claim is quickly remedied. One wrote: “This does take a couple of episodes to get going, but I can’t deny it’s a story well told and well worth watching.”‌Another one admitted, “This is one of those shows that makes you wish you’d watched it sooner when you finally get around to it. The story is a thoroughly and expertly woven mystery that pulls you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat.”They also singled out Goode as one of the series' selling points, describing Morck as “a complex main character that makes an impression as a particularly unpleasant person carrying a lot of rage and guilt who leaves you rooting for him the further things progress.”‌“The character arcs are satisfying, no side character feels underutilized, and that conclusion...”The first season's success led to Netflix's current production of Dept. Q's second season, as confirmed by the streaming mogul.One fan said: “If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and put this one at the top of your queue. After the credits rolled all I can say is I’m overjoyed and relieved that Netflix had the sense to renew this show and I’m very excited for Season 2!”Article continues belowAnother was similarly excited: “Absolutely amazing, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters, the humor, the story itself... It’s all brilliant. Had me literally gasping when all the loose ends came together.”Dept Q is streaming now on Netflix.