Best Mystery & Thriller Series 2023

Critics Consensus: With the incomparable Natasha Lyonne as an ace up its sleeve, Poker Face is a puzzle box of modest ambitions working with a full deck.

Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Sevigny, Lil Rel Howery, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Critics Consensus: Brawny as Alan Ritchson's biceps, Reacher swaggers confidently into its sophomore season as rock 'em sock 'em pulp with a sly wink.

Starring: Alan Ritchson, Willa Fitzgerald, Malcolm Goodwin, Marc Bendavid

Critics Consensus: Full of highs and with nary a low, Happy Valley returns at the peak of its hardscrabble powers, with Sarah Lancashire seamlessly slipping back into her quintessential role for one final mystery.

Starring: Sarah Lancashire, James Norton, Siobhan Finneran, George Costigan

Critics Consensus: Relocating the action to the theatre, Only Murders in the Building can take a bow for yet another twisty mystery handled with a good-humored touch.

Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton

Critics Consensus: Having already made a startling first impression, Yellowjackets coils itself in a second season preparing for the long haul -- thankfully, its superb performances and mesmeric ambience are fine substitutes for fast answers.

Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress

Critics Consensus: Slow Horses' shabby charms reach a full gallop in this superb third season, yielding what might just be Slough House's most compelling operation yet.

Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves

Critics Consensus: A back-to-basics caper populated by the likes of a mesmerizing Juno Temple and a thick slice of Hamm, Fargo's fifth season is a superb return to peak form.

Starring: Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Rysdahl

Critics Consensus: An irreverent twist on the crime procedural, Deadloch's addictive mixture of mystery and mordant humor makes most of its corpse-strewn competition look comparably stiff.

Starring: Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Nina Oyama, Tom Ballard

Critics Consensus: The Afterparty welcomes in a mostly new cast and keeps things festive with its enduringly clever Rashomon-style format, stirring up an entertainment that viewers won't want to end.

Starring: Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoe Chao, Elizabeth Perkins

Critics Consensus: The hunter becomes prey in You's London-set fourth season, which shows some wear as this premise begins to outlive its believability -- but Penn Badgley's sardonic performance continues to paper over most lapses in logic.

Starring: Penn Badgley, Tati Gabrielle, Charlotte Ritchie, Lukas Gage