Late last year, BritBox announced that it would be adapting Elizabeth George’s beloved Inspector Lynley series, nearly two decades after BBC One first adapted them into the still-popular Inspector Lynley Mysteries. The news took British mystery connoisseurs by surprise, as the original 24-episode series still airs reruns on PBS quite frequently. But, perhaps, the most worrisome aspect of the announcement was that it would be a “modern” take on George’s work — something that can go either way when it comes to the success of an adaptation. In the skilled hands of showrunner Steve Thompson (Prime Target, Vienna Blood), who created this fresh take on Lynley, the series manages to skirt any real criticism about its modernization. Many of the aspects that would have been of concern — namely, the limited technology of the nineties and noughties and its impact on crime solving — are explained away with mentions of poor cell service and the location. The real test for Lynley, however, is whether it accurately captures the dynamic between its mismatched detective duo.
What Is ‘Lynley’ About?

Inspector Thomas “Tommy” Lynley (Leo Suter) is a posh Oxford-educated detective who carries the baggage of also being the 8th Earl of Asherton, while his partner, DS Barbara Havers (Sofia Barclay), is a working-class sergeant with a chip on her shoulder. The two have different approaches to cracking a case, with Lynley taking on a more principled, book-smart approach, while Havers employs street smarts and the ability to see what her aristocratic partner might overlook. It’s not a wildly uncommon dynamic within the world of British mysteries, but Lynley and Havers are one of the more memorable duos. With Season 1, Lynley stays the course of keeping its main dynamic purely platonic. While workplace romances are particularly appealing in procedural-style shows, the appeal of Lynley and Havers is that they grow to be completely loyal to one another without ever crossing that line.
‘Lynley’s Momentum Is Underserved by Its Episode Count

Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay looking at a computer in Lynley
Image via BritBox

Lynley isn’t a one-for-one adaptation of the same cases that The Inspector Lynley Mysteries adapted, nor is it a redo of George’s own mysteries, which allows the series to set itself apart. Rather than throwing viewers right into the middle of the story, the way “A Great Deliverance” did in 2001, the first episode establishes Lynley and Havers’ fledgling partnership with all the tug-and-pull that’s alluded to throughout the original series. By Episode 2, the series brings Helen (Niamh Walsh) back into Lynley’s life, and their fraught relationship plays out much the same way as it does in the source material, with some narrative adjustments. Suter and Walsh do well by convincing audiences that Lynley and Helen have a storied history, and their romance blossoms naturally, albeit in scattered fits and starts. Part of that aforementioned narrative shift pushes Helen into a higher-stakes role than she often had in the original series. Where Havers was typically the one person that criminals could use to get to Lynley, Helen steps into that role, which is a byproduct of Season 1 focusing on establishing Lynley and Havers’ partnership. As with most series, it takes about three episodes to fully establish the dynamics and intrigue that keep audiences tuning in, but Lynley’s momentum is swiftly undercut by its episode count. While it does mirror the truncated seasons of the original series (which ran anywhere between two and four episodes for six seasons), the same approach doesn’t necessarily work for a modern audience with a plethora of options on streaming. While each 90-minute episode is economical in introducing new characters for each sprawling mystery while also establishing and developing the main cast across the series, some key aspects of Lynley and Havers’ backstories and motivations feel underdeveloped, rather than fully explored. This is most noticeable with their familial subplots, which are largely left shrouded in mystery by the end of the series, to the detriment of new viewers who aren’t coming into the series with that knowledge.
Does ‘Lynley’ Live Up to the Original Series?

For fans of the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries, it takes about an episode to fall in love with Suter and Barclay’s Lynley and Havers, the way Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small captivated fans of the novels. Suter is a bit more polished than Parker’s Lynley — which is surprising, when the first adaptation had more time to develop that aspect of his personality and backstory. While he lacks the Byronic air that Parker brought to Lynley, Suter’s approach to the character feels far more in line with the minor aristocracy of this decade. He lives in a modern new-build amidst the salt marsh, he jogs regularly, and his fridge is sparsely filled with aubergines and false promises that he will actually have time to cook after his shift. Parker’s Lynley rode horseback and played cricket, hobbies more suited for a Lord of the time. The one defining similarity between Parker and Suter’s Lynleys is their gorgeous vintage Jensen Interceptors. Barclay’s Havers establishes herself with a lot more bite than Small’s Havers had at the start of the series, which is a refreshing update. In Lynley, Havers isn’t afraid to push back against her superiors, including DCI Brian Nies (Daniel Mays), and she isn’t interested in being liked. While similar to Small’s Havers, the new series opts out of painting Havers as a socially inept outcast among her peers. She’s just prickly and unapproachable. Barclay and Suter have the same electric chemistry that Small and Parker once possessed, and by the final episode of the season, it feels like they’ve finally found the common ground that sets them up for even better plotlines. Lynley is a worthy successor to The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and a perfect chaser to some of the other gritty crime series BritBox has debuted this year. While Acorn TV has largely peddled series that fall under the “cozy mystery” subgenre, BritBox has been filling the gap with more by-the-books crime solvers. While the original series sometimes clumsily tackled themes that were prevalent in the noughties, Lynley opts for a more empathetic route, which is part of that fresh, new, modern take. Suter and Barclay quickly establish themselves as the heart and soul of this series — just as they should — and their dynamic is worth the wait to see if the series will return for another season. A second season is a must to establish if Lynley has the same rewatchability as the original. The first episode of Lynley debuts on September 4, with each subsequent episode dropping weekly.

Lynley

Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay give life to a fresh take on a classic.

Release Date

September 4, 2025

Network

BritBox

Pros & Cons

Leo Suter is a worthy successor to Nathaniel Parker’s Inspector Lynley, giving an updated performance of how a modern British nobleman would act.
Sofia Barclay is excellent as Havers, and the script gives the character a refreshing update that feels more in-line with the 2020s.
Lynley maintains what made Elizabeth George’s novels stand out with the Lynley-Havers dynamic, and the actors deliver the right kind of scene partner chemistry.

The four-episode structure, while the same as the original series, hinders Lynley from really capturing the full attention of modern audiences who have a wider variety of British mysteries to watch.
While the mysteries are tight and well-crafted in each episode, the series often underserves the main characters, opting to breadcumb key details that only work for long-time fans of the universe.