August 2021

One of the best ways to pass time during the hot summer is to relax in the comfort of air conditioning and binge watch your favorite series. The Yavapai Library Network has a good selection available. Since my travel has been limited due to the pandemic, I like to watch shows that take place in other countries. Many of these series are based on books. When you begin searching for details in the online patron catalog, I’m sure you will recognize some of the authors.  Here are a few recommendations to get you started on your travels.

Shetland: This series, based on several books written by Ann Cleeves, takes place on the Shetland Islands at the northern-most tip of Scotland. Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez stays busy trying to solve murders taking place in his small island community. The scenery is breathtaking, and plot lines will keep you guessing.

Doc Martin: If you like British comedies, you will enjoy watching Martin Clunes starring as Doc Martin Ellingham. Doctor Ellingham is a successful surgeon in London until he develops a fear of blood and can no longer perform surgeries. He is forced to move his practice to the fictional village of Portwenn. The show is filmed in Port Isaac, a charming fishing village on the Atlantic coast in north Cornwall, England.

My Life Is Murder:  This relatively new series set in Melbourne, Australia, is best described as a murder mystery, crime comedy-drama. Lucy Lawless plays Alexa Crowe, a retired cop. Her hobbies include baking bread and solving mysteries.  A second season is on the way.

Mystery Road: Aaron Pedersen, an Australian actor of Aboriginal descent, was born in Alice Springs, Australia. In this series, Pedersen plays an Aboriginal detective, who returns to his hometown after 10 years. Episodes are set in the Australian Outback. 

Indian Summers: This series is set in India shortly before the country gained independence from England.  Story lines deal with conflicts between the British ruling class and their Indian subjects. Even though the series is supposed to take place in India, the entire show was filmed in Penang, Malaysia.

The Good Karma Hospital:  Ruby Walker, a young physician, flees London to relocate to a small coastal town in Southern India. While working at The Good Karma Hospital, she hopes to heal her heart and reconnect with her biological father. Another show supposedly taking place in India was filmed entirely on location in Sri Lanka.
 
Wallander:  Based on books by Henning Mankell, this series follows Inspector Kurt Wallander and takes place in southern Sweden. There are two different series based on Mankell’s books: the British series featuring Kenneth Branagh as Kurt Wallander or the Swedish version with subtitles starring Swedish actor Rolf Lassgård. Both versions are well done.
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All of these series are available in the Yavapai Library Network.  If you need assistance placing a hold, please call 928-284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. We are here to help. Thank you for supporting library services in the Village of Oak Creek.