The BritBox procedural A Taste for Murder follows the genre template so perfectly. It takes a very good actor—in this case Strike Back star Warren Brown—and drops them into a beautiful location to solve crimes alongside an unlikely partner. But that’s a template because it works; get the right lead or leads plus an interesting backdrop, and audiences will follow them anywhere. That’s the case with these six episodes. The recipe may be tried and true, but it works.

A Taste for Murder is set on the island of Capri, where Metropolitan Police DCI Joe Mottram heads with his 17-year-old daughter after his wife Sofia is killed in a traffic accident. Sofia’s parents own a restaurant on the island; it’s the reason for the show’s title, as a fair portion of the show has to do with the restaurant and Joe reconnecting with his family through food. Anyone looking for a truly complex mystery may be disappointed, because the traditional whodunit doesn’t take precedence here. The food and family part of the story comes first, and the crimes somewhat fit around that. This is a light mystery, more Beyond Paradise than Silent Witness.

But like so many other crime shows, this one comes down to casting. Warren Brown is a known and reiiable name among British TV fans; in fact, if BritBox doesn’t do a Warren Brown playlist to accompany A Taste for Murder, it’ll be a missed opportunity. And the crime genre is what he’s best known for, from playing Idris Elba’s right-hand man in Luther to later roles in Trigger Point and The Responder. And after the heaviness of those shows, particularly the end to his character in Trigger Point, it’s nice to see Brown in something less grim. It’s fantastic to see him back in the lead and he once again delivers; he’s the biggest reason to watch this show. However, A Taste for Murder doesn’t take full advantage of his sense of humor; there are amusing moments, but he can be very funny, and most of Joe’s early character beats are (understandably) more of the brooding kind.

Joe’s partner in crime-solving is local inspector Lara, played by Cristiana Dell’Anna. Their interactions are the typical “odd couple” routine, but their dynamic evolves convincingly enough over the six episodes to where the audience wants to root for them as a team. Most importantly. Lara is written as a capable cop on her own, and isn’t made to look like she needs Joe’s help to do her job. A Taste for Murder struggles a bit more in the interplay between Joe and his daughter Angelica (Beau Gadsdon from The Crown), which takes slightly too long to grow past typical teenage plot points. She won’t get her head out of her phone, she’s flirting with a local guy that Joe isn’t fond of—viewers have seen a lot of this before. That does improve by the end of the season, but audiences will need to have patience with it, especially since the family aspect is a large part of the early going.

Overall, though, A Taste for Murder is as breezy a watch as the audience expects from a show set on a sun-soaked island. The fact that the episodes are only 60 minutes, as opposed to the typical 80-90 minutes of other British TV crime shows, means that the mysteries are self-contained and easier to follow. Brown gets the most to do and the best-defined arc for his character; everyone knows where Joe needs to end up. But it’s a pleasure watching him get there, and the rest of the cast does their part to keep things interesting. This is a perfect binge-watch for anyone who loves crime shows, but wants a more escapist kind of murder mystery. There’s a cross-promotion lurking here, because this is the kind of show best enjoyed with a bottle of wine and some good Italian food.

A Taste for Murder premieres April 7, 2026 on BritBox. Photo Credit: Colin Hutton/Courtesy of BritBox.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.