It's Criminal: Vera and The Killing

I'm loving Vera, an ITV adaptation of a series of crime novels by Ann Cleeves. Set in Northumberland and environs and starring Brenda Blethyn as the title character, it's dark, both visually and content-wise. The windswept landscape plays a crucial role on the show and it's rugged and lonely--just like Vera--and dotted with the ruins of ancient castles. Though her young and handsome colleague, played by David Leon, regularly attempts to break through Vera's crusty exterior, he fails more than he succeeds. Season 1 (2011) is available streaming on Netflix. --Kim

P.S. The Killing
It's not a book adaptation, as far as I know, but I watched the first two episodes of the AMC series The Killing and I'm sold. Ignore the cheesy poster art on Netflix--Turns out the show is based on a Danish TV thriller and reminds me of a less quirky Twin Peaks.