Midsomer Murders: Early Cases Collection (2008)

Based on Caroline Graham’s novels, this ingenious detective series has run for years in Britain, and now, in this “Early Cases Collection,” it enjoys a bundled set of the show’s first 18 episodes.

Murder and arched eyebrows are a mainstay here, with John Nettles’ Chief Inspector Tom Nettles and his assistant, Detective Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey), wading through the dead bodies, secrets and mayhem with their typical wit and aplomb.

Also available from Acorn Media is the equally recommended and most recent set in the collection, “Midsomer Murders: Set 10,” which includes four feature-length episodes--“Second Sight,” “Hidden Depths,” “Sauce for the Goose” and “Midsomer Rhapsody.”

For fans of the new wave of British mysteries, which are darker and more gritty than what came before them, each set offers enough manners, murder and cold-blooded characters to lift your heart.

Grade: B