'Intense' crime drama inspired by true story just landed on BBC iPlayer

An "intense" crime drama inspired by a true story has just landed on BBC iPlayer. Four-part series The Black Forest Murders follows the chilling investigation into the mysterious murders of two young women in the south of Germany.

Based on the non-fiction Walter Roth book Soko Earle, it combines two real-life criminal cases from 2016 to turn their stories into a fictional police drama.

After a young woman's body is discovered, bludgeoned to death by an unknown murderer, a police team begins to search for the perpetrator and gather evidence.

At the same time, they have to deal with a second murder, but questions remain over whether it is connected to the first, while parallels to a similar case in Austria four years earlier begin to emerge.

It stars Nina Kunzendorf as Barbara Kramer and Tilman Strauß as Thomas Riedle, as well as Aliki Hirsch, Boidar Kocevski, Atrin Haghdoust, and David Richter.

The synopsis reads: "The clock is ticking... When a woman is bludgeoned to death, detectives face mounting pressure to crack the case and catch a killer. Intense crime drama inspired by real-life cases."

After it was originally released in Germany, fans hailed the series and watched it one sitting.

One review read: "I watched the entire series in one sitting and thought it was excellent. The meticulous investigation was amazing. Nina Kunzendorf was at her best as a fair and likeable boss in a strong team."

Another said: "I found this four-part series extremely good. It was exciting, with good dialogue, some of which was mumbled-it was due to the dialect -and a very good portrayal of a real series of murders. The actors did a very good job, especially Ms. Kramer, who acted convincingly. It was a glimpse behind the scenes of a special investigation unit. I'd be happy if there were more short series."

Someone else wrote: "We liked the series so much that we watched all the episodes right away. And it never got boring. This crime thriller was free of staged chases and unnecessary action-just good, real police work. Good actors, though difficult to understand at times."

"A wonderfully authentic and unpretentious narrative, a crime story like you'd only wish for, not cluttered with ridiculous subplots and overly contrived action. A fantastic team around Nina Kunzendorf, who always remains believable. Fantastic! I wish there were more original productions with such a dense atmosphere and such well-acted acting," a fourth person said.

After it was acquired by the BBC, Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, said: "The Black Forest Murders is an authentic and compelling crime series focussing on the work of a meticulous investigative team.

"As well as being a gripping murder mystery, the series offers a detailed look at the challenges of solving complex crimes, and the psychological toll on those involved in such high-stakes investigations."

Black Forest Murders is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.