Everything to know about Murder in a Small Town, a new FOX mystery drama

The buzz for FOX's Fall 2024 slate is all around Rescue: HI-Surf and the return of 9-1-1: Lone Star but you definitely need to put Murder in a Small Town on your watch list!

The mystery drama is set in a sleepy town but it's nothing to snooze on. We'll be taken along with Karl Alberg, a world class detective who's trying to find some peace in the costal locale after years of police work in the big city that's taken its toll. But the idyllic paradise isn't as sweet as it appears and there are secrets embedded within the town that have led to more than one murder. Karl will have to dust off his sleuthing skills to help solve these cases and put an end to the tragedies washing up on the town's shores. Joining him is Cassandra, the local librarian who becomes Alberg's foil, muse, and love interest.

A premiere date has yet to be announced, however, the series will debut in the fall and air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET after Accused season 2. Here's more on the show!

Murder in a Small Town is based on a book series

It seems FOX is trying to see if they can strike gold the same way ABC did with their runaway hit Will Trent, a procedural based on the books by Karin Slaughter. Murder in a Small Town is based on the nine book, Edgar Award-winning Alberg and Cassandra series by the late L.R. Wright. Per Coast Reporter, the first two episodes will follow the story told in The Suspect (1985), the first book in the series. The book synopsis (via Goodreads):

"At eighty, George Wilcox hardly expected to crown his life by committing a murder. It had happened so quickly, so easily, so unexpectedly in the sleepy town on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia:  a near-perfect crime that wraps Wilcox in a web of guilt, honor, and secrets of the past.  An unprovoked act that soon binds him to the warmhearted town librarian, Cassandra Mitchell, and her new romantic interest, zealous Staff Sergeant Alberg.  Together, this troubled trio find themselves caught up in a crime whose solution transcends the logic of pure justice."

Filming location

Like the Alberg and Cassandra books, Murder in a Small Town is set on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. However, instead of Sechelt, the show will take place in Gibsons. Executive producer Nick Orchard shared the following about filming:

"The town seems to like us for the most part. I think what people don’t realize when they watch a television show or something, is just how many people it takes to get something done. It adds up."

Production had been a month underway at the time when he'd spoken to the Coast Reporter. They'd wrapped on the second episode of season 1. An iconic location that will be recognizable to Canadian viewers is Molly's Reach diner, made famous by Beachcombers. It'll retain its name in Murder in a Small Town.

Cast

Character descriptions via Deadline and Variety.

Main and recurring cast

• Rossif Sutherland as Karl Alberg
• Kristin Kreuk as Cassandra
• Mya Lowe as Corporal Edwina Yen
• Savonna Spracklin as Isabella Harbud
• Aaron Douglas as Sergeant Sid Sokolowski
• Fritzy-Klevans Destine as Constable Andy Kendrick

Guest stars

• James Cromwell as George Wilcox
• Stana Katic as Zoe
• Paula Patton as Dr. Elizabeth Lewis

Corporal Edwina Yen is a criminology grad who's recently moved to the Sunshine Coast. With her expertise, she's considered to be a cop on the force who's on the fast-track to rise in the ranks.

Isabella Harbud has a dry sense of humor which is needed when you're the civilian receptionist at the station in a town where murder has coming a-knocking.

Sergeant Sid Sokolowski is Alberg's second in command, helping him to solve the mysteries that have begun to spring up around Gibsons.

Though Constable Andy Kendrick is a capable cop, his reputation is undermined by his tendency to put his foot in his mouth. He's described as a "charming jackass."

Widower George Wilcox has been shouldering his grief over losing Myra, his wife of almost 50 years, as best he can. However, he's always been a determined sort and he's got his mind geared toward carrying on with his life despite this personal tragedy.

George, who's a retired History teacher, is devoted to his garden but he's also a frrequent visitor of the library in town where Cassandra works. The two have become friends over time and it's this connection that will be imperative when things in Gibsons begin to go fatally awry. But George is harboring a secret. One he shares with his old "acquaintance," Carlyle Burke. They have a hidden grief that began decades ago.

Zoe lives outside of town in a gorgeous home. A bit of a recluse, she tends to keep to herself and is known for her cool exterior. However, Zoe's personality hides a temper that can explode suddenly.

Dr. Elizabeth Lewis is a successful and brillaint psychiatrist with a patient who has gone off the rails. She provides Karl Alberg with the information he needs to help catch the dangerous murderer who is still on the loose.

Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for more news and coverage!