The Independent by Sean O'Grady

It’s a cop show, a police procedural, and it combines in a formulaic way the usual characteristics of all such stories and series. ... When it is done well, as here, the results are exceptional and make for compelling viewing.

Wall Street Journal by John Anderson

If “Vienna Blood” seems to resemble other thrillers in pacing and tone, there’s a reason: Its creator is screenwriter Steve Thompson (“Sherlock,” “Deep State,” “Jericho”), so there will be a certain comfortable familiarity to the proceedings. (The directors are Umut Dag and Robert Dornhelm.) But there’s also enough that’s novel about the show’s cerebral gumshoes to keep viewers rapt, and likely hoping for more.

The Telegraph by Michael Hogan

There’s no flagship Agatha Christie adaptation on-air this Christmas, more’s the pity, but this plugged the gap satisfyingly. The pace sagged in the middle and the Gothic dream sequences verged on hammy but it was gripping, old-fashioned fun.

The Guardian by Emine Saner

It is all absurd but enjoyable, the extended length more or less justified by the subplots. ... The odd-couple detective and sidekick setup feels tired. But Beard and Maurer are excellent, and my id is a sucker for a bit of murder in a fin de siècle setting, so I’ll forgive much.

i by Rachael Sigee

If you look too closely at Vienna Blood, the cracks start to show, but the broad strokes here were enjoyable.

i by Gerard Gilbert

The secondary female characters in this final episode emerged as rather more interesting than the men. Perhaps a spinoff series featuring Leah and Clara is in order. It’s frustrating that this final series is more engaging and there’s a bittersweet sense of what might have been.

The Times by Carol Midgley

It's hammier than two butcher's knives. Does it matter? Not really. Was it enjoyable? Yes, mostly. Mephisto Waltz, a labyrinthine tale stretched over two episodes, which is three hours in total and longer than many cinema films, was certainly better than previous episodes I have seen.

The Telegraph by Anita Singh

There is a happy medium between Silent Witness and Midsomer Murders, and this isn’t it. ... It does have a charismatic lead in Maurer, who is the main reason for watching it. But the plot was plodding – an uninspired cast of male suspects, and a female fashion designer who was clearly hiding something.