Lisa McGee’s New Mystery Delivers Wry Humor and Fiery Performances in How to Get to Heaven From Belfast
The creator best known for a beloved coming‑of‑age comedy returns with a darkly funny, female‑led whodunnit that has critics talking and viewers riveted. How to Get to Heaven From Belfast follows three old friends drawn back together by the death of a fourth, and quickly finds its footing in a mix of laughter, suspense and local color.
Plot hooks and standout performances
The series opens with the reunion of Dara, Saoirse and Robyn at the funeral of their childhood friend, Greta. The four once shared a secret born of a frightening night two decades earlier—an image of a burning forest shack and an occult symbol that binds them in silence. When discrepancies at the wake make Saoirse suspicious, the trio embark on an investigation that pulls in strained marriages, small‑town tensions and the question of whether the corpse in the coffin is really who everyone thinks it is.
From the start, the show favors kinetic pacing and brisk tonal shifts: bawdy comic exchanges segue into ominous flashes from the past, while tender moments among the women undercut escalating danger. Performances have drawn particular notice. One lead is described as delivering a sensational turn that anchors the series, but the ensemble as a whole—portraying decades of shared history, affection and recrimination—gives the story its emotional thrust. A menacing presence in the supporting cast raises the stakes, and family members add textured complications that keep the investigation unpredictable.
McGee’s creative touch: comedy, mystery and personal memory
Lisa McGee leans into the familiar strengths that made her earlier work a breakout success: sharp comic timing, ear for local speech, and an affection for characters who are equal parts messy and resolute. She says she has always loved murder mysteries—citing childhood obsessions with long‑running cozy crime dramas—and wanted to fuse that appetite with a distinctly female perspective and a big dose of comedy. "I was obsessed with Jessica Fletcher and Murder, She Wrote, so it was really like whenever someone gave me the chance to do it, I was going to grab it, " she has said. "But I knew I needed to do it my way. I wanted it to be very female‑led, have a big comedy element to it, a bit messy. "
McGee also draws on formative experiences growing up in Northern Ireland. She recalls staging neighborhood plays as a child and threading darker elements from her youth into storytelling—small, everyday moments that can carry a heavy underside. That mixture of domestic familiarity and historical weight is apparent across the season: community routines and banter sit alongside the residue of past violence and secrecy, giving the mystery an emotional resonance beyond plot mechanics.
Reception and why it’s resonating
Early critical reaction has been enthusiastic, with reviewers praising the show’s irreverent energy and the way its plotting allows both laughs and genuine shocks. One reviewer declared it a must‑see in an emphatic phrase that has circulated widely, and many have singled out the series’ ability to marry comic brightness with tense, well‑constructed suspense. Viewers drawn to character‑driven mysteries will find much to like: the chemistry among the central trio, the slow unraveling of their secret, and the way the small‑town setting amplifies suspicion and loyalty in equal measure.
For audiences who remember the writer’s earlier work, there’s a satisfying throughline: an ear for humor rooted in place and a knack for creating characters who feel like old acquaintances. For newcomers, the show functions as a propulsive entry into a world where friendship is as vital as the puzzle at the story’s core.
Season 1 is currently available to stream with a subscription. Its blend of warmth, menace and wit makes it one of this year’s buzziest dramas, and the combination of a strong female ensemble and a confident tonal balance suggests the series will be both a talking point and a crowd‑pleaser as more viewers tune in.
