Well, it's Canada's highest-rated scripted TV series and broadcast in over 100 countries so I'm not the only one in the world who likes it. Whereas the TV series has its quirky characters and humorous moments, the book series is supposed to be darker and grittier. It's like a Victorian-era CSI.
Detective Murdoch is inspired by a real historical person, John Wilson Murray. He was appointed Ontario's first full-time “government Detective Officer” in 1875. He used (at the time uncommon) scientific techniques to solve his cases such as fingerprinting and blood trace analysis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilson_Murray