True crime is one of the most popular genres of podcasts out there- thrilling, often unsettling and always having an element that drives us forward to listen more, there’s a vast field to choose from.
That’s why we’ve decided to narrow them down into a list of our favourites that you can sink yourself into. There’s loads of different kinds of crime story covered, from gruesome serial killers, audacious fraudsters and thrilling heists. They’re a great way to pass the time, even if they can be quite morbid- but as Alfred Hitchcock once said, “I think everyone enjoys a nice murder… provided he is not the victim.”
The Fake Heiress
The story of Anna Delvey is one that’s gotten a lot attention since it became known- and that attention has only increased recently with the release of Netflix’s Inventing Anna, a nine part series which arrived in early February. The Fake Heiress podcast takes a deeper dive into Delvey’s (real name Anna Sorokin) life and scam that sent ripples through the New York elite, and first debuted in 2019. The BBC Radio 4 show is a blend of drama and documentary, starring German actress Bella Dayne as Sorokin, and the 6 part series is hosted by journalist Vicky Baker. Definitely give this a listen if you enjoyed the Inventing Anna series.
Generation Why
An early true crime podcast, Generation Why began in 2012 as a show exploring the world of unsolved crime cases, mysteries and controversies. It sees hosts Aaron and Justin put forward and discuss their theories and opinions on various criminal and mysterious incidents throughout history. The show has explored the cases of notorious killer Jeffery Dahmer, the disseverance of Amelia Earhart, and the death of Princess Diana. There’s a lot of episodes from the decade since the show began (over 450 at the time of writing) so you’re probably best to pick and choose which cases sound the most interesting, and dive in.
Dr Death
This podcast focuses on the cases of doctors who committed medical malpractice. Produced by Wondery, each series focuses on a different case. The first series focuses on Texas surgeon Christopher Duntsch, who was given the nickname Dr Death on account of him leaving several of his patients either seriously wounded or dead after operating on them. The second series meanwhile focuses on Farid Fata, who needlessly prescribed patients chemotherapy despite them not having cancer or needing that treatment, and the third series focuses on Paolo Macchiarini, a Swiss-born Italian surgeon who was found to have experimented on patients and committed fraudulent research. The podcast was later adapted into a TV series in 2021.
The Dropout
Staying in the medical world, The Dropout is a podcast that chronicles the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO of the now defunct Theranos, and how she convinced investors and the world that she had a revolutionary new technology for conducting blood tests. The series began in 2019, not long after Holmes had been indicted by a federal court. The show examines how Theranos expanded since its founding in 2003, and how Holmes changed her appearance and voice to convince the world of her ambitions, modelling herself off of idol Steve Jobs. The podcast is another that was adapted into TV series starring Amanda Seyfried as Holmes, and which we covered here.
Serial
The podcast that defined the true crime audio genre, Serial is one of the most downloaded podcasts of all time, as well as one of the most influential. Hosted by Sarah Koenig, and beginning in 2014, the show was created by those behind This American Life, and focuses on true crime stories from recent decades. The original series focused on the murder of Hae Min Lee, an 18 year old high school student who disappeared and was later discovered dead in 1999. The second series meanwhile looked at the story of Sergeant Bowe Berghdal, who was captured and held by the Taliban for 5 years, and the third series covers cases from the Cleveland Justice Centre Complex. The first series alone has over 300 million downloads, making it one of the most popular in the history of podcasts. It was also honoured with a Peadbody award for innovation in long form story telling.
Death In Ice Valley
Death In Ice Valley tells the story of the Isdal Woman case, when an unidentified female body was found dead in Isdalen, which means ice valley, in Norway. The case remains unsolved, over 50 years later, and the podcast investigates the various theories and circumstances surrounding the woman’s death, which officially was ruled a suicide at the time. Given the Cold War was ongoing at the time, there’s been suggestions she was some sort of spy, and whether her disappearance was related to the testing of a top secret Norwegian missile. The NPK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation in English) and BBC production is a great listen if you want a case that quite literally went cold.
Criminal
As the title suggests, Criminal is pretty much a catch all podcast for true crime. The show is “about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle”, and you can find all kinds of crime stories in these relatively short 20 minutes to half an hour episodes. Robberies, drug crimes, murders and strange TV hacking incidents can all be found in these episodes. Host Phoebe Judge keeps things smooth and concise, and you’re often left feeling that reality really is stranger than fiction. Oh, and it’s got the seal of approval of New Zealand PM Jacinda Arden too.
Son Of A Hitman
This true crime podcast is a strange one: it investigates the crimes and murders of Charles Harrelson, father of Woody Harrelson. Yes, that one. The father of the star known for Cheers and The People Vs Larry Flint was apparently a hitman, and was convicted for a series of crimes in the 60s and 70s. The Harrelson family are interviewed in the show, hosted by Jason Cavanagh, and asked what they knew of Charles’ life of crime, and whether or not he was guilty or innocent. Charles Harrelson was also allegedly involved in the John F. Kennedy assassination, which adds an extra layer of strange intrigue to the podcast. The series is a neat ten episodes long, and is available on Spotify.
