Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

A powerful South Carolina family is laid low by addiction, embezzlement, and murder. We’ll review the Hulu drama series “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”

Transcribed - Published: 1 December 2025

A famous author is pulled into a twisted mind game with her rich, powerful new neighbor — who might be a murderer. Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys star in the Netflix thriller series “The Beast in Me.”

Transcribed - Published: 27 November 2025

A self-styled gigolo uses mob money to start a modeling agency, disrupting an industry built on sex, parties, and exploitation. We’ll review the podcast “Model Wars” from Campside Media and iHeartPodcasts.

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2025

A quirky investigative journalist explores a death in a powerful political family. Along the way, he crosses paths with hate groups, antiques dealers, a comely widow, and his own pre-teen daughter. Ethan Hawke stars in the quirky mystery series “The Lowdown” on FX.

Transcribed - Published: 20 November 2025

A lawyer won a multibillion-dollar judgement against Big Oil. When the company fought back, he lost everything - including his freedom. We review the Audible Original podcast “Scorched Earth.”

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2025

Authorities in Pennsylvania removed children and made arrests based on findings by a doctor who specialized in identifying child abuse. But critics say she was too eager to diagnose abuse when none had occurred. We’ll talk about the podcast “The Preventionist” from Serial Productions and The New York Times.

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2025

It was one of the country’s biggest drug smuggling operations - involving Chinese gangs, mahjong parlors, and a mastermind named “Onionhead.” We’ll review the podcast “The Chinatown Sting” from Pushkin Industries.

Transcribed - Published: 10 November 2025

He was one of Nashville’s most colorful figures with a raucous nightclub to match. But is the right man in prison for the death of David “Skull” Schulman? We’ll review season two of The Tennessean podcast “Murder on Music Row: The Skull at the End of the Rainbow.”

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2025

Kate Wyler goes from London to Washington, as the relationship between the US and Britain - and between her and Hal - falls apart. We’ll talk about season three of Netflix’s “The Diplomat,” starring Keri Russell.

Transcribed - Published: 3 November 2025

TV’s favorite true crime podcast team looks into a mob wife, a trio of billionaires, and a secret casino beneath the Arconia to find out who killed their doorman. We’ll talk about season five of “Only Murders in the Building.”

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2025

An FBI agent leads a task force hunting those ripping off biker drug houses. But double-crosses abound among the gang - and those investigating them. We’ll review the HBO Original series “Task.”

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2025

Canadian investigators look into the murder of an antagonistic rock climber who used an assumed name. But when they learn his true identity, the mystery really begins. We’ll review the podcast “Dirtbag Climber” from CBC’s Uncover.

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2025

A journalist aboard a yacht sees a woman go overboard in the middle of the night. Why don’t the ship’s wealthy passengers believe her? Keira Knightley makes a splash in the film adaptation of “The Woman in Cabin 10.”

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2025

One woman’s complaints about children playing outside her home escalates to a tragic conclusion. But who does the law protect when a neighbor kills a neighbor? We’ll talk about the documentary film “The Perfect Neighbor” on Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

The official One Chicago Podcast kicks off with Jason Beghe, who has played Sergeant Hank Voight on Chicago P.D. since day one.

Transcribed - Published: 14 October 2025

A curious homemaker solves a cold case murder, implicating six people and sending one away for life. Was this citizen sleuth’s purpose to discover Jessica Currin’s killer - or protect him? We’ll talk about season three of the podcast “Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County.”

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2025

A stand-up comic mixes his jokes with his own terrifying true crime experience. A journalist works to learn how much of the homegrown story of murder is true. We’ll review the podcast “Wisecrack” from Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts.

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 2025

An American student abroad is accused of murdering her roommate. She struggles to prove her innocence to an Italian jury - and to the world. We’ll discuss the Hulu series “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox.”

Transcribed - Published: 6 October 2025

A true crime fan tries to prove her mother didn’t kill her father. How can she be so sure? Because she was tied up in a locked closet during the murder. We’ll review the podcast “Hands Tied” from iHeartPodcasts and BBC Studios.

Transcribed - Published: 2 October 2025

A Georgia couple’s newborn died 12 hours after coming home. Police said the cause was murder; their lawyers say the cause was medical. We’ll talk about season 11 of “Breakdown: Three Days in May” from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Transcribed - Published: 29 September 2025

He left his child in the backseat of a hot car. He said it was a tragic accident - the police said it was a calculated murder. We’ll go back to our 2016 discussion of “Breakdown” season two from host Bill Rankin and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Transcribed - Published: 25 September 2025

Four residents with a penchant for mysteries try to solve a homicide in their British retirement community. We’ll talk about the feature film “The Thursday Murder Club.”

Transcribed - Published: 22 September 2025

Many feared their lives would be forever altered after New Years 2000. For some, it was - just not in the ways they thought. We’ll go back to our 2018 review of “Headlong: Surviving Y2K” from Dan Taberski.

Transcribed - Published: 18 September 2025

Authorities struggled to track down who had been sending harassing text messages to a teenage girl. Then…came the plot twist! We’ll talk about “Unknown Number: A High School Catfish” from Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 15 September 2025

Three neighbors put their true crime fandom to the test in a real life mystery. But they won’t solve just any crime…only murders in the building. We’ll revisit our 2021 season one discussion of the instant Hulu classic.

Transcribed - Published: 11 September 2025

A nurse said her epidural failed during her own Caesarean section. Her story prompted an effort to change the way doctors address women’s pain. We’ll talk about season two of “The Retrievals" from Serial Productions and The New York Times.

Transcribed - Published: 8 September 2025

He forced a standoff with the federal government over grazing rights, then gave the world a peek into his follower’s radical vision for America. We’ll revisit Leah Sottile’s prophetic investigation in the 2018 podcast “Bundyville.”

Transcribed - Published: 4 September 2025

In 1991, four girls were killed during a robbery at a dessert shop. Were the people convicted actually responsible for the deaths? We’ll discuss “The Yogurt Shop Murders” from HBO.

Transcribed - Published: 1 September 2025

A Chicago accountant flees to the backwoods to launder money and pay his debt to a Mexican drug cartel. We’ll revisit our August 18, 2017 review of season one of the crime-thriller classic “Ozark.”

Transcribed - Published: 28 August 2025

A woman finds herself drawn into a new friend group - one filled with skeet shooting, sexual seduction…and murder! We’ll review the Netflix hit series “The Hunting Wives.”

Transcribed - Published: 25 August 2025

A journalist investigates an unsolved murder along Canada's infamous Highway of Tears…and sheds light on an overlooked epidemic of violence against Indigenous women. We’re going back to our December 2, 2016 review of the CBC’s groundbreaking podcast “Missing and Murdered” with host Connie Walker.

Transcribed - Published: 21 August 2025

An ambitious investigator displays an uncanny knack for solving arsons. His partner suspects he’s the one setting them. We’ll review “Smoke” from Apple TV+.

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2025

She raised millions of dollars to build a machine that could conduct dozens of diagnostic tests from a single drop of blood…but it was all a lie. We’ll return to our 2019 review of the biotech-con podcast “The Dropout.”

Transcribed - Published: 14 August 2025

It was a growing youth ministry dedicated to creating the next generation of evangelicals. Then it tried to turn them into modern day martyrs. We’ll talk about season two of “Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War” on Prime Video.

Transcribed - Published: 11 August 2025

He was a colorful showman who ran a sketchy zoo filled with big cats. She was the animal activist dogged by murder rumors who wanted to shut him down. That’s when Joe tried to have Carole killed. We’ll revisit our 2020 review of the series that changed pandemic television habits: Netflix’s “Tiger King.”

Transcribed - Published: 7 August 2025

A local TV anchor was abducted and vanished in 1995. Now a cold case detective pursues a new lead. We’ll talk about the series “Her Last Broadcast” on Hulu.

Transcribed - Published: 4 August 2025

A Mississippi man sits on death row for decades after being tried six times for a quadruple murder. But an investigative team uncovers evidence he didn’t do it. We’ll go back to our 2018 review of probably the best true crime podcast of all time: season two of “In the Dark.”

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2025

A woman finds her sister’s become the personal assistant to an enigmatic socialite who just might be a murderer running a cult. Meghann Fahy and Julianne Moore star in “Sirens” on Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 28 July 2025

A punk rocker is shot in 1982, then his body disappears. A journalist explores whether their mother’s claims of a cover-up are true. We’ll go back to our April 15, 2019 review of the classic podcast series “The Ballad of Billy Balls.”

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2025

These teens turned to a maternity home to help with their pregnancies and arrange adoptions to “deserving” Christian families. But what happens if they instead want to keep their babies? We’ll talk about the podcast “Liberty Lost” from Wondery.

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2025

Investigative reporters journey into the darkest part of the dark web in pursuit of a child pornographer. We’ll go back to our 2019 review of “Hunting Warhead” from CBC Podcasts and Norwegian newspaper VG.

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2025

Four decades ago, the subject of a documentary on trans culture was murdered. Now her family wants to learn more about how she died…and how she lived. We’ll talk about “I’m Your Venus” from Netflix.

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2025

Who’s ready for a “number two”? America’s favorite true crime teenagers return to investigate who is the Turd Burglar? We’ll go back to 2018 for a classic rewind to our review of the sequel to the Peabody Award-winning comedy series “American Vandal.”

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2025

Lured by the promise of good wages, they instead found themselves in the jungle, forced to make scam calls from a compound patrolled by armed guards. We’ll talk about the podcast “Scam Factory” from Wondery.

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2025

Two reporters spent years recording their secret conversations with an infamous serial killer. Could they get him to confess things he never told the police? We’ll review the latest season of CBC’s “Uncover: Calls from a Killer.”

Transcribed - Published: 3 July 2025

Former college athletes say they were abused by the team doctor - and their coaches and the university looked the other way. We’ll talk about the HBO Original documentary “Surviving Ohio State.”

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2025

A journalist and newly elected public officials try to get to the bottom of why so many inmates are dying in a Pennsylvania prison. We’ll review the podcast “Death County, PA” from Wondery and Penn Live.

Transcribed - Published: 26 June 2025

A successful magazine editor reunites with her troubled sister to solve the murder of the man who had been husband to them both. We’ll talk about “The Better Sister” from Prime.

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2025

A wounded police detective is tasked with creating a cold case unit. Can he uncover what happened to a missing Scottish prosecutor? We’ll talk about the Netflix series “Dept. Q.”

Transcribed - Published: 19 June 2025

He was a notorious undertaker accused of misdeeds against the dearly departed. Did he also commit crimes against the living? We’ll talk about “The Mortician” from HBO Documentary Films.

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2025