Best Serial Podcasts (2024)

1
The Good Whale - Trailer 4:40

4h ago4:40

4:40

After the movie “Free Willy” became a hit, word got out that the star of the film, a killer whale named Keiko, was sick and living in a tiny pool at a Mexican amusement park. Fans were outraged and pleaded for his release. “The Good Whale” tells the story of the wildly ambitious science experiment to return Keiko to the ocean — while the world watc…

1
Kill List 49:34

2h ago49:34

49:34

A white hat hacker provides journalist Carl Miller with backdoor access to a page on the dark web offering the services of a hit man. The site is just a scam, but the transactions identify more than 100 people who are in real life danger from someone motivated to harm them. Though the buyers are anonymous, Miller feels an obligation to find the tar…

1
Woman of the Hour 49:20

14m ago49:20

49:20

Looking to get a break in show business, struggling actress Sheryl Bradshaw appears on “The Dating Game.” The first two bachelors are either shallow or lascivious, but bachelor number three has an easy charm that makes him the clear favorite. But Rodney Alcala is more than a smooth-talking photographer looking for love. He’s spent the past decade m…

1
Only Murders in the Building S4 50:46

1d ago50:46

50:46

A Hollywood studio courts Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to make a star-studded movie based on their hit podcast. But Charles is shaken by another murder in the building: his longtime stunt double, Sazz, was killed in his apartment by a sniper, and her body burned in the incinerator. Before she died, Sazz had been poking into something about the first …

1
#1 Dad 46:00

2d ago46:00

46:00

Comedian Gary Vider had a great childhood story about him and his father sneaking into scores of games at Madison Square Garden posing as a reporter for Sports Illustrated Kids. But the charming tale belied a deeper truth. Manny Vider was a prolific con artist, with a never ending stream of business scams, insurance fraud, and other schemes that ev…

1
Flint Town 37:15

12d ago37:15

37:15

Filmmakers follow officers in a troubled Michigan city to confront the challenges of policing, race relations, politics, and what it means to be a community. We’ll go back to our 2018 review of the documentary series “Flint Town.” For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.…

1
Criminal Attorney 44:08

9d ago44:08

44:08

Former prosecutor Paul Bergrin made a name for himself as an aggressive defense attorney, handling difficult cases involving celebrities and hardened criminals in New Jersey. But as his reputation grew, so did suspicions about the lengths he’d go to get his clients off the hook. An FBI investigation found that Bergrin wasn’t just representing his u…

1
Witnessed: Night Shift 44:37

13d ago44:37

44:37

In 1992, relatively stable patients at the VA hospital in Columbia, Missouri were dying on one ward’s overnight shift at an alarming rate. A review of the charts showed nurse Richard Williams had been present for most of the Code Blues, but he denied being responsible for the deaths. Whistleblowers accused VA administrators of keeping the situation…

1
Bad Monkey 46:50

16d ago46:50

46:50

After fishermen reel in a severed arm off of Key West, demoted police detective Andrew Yancy grows suspicious of the victim’s young widow and her mysterious new boyfriend. Yancy thinks Eve’s husband Nick might not be the victim of a boating accident, especially as more people wind up dead. Meanwhile, the couple have been scooping up property and di…

1
Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD 51:43

20d ago51:43

51:43

New York’s police department says its mission is to protect and serve, but its long forgotten origin story says something different. Before they carried weapons and wore uniforms, the city’s loose affiliation of constables and watchmen hunted escaped enslaved people and made arrests for a fee. New York eventually formed a police force, one less foc…

1
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist 47:00

23d ago47:00

47:00

A small-time Atlanta numbers runner named Chicken Man is given a big-time opportunity: throw a party for all the bosses of the Black mafia after Muhammad Ali’s comeback fight. But a group of robbers holds up the partygoers, making off with nearly a million dollars in cash and jewelry. Detective JD Hudson is tasked with finding the violent robbers -…

1
Hush 52:52

27d ago52:52

52:52

Oregon death row inmate Jesse Lee Johnson always proclaimed his innocence in the 1998 murder of Harriet Thompson. Seventeen years later, with little fanfare, authorities released Johnson from prison instead of retrying him for the crime. But if the case was too weak to pursue a conviction, how was Johnson arrested in the first place? Why did Salem …

1
Dangerous Memories 45:54

1M ago45:54

45:54

A young woman from a posh English family sought clarity about her sexual orientation from therapist Anne Craig. She convinced Fipsi her issues were a result of childhood abuse at the hands of her family - abuse Fipsi had no recollection of. Anne convinced her to cut ties with them and focus instead on their sessions. Anne diagnosed most of her well…

1
Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter 49:35

1M ago49:35

49:35

Cathy Terkanian learned the daughter she gave up for adoption decades earlier vanished under mysterious circumstances while a teenager. When she dug deeper into Aundria Bowman’s disappearance, she learned police never investigated her adoptive father, despite his history of violence. Convinced the Bowmans knew more than they were saying, Cathy bega…

1
Chameleon: Dr. Miracle 53:10

1M ago53:10

53:10

Dr. Robert Young rose to prominence in the world of holistic medicine claiming cancer was not a cell, but rather poisonous acid in the body, so a diet rich in alkaline would neutralize it. The charismatic practitioner opened the so-called Miracle Ranch, where sick people sought expensive treatments to balance their pH. Though he doled out advice an…

1
In the Dark season 3 (eps 6-9) 1:00:49

1M ago1:00:49

1:00:49

When we last listened to season three of “In the Dark,” Madeleine Baran had collected signatures from the families of the Haditha victims, hoping to obtain secret photographs of the massacre. In the final episodes of the season, the team gives the pictures to an analyst who says the images are clear evidence of a war crime. Military prosecutors eve…

1
The Perfect Couple 45:58

1M ago45:58

45:58

Hours before a wedding at the Winbury’s Nantucket estate, the maid of honor’s body washes ashore. Investigators believe the death was no accident. All the family members are now suspects in the case. They include man-of-leisure Tag Winbury, his high-strung wife and mystery novelist Greer, and their three sons: cash strapped Thomas, adolescent Will,…

1
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder 48:35

2M ago48:35

48:35

Secondary school student Pippa Fitz-Amobi selects a controversial topic for an extra credit project. She wants to re-investigate the murder/suicide that rocked her sleepy English village five years earlier. She’s not convinced popular teen Andie Bell was killed by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, and Pip enlists his brother to help her. Pip grills Andie’s…

1
Noble 46:34

2M ago46:34

46:34

Working off a tip, investigators in a small Georgia town made a gruesome discovery at Tri-State Crematory. Bodies that were supposed to be cremated were instead dumped around the business’s property. The deceased numbered in the hundreds and had been left to rot for years. Owner Brent Marsh was charged with several crimes. Meanwhile, loved ones fel…

1
Drowning Creek 40:45

2M ago40:45

40:45

In 2007, 18-year-old Justin Gaines left an Atlanta-area nightclub, got into a black car and disappeared. Seven years later, Dylan Glass told police he took part in Justin’s murder at an after-hours party and his mother helped clean it up. He was never charged and later recanted his statement. Over the years, tips about Justin’s fate and his whereab…

1
Introducing: Toby Ball's RIP CURRENT 4:51

2M ago4:51

4:51

California, September 1975. Within a span of 17 days and less than 90 miles, two women, working separately, tried to assassinate the president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford. These are the only two times we know of that a woman has tried to assassinate an American president. The first, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, was already infamous as a promi…

1
Backfired: The Vaping Wars 48:40

2M ago48:40

48:40

A pair of Stanford students turned their senior project on making a new kind of clean e-cigarette into the multi-billion dollar company known as JUUL. But a product envisioned as a way to give adults an alternative to smoking soon contributed to a new epidemic of teens getting hooked on nicotine. Though public outrage, bad press, and legislative ac…

1
The Thing About Pam 30:31

2M ago30:31

30:31

For the first time, network TV’s biggest true crime personality brings his signature style to podcasting. We’ll rewind to our September 30, 2019 review of the quirky classic from Dateline NBC, “The Thing About Pam,” with a "Date with Dateline" cameo appearance. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crime…

1
In the Dark: Season 3 (eps 1-5) 54:44

2M ago54:44

54:44

An Iraqi lawyer reaches out to an American investigative journalist about a massacre that killed family members and others in his hometown. In 2005, after an IED attack on their convoy, US Marines stormed a village and executed 24 men, women, and children. The servicemen claimed they were returning fire from insurgents, but the evidence collected -…

1
The Night Of 43:38

2M ago43:38

43:38

A man awakes to find his one-night stand has been murdered. Can a down-on-his-luck lawyer win his freedom? We’ll go back to our July 22, 2016 review of HBO’s Emmy award winning “The Night Of." For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.By Partners in Crime Media

1
Daughters 50:05

2M ago50:05

50:05

A group of young girls prepare for a special Daddy-Daughter dance with their incarcerated fathers at a Washington, D.C. jail. For most, it’s the only time they’ll be able to touch or hug their dads until they’ve completed their sentences. The inmates must first complete a course on the meaning of fatherhood and contemplate their relationships with …

1
Killing Eve 28:50

3M ago28:50

28:50

An intelligence analyst and a cunning assassin play a sexy game of cat and mouse. We’ll do a classic rewind to our June 8, 2018 review of BBC America’s “Killing Eve” starring Emmy winners Sandra Oh and Jody Comer. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.…

1
The Mystery Hour with Rabia Chaudry is available NOW! 44:24

3M ago44:24

44:24

Mystery Hour sees Rabia Chaudry partner up with award-winning, long-running suspense magazines. Ellery Queen's and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazines are working with Chaudry as she dives into and narrates contemporary crime-fiction stories evocative of the Master of Suspense. Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, or click on the links be…

1
The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi 50:26

3M ago50:26

50:26

As he nears the end of his life, an aging hitman makes a confession to podcast host Marc Smerling. In 1978, he traveled to Rome to help the Italian mafia assassinate Pope John Paul I to cover up wrongdoings by the Vatican bank. Anthony Raimondi says he got into organized crime because his father was a ruthless mob enforcer. Instead of going to pris…

1
Don't F**k with Cats 39:13

3M ago39:13

39:13

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 Oct 7, 2018 for a classic rewind to our review of the Peabody Award-winning comedy series “American Vandal" season 2. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterso…

1
Teen Torture, Inc. 48:03

3M ago48:03

48:03

Their parents think they need tough love to get off drugs or improve their behavior. That’s how many adolescents wind up in a facility for so-called troubled teens. Billed as schools or camps, staff members often use violence to maintain discipline or mete out punishment. For decades, these programs resulted in physical and sexual abuse, deaths, lo…

1
Wind of Change 33:28

3M ago33:28

33:28

Was a cold war rock song actually a piece of CIA propaganda? We’ll rewind the cassette to our May 25, 2020 review of "Wind of Change " from Spotify, Pineapple Street, and Crooked Media, with host Patrick Radden Keefe. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.…

1
Lost Hills: Dark Canyon 43:48

3M ago43:48

43:48

In 2009, after her release from the LA County Sheriff’s Department on a minor arrest, Mitrice Richardson walked into the night and vanished. Her naked, mummified body was discovered months later in a remote Malibu Canyon creek bed. Authorities said the cause and manner of her death were undetermined. Mitrice’s family accused the department of botch…

1
Homecoming 27:12

3M ago27:12

27:12

A therapist discovers the mysterious clinic where she works is treating war vets by erasing their memories. We’ll go back to our Dec 30, 2016 review of Gimlet’s “Homecoming” starring Catherine Keener and Oscar Isaac. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.…

1
Hysterical 49:42

3M ago49:42

49:42

In 2011, more than a dozen high school girls in Le Roy, New York began displaying Tourette-like twitches and tics. Health officials could not find a physical or environmental cause for the symptoms, and believed the teens were suffering from conversion disorder. But some rejected the implication their illness was all in their heads, insisting a med…

1
Class Action Park 24:29

3M ago24:29

24:29

It was a water park focused on crazy rides and little concern for safety...and Rebecca has the scars to prove it. We’ll return to our Sept 21, 2020 review of “Class Action Park.” For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.By Partners in Crime Media

1
Deep Cover: The Nameless Man 45:51

4M ago45:51

45:51

While conducting a routine firearms background check, a federal agent hears a rumor about Thomas Gibison that dated back to high school. He’d bragged that he and a friend shot a Black man to earn a skinhead spider web tattoo. Investigators get accomplice Craig Peterson to confirm 15 years earlier they killed a random pedestrian in Philadelphia. But…

1
Mindhunter 45:08

4M ago45:08

45:08

A pair of FBI agents teams with a researcher to interview the most dangerous serial killers to create a new investigative tool: criminal profiling. We’ll revisit our Oct 27, 2017 review of Netflix’s “Mindhunter” For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.…

1
Murder on Music Row 49:38

4M ago49:38

49:38

In 1989, 23-year-old Kevin Hughes was killed when he was ambushed by a gunman along Nashville’s famous Music Row. Hughes had been troubled that the country music record chart he worked for was accepting money under the table to manipulate the rankings of up-and-coming artists. Hughes’s opposition to the dirty practice put him in the crosshairs of p…

1
Tell Them You Love Me 44:12

4M ago44:12

44:12

After seeing a report about facilitated communication, a student of professor Anna Stubblefield asked if she could help his disabled brother. With support for his arm and hand, Derrick Johnson could type on a small keyboard. With Stubblefield’s assistance, the nonverbal man could express a wide range of thought, feelings, and academic promise. Over…

1
The Letter: Ripple Effect 44:08

4M ago44:08

44:08

In 1982, restaurant manager Michael Moore shot accountant Jordan Rasmussen, then laundry van driver Buddy Booth who discovered the body. Though he escaped the firing squad, Moore sought advice from the sentencing board on how he might someday win his release from prison. The murders left gaping holes in the lives of the victims’ families, but when …

1
Hear Me 27:47

4M ago27:47

27:47

The Undisclosed Team presents a preview of the Season 15 Premiere episode of Truth & Justice with Bob Ruff. Bob is investigating a case that was sent to him by Rabia when life circumstances wouldn’t allow her to fully investigate the case herself. In this preview you’ll hear a collage of segments from the full episode, which can be listened to in i…

1
Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs 41:53

4M ago41:53

41:53

As California’s gay community began flourishing in the 1970s, a conservative politician pushed through a statewide ballot question: should gay and lesbian teachers be banned from California schools? State Senator John Briggs told voters children were at risk of molestation and indoctrination in the classroom. Though their political influence was sm…

1
White Devil 48:06

4M ago48:06

48:06

In May 2021, Belize police superintendent Henry Jammott was shot in the head with his own service weapon. Investigators arrested socialite Jasmine Hartin, who claimed the gun accidentally fired while Jammott was teaching her to handle it. Many in Belize assumed Hartin would get special consideration because her common-law husband was the son of Bri…

1
Dead Man Running 44:00

4M ago44:00

44:00

In 2019, authorities in California searched the sea for Scottish tourist Kim Avis, who was last seen going for a swim. BBC journalist Myles Bonnar remembered Avis as an eccentric street vendor from his hometown. But American police believed Avis faked his disappearance to avoid criminal prosecution for sexual assault back in Scotland. An internatio…

1
Ren Faire 48:45

5M ago48:45

48:45

For fifty years, George Coulam has owned the Texas Renaissance Faire, which he runs with an iron fist. Seeking to fill his remaining years with romance, the 86-year-old is considering selling the faire. His earnest general manager Jeff Baldwin believes “King George” will someday pass the reigns to him. For reasons unclear, the mercurial owner sours…

1
Broomgate: A Curling Scandal 48:09

5M ago48:09

48:09

In 2015, the gentlemanly world of professional curling was rocked by a new breakthrough. A team debuted the Hardline broom, one whose brushes were incredibly effective at guiding the gliding rock across the ice to the target with astonishing precision. Opponents bristled, claiming the Hardline broom provided an unfair advantage. Then a competing ma…

1
Fallen Angels 45:27

5M ago45:27

45:27

Workers discover a young woman has overdosed in a hotel room filled with drugs and a video camera, but the police never take any action against the older man who was with her. After getting a tip, LA Times investigative reporter Paul Pringle learns the man is Doctor Carmen Puliafito, the dean of USC’s medical school, who’s been living a secret life…

1
Pretendians 43:02

5M ago43:02

43:02

What do some of the most prominent Indigenous celebrities, politicians, and cultural leaders have in common? They’re not actually affiliated with the tribes they claim to have ties with. More and more so-called “pretendians” are being unmasked, accused of fabricating their native heritage. Some fake their ancestry to accumulate power, reshape their…

1
Under the Bridge 46:34

5M ago46:34

46:34

Writer Rebecca Godfrey returns to her parents’ home in Vancouver to develop a book about local teens in a foster home. One of the troubled girls she focuses on is soon connected to the disappearance of her frenemy, Reena Virk, last seen fleeing a group of teens who chased her from a party. When Reena’s body is discovered, Rebecca inserts herself in…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Serial Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide