Crime Writers On...

Rebecca teases the upcoming supplemental episodes of In the Dark, Lara gets sick, Toby has further thoughts on Maura Murray, and Kevin explains his fear of being blown up by his snow blower.The panel discuss "The Founder," the latest episode of Reply All in which we learn the incredible life of crime of Paul Le Roux. It's a good tale about the super-villain you’ve never heard of.Then the Crime Writers talk about TNT's “I Am the Night,” a limited series based on the life story of Fauna Hodel and starring Chris Pine. The show sways between noir and surrealism, looking to tell Fauna’s unbelievable life story in a believable way.TO HEAR THE SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "I AM THE NIGHT," GO TO 58:10..In Crime of the Week: smoke 'em if you got 'em. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Crime writers assemble! Lara gets to bitch about stuff she can’t hear them saying on “True Detective.” Toby discovers the “Crime Beat” podcast, which he predicts will go big. Rebecca talks to Maggie Freleng about new developments in the Maura Murray case. Kevin stifles a cough.The panel reviews “Conviction” from Gimlet Media. It’s a profile of a brash, self-assured private investigator who will go to any length to prove his client was set up by a crooked cop. Is he a champion of justice or a detrimental showboat?TO HEAR THE SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF CONVICTION, GO TO 1:08:31In crime of the week: put a tiger in your toke. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rebecca and Kevin announce a new benefit for Patreon supporters. You’ll now be able to get Married with Podcast, their exclusive marriage & parenting advice show. Check out www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia for more details.In True Crime Update, HBO will soon air its post-Serial documentary, “The Case Against Adnan Syed.” A press release promises “new discoveries, as well as groundbreaking revelations that challenge the state's case.”The panel does a mini-review of “The Dropout” from ABC Radio and ABC News Nightline. This investigation into a self-made billionaire and her massive biotech shell game is a compelling story of corporate true crime.FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE DROPOUT" GO TO 32:18.Finally, the Crime Writers talk about Netflix’s “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.” With a prolific amount of contemporaneous film and personal audio recordings, this reexamination into the serial killer’s daring and deadly life of crime is enlightening.FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE TE

Lara is hopped up on chocolate-covered espresso beans…so hold on to your hats, people. The panel talks about Hollywood’s plans for a dramatized retelling of the “Wild Wild Country” story. Rebecca poses the question of whether “Conviction” and Gimlet’s other testosterone-fueled true crime offers are “a little too bro.” Then the crime writers discuss whether the sensibility and narrative certitude of true crime publishing has a place in the broken system/unsolved case popularity of modern podcasts.The group tackles the new season of HBO’s True Detective. It replicates season 1’s neo-gothic settings, stylized cinematography, shifting timelines, unreliable narrators, and its all-star cast. But does the latest installment return True Detective to its once-revered reputation?WE’LL BE DISCUSSING PLOT POINTS TO TRUE DETECTIVE, SO TO STAY SPOILER-FREE FAST-FORWARD TO OUR REVIEWS AT 1:01:06Then in crime of the week: kill ‘em with Kindness. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter a

It's a breakfast-hour recording for the panel after a basement flooding emergency threw off the schedule (not to fear...Studio C is undamaged). Also, the dog's weird behavior has a medical explanation.The Crime Writers do a quick take on the new installment of "Done Disappeared." After a shaky sophomore season, the podcast parody seems to be back to peak form.Then the team gives their thoughts (and they have a lot of them) about the new doc from Netflix, "Abducted in Plain Sight." The story of a girl kidnapped by her neighbor - twice - is filled with a ton of WTF moments, but does that alone make for a good documentary?FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT" GO TO 54:59In crime of the week: $10,000,000 finders keepers. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The crime writers discuss the finer points of hate mail. Toby gives a shout out to a little-known but important local podcast called 2nd Read, Rebecca and Kevin plug their appearance on Netflix's "You Can't Make This Up" podcast, and Lara has wine come out her nose.The panel reviews Monster, which explores the sinister ciphers and random slayings of the Zodiac Killer that gripped California in 1969. Documentary or exposé, is it possible they’ll put forth a theory which has yet to be made after a half-century of investigation?TO HEAR THE SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "MONSTER," SKIP TO 54:54.Then in crime of the week: purloined purple penguin. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two true crime updates this week. The "hot sheriff" from Murder Mountain issues a rebuttal of-sorts to the Netflix doc. Meantime, based on a recent court decision favorable to his case, Adnan Syed's legal team has submitted a supplemental filing in his appeal. Then there's a special cameo from this month's guest on Toby Ball's Deep Dive podcast.Next the crime writers talk about the hit podcast "Broken Harts." This collaboration between HowStuffWorks and Glamour magazine looks at the case of a family killed when their van was intentional driven over an ocean cliff. The background of the Harts is compelling, but does the pod do a good job presenting any of these issues?FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "BROKEN HARTS," GO TO 57:09.In crime of the week: open sesame. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s 2019 and the Crime Writers resolve to bring it in the new year.The panel clicks its way through "Bandersnatch," Netflix’s hot interactive TV show. Toby thinks it meshes gimmick with good story, Kevin likes its meta themes, and Lara is still trying to figure out her Roku. Meanwhile, Rebecca finally finishes her summer reading.The Crime Writers catch the 4:20 to “Murder Mountain,” the new Netflix doc about the outlaw California region where black market marijuana is cultivated. Does the six-part series effectively weave the story of an unsolved(?) murder with its look at the past and future of the region now that legalization has uprooted the industry?TO HEAR THE SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "MURDER MOUNTAIN" GO TO 59:22.Then in Crime of the Week: And to all a good fight. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is it an early Christmas present, or a justified lawsuit? We weigh in on the news that one of the maybe-corrupt law enforcement officers featured in Making A Murderer has filed suit against Netflix and the filmmakers. Plus, one of the Bundy clan is walking away from the movement we heard about in the excellent podcast Bundyville. Why? The answer might surprise you.And yes, a much-maligned podcast gets a follow up as we break down what we heard in the new trailer for Monster: The Zodiac Killer.Then, in our main event review, we break down and review the latest entry from Netflix in the true crime documentary genre. It’s called The Innocent Man, and it’s based on a book from an author better known for campy courtroom novels. Do we love it? Find out!TO HEAR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF THE INNOCENT MAN, FAST-FORWARD TO 1:01:33.  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ou

OH SNAP! Rebecca describes her misadventure in the woods. We make an announcement about PodX. In true crime update, Curtis Flowers's defense hopes to turn the tables on Doug Evans.We review Cold, the new podcast from KSL examining the Susan Powell case. A thorough examination of the lives of the Powells through recovered computer files, audio diaries, videotape, and dramatic readings, we ask how much is too much?TO HEAR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF COLD, FAST-FORWARD TO 32:58.We look back 2018 with our recommendations of the best things to watch, read, and listen to. What's everyone's pick for the best podcast of the year?Rebecca's picks:The Word is Murder by Anthony HorowitzTom Bouman’s Dry Bones In The ValleyTV series Scott and BaileyThe CB Strike series by Robert Galbraith AKA the unknown author JK rowlingThe Faroe Island series by Chris OuldThis crazy ass season of Law and Order SVUThe Logan McRae series by Stuart McBrideGetting Curious podcast by Jonathan Van NessThe Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter Ke

IRL Rebecca renders a verdict...and gets to check something off her bucket list. There's a true crime update out of Australia with an arrest in the Teacher's Pet case. Should we reconsider the quality of a podcast story poorly told, yet effective at solving the crime?HBO brings us to tears with The Sentence, a look at one woman's 15-year mandatory-minimum sentence and its effects on her young children. Can a documentary about a single family speak to a larger institutional issue?TO HERE OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE SENTENCE" GO TO 33:01.Then Dan Taberski returns with Headlong: Surviving Y2K. This look at global disaster averted weaves stories about eager doomsday preppers, bank robbers, dissident journalists, mothers in labor, and Taberski's own story of coming out to his wife. Let's party like it's 1999.TO HEAR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "SURVIVING Y2K" GO TO 1:11:53.Then in Crime of the Week: there arose such a clatter. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at cri

Good news/bad news in our true crime podcast updates. He’s podcasting’s second most-famous inmate. Now someone is leaving Ear Hustle…for a great reason. Also, a return trip to Winona by Madeline Baron and In the Dark gins up more CWO anger. Was that recent fire a coincidence or payback for supporting Curtis Flowers?A microchip has solved the mystery of the stray cat taken in by Lara. Seems she soon after had an awkward conversation with a neighbor.Bravo’s Dirty John is the first true crime podcast to get a scripted TV adaptation. How well is the Connie Britton/Eric Bana-led show telling the story? And does it matter if we already know how it ends?Then we take a longer look at USA Today’s ten-part series The City. It’s a giant heap of garbage…we mean, the story is about a giant heap of garbage which turns up overnight in a depressed Chicago neighborhood. Does the examination of city politics, corruption, and environmental racism adequately fill the time the podcast’s been given?FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "

Serial wraps up season 3 with more from Joshua behind bars (should the whole season have been him?). We leave some notes in the suggestion box for Sarah Koenig about how S3 could have pulled together the many themes touched on: overcharging, racial inequality, police misconduct, and the indifference to improving the system.Then we binge Amazon Prime's "Homecoming," the first major TV adaptation of a hit podcast. It has its own visual and musical style and a plot that suddenly veers from the source material. Is there enough different about the TV series to keep fans of the podcast engaged?TO HEAR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "HOMECOMING" FAST-FORWARD TO 1:09:34.Then in crime of the week: doughnut make my brown eyes blue?  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sarah Koenig talking to a man behind bars who got done-wrong by the system. Wait, what season of Serial is this? We're talking about "A Madman's Vacation" with its revealing look at the Cleveland juvenile justice system.Then we talk about the powerful series from Michigan Radio and NPR, "Believed." This podcast takes a hard look at the crimes of gymnastics trainer Larry Nassar who was convicted of sexually assaulting more than 200 girls. Believed tells the tale through the stories of his victims and tries to examine how Nassar got away with it for so long. And our CWO discussion gets personal.NOTE: THIS PART OF OUR DISCUSSION MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME LISTENERS. TO SKIP PAST IT, OR JUST STAY SPOILER-FREE, FAST-FORWARD TO THE 1:06:11 MARK.Then in crime of the week: the spirit within her. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data

Killers or conspiracy? Justice or just desserts?We dedicate our entire episode to the much-awaited sequel to 2016's breakout hit and cultural phenomenon: Netflix's Making a Murderer 2. Our review takes two paths. First the panel discusses the Brendan Dassey story line. Did it capture the drama of his reversed reversal of fortune? Then on to the tale of Steven Avery's attorney Kathrine Zellner. Does her investigation create more doubt about Avery's conviction? Or is it more of (a different kind of) the same.WE ARE DOING ALL THE SPOILERS, SO TO STAY SPOILER-FREE JUMP TO 1:07:26.In crime of the week: pooper star! For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Serial episode 7, "Snowball Effect," we see the negative after-effects of Erimius's and Jesse's cases. What were once two men with the moral high ground against police misconduct are now spiraling into self-sabotage.Then we look at Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football, Inc. This podcast from the Boston Globe Spotlight team examines how football and his environment contributed to Hernandez going from NFL tight end to having three murder charges. A must-listen, even for non-sports fans.Want to skip our spoilers and just get to the thumbs-up or thumbs-down review? Go to 1:00:18In crime of the week: swift justice. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's the return for the Brickter Scale. In Serial episode 6, "You in the Red Shirt," Sarah and Emmanuel get into the story of a man beaten by East Cleveland police who seems to get justice in the court but continues to pay for it on the street.Then we talk about "Happy Face" AKA "My dad, the serial killer." This podcast of a daughter's take on her secretly-homicidal father has everything: truckers, bunk beds, prison correspondence...bears. But does it have a point? (Spoiler alert: Nope!)FOR A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "HAPPY FACE" FAST-FORWARD TO 57:35.In Crime of the Week: skin diver. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Serial episode 5, Pleas Baby Pleas, Sarah brings us inside the prosecutor’s office, giving us a view of what it’s like to be one of too-few prosecutors in a system with too many felonies to prosecute, with some decisions made for justice and some for expediency. But does this episode live up to Serial's promise? The panel is split 3-1.Then, we review The Dream, a new podcast from Stitcher that looks at the unsavory world of multi-level marketing companies, and the reasons some people get sucked in.For our review without spoilers, skip to: 1:06:41.In Crime of the Week: Apple, peaches, pumpkin pie. Who's not ready, holler "I."  For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Serial season 3 episode 4, "A Bird in Jail is Worth Two on the Street," Sarah introduces us to man charged with shooting of an infant in a car before the state dropped the charges. Could this have been avoided? We learn that a snitch in time could have saved him a year in jail.Then...American Vandal is back with number two. Netflix's smart, Peabody Award winning, true crime satire returns with Pete and Sam looking for the Turd Burglar. Call the police, because DeMarcus steals the show.FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "AMERICAN VANDAL," JUMP AHEAD TO 59:25.Then in Crime of the Week - golden goats. Kevin wishes to thank the following folks for donating to the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes walk-a-thon. Krista Correa, Rachel Harrison, Rebecca Epstein, Ben & Noel Bruening, Claire Cantwell, Kylie McElveen, Jennifer Rubenstein, Nikki Mans, Jessica McEachern, Emiliano Diaz de Leon, Katy Veprauskas, Anne Rogers, Carol Coello, Leah & Susan Kosior, Kimberly Hoefling, Wendy Martin, Lisa Miller, Melissa Huenefeldt, B

In Serial episode 3, "Misdemeanor, Meet Mr. Lawsuit," Sarah looks into the issue of how the police interact with the African-American population in their communities. A large topic writ small through the story of one arrest in a hallway. Which one of the crime writers says this is the best single episode of Serial ever?Then the panel discuss the new CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM. The distinctive Canadian presentation style takes on an alleged sex cult. (Want to skip to our spoiler-free review? The time code is 1:04:06)In Crime of the Week: game over. (Thanks to listener Kevin Carroll for contributing this COTW!) For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.