Crime Writers On...True Crime Review-logo

Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

Crime-Justice

The original true crime review podcast that looks at other podcasts, TV, and pop culture. True crime authors and real-life couple Rebecca Lavoie and Kevin Flynn hold a pop-culture round table with noir novelist Toby Ball and journalist-turned-investigator Lara Bricker. The panel chats about other podcasts (including 'Serial') as well as journalism, storytelling, TV shows and films, and the special segment, 'Crime of the Week.' Show website: crimewriterson.com. Follow the show on X @crimewriterson. Find us on Facebook facebook.com/crimewritersonpodcast. Email the show at crimewriterson@gmail.com.

Location:

United States

Description:

The original true crime review podcast that looks at other podcasts, TV, and pop culture. True crime authors and real-life couple Rebecca Lavoie and Kevin Flynn hold a pop-culture round table with noir novelist Toby Ball and journalist-turned-investigator Lara Bricker. The panel chats about other podcasts (including 'Serial') as well as journalism, storytelling, TV shows and films, and the special segment, 'Crime of the Week.' Show website: crimewriterson.com. Follow the show on X @crimewriterson. Find us on Facebook facebook.com/crimewritersonpodcast. Email the show at crimewriterson@gmail.com.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Smoke

8/18/2025
Fire investigator Dave Gudsen is assigned a new partner to help capture two arsonists. One has been setting fires with milk jugs filled with gasoline and grease. The other has been taunting officials with a delayed-ignition device that’s burning grocery stores. Dave draws on his experience to write a novel about a heroic arson investigator with unusual insight into his suspect’s mind. To Detective Michelle Calderone, the book reads more like a confession. She begins to wonder whether her partner’s uncanny ability to pinpoint these fires’ origins is because he’s been setting them himself. Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in the Apple TV+ series “Smoke,” inspired by the podcast “Firebug.” The show also features Greg Kinnear, John Leguizamo, and Anna Chlumsky. As Dave closes in on the other arsonist he’s hunting, Michelle secretly collects evidence to learn whether the smoke surrounding her partner will lead to actual fire. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SMOKE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: milkin' it. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:45:36

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The Dropout

8/14/2025
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 Feb 11, 2019 review of the biotech-con podcast “The Dropout.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE DROPOUT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL FOUR MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:23:02

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Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War

8/11/2025
In the 1990s, Teen Mania Ministries aimed to compete with pop culture influences and reach Christian youth with rock concert-like worship events and international mission trips. The program became a pipeline for the Honor Academy, a religious education facility built on a curriculum of fundamentalist beliefs and unquestioning obedience. Founder Ron Luce aligned his group with conservative political organizations looking to create the next generation of evangelical Americans. But his program would soon take on a militaristic tone, putting teens through brutal boot camps, glorifying martyrdom, and building an army of actual cultural warriors. “Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War” is season two of the hit series on Prime Video. Producers pivot away from the drama around reality TV family the Duggars and focus on the rise and fall of Teen Mania. It features alumni recounting how their membership went from joyful engagement to physical and spiritual abuse. It also shows how the youth program fits into a larger political crusade to reshape the nation according to fundamentalist Christian values. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE: A TEENAGE HOLY WAR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: fresh, baked pizza. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:48:26

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Tiger King

8/7/2025
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 March 30, 2020 review of the series that changed pandemic television habits: Netflix’s “Tiger King.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "TIGER KING" BEGIN IN THE FINAL SIX MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:59:58

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Her Last Broadcast

8/4/2025
In 1995, morning TV anchor Jodi Huisentruit was abducted from the parking lot of her Mason City, Iowa apartment. Among those the police questioned was her friend John Vansice who said she’d been at his home watching a videotape of the surprise party he recently threw for her. After a TV show in 2022 highlighted the mystery, Jodi’s best friend said the sketch of a suspect looked like her ex-husband, who’d also been fixated on Jodi. A cold case detective refocused his investigation on Brad Millerbernd, even searching a plot of land where the victim could have been buried. The three-part series from ABC News Studios “Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit,” now on Hulu, follows an investigator as he examines four potential suspects, including a serial rapist and a serial killer. Instead of re-hashing the past investigation, viewers follow Detective Terrance Prochaska as he picks up the fresh lead, interrogates a new suspect, and sends cadaver dogs to a potential burial site. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HER LAST BROADCAST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: caught like a mouse. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:44:50

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In the Dark season 2

7/31/2025
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 May 11, 2018 review of probably the best true crime podcast of all time: season two of “In the Dark.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IN THE DARK" BEGIN IN THE FINAL FIVE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:47:50

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Sirens

7/28/2025
Devon DeWitt ventures to a seaside estate to collect her estranged sister, now the indispensable personal assistant to an idiosyncratic socialite. She finds Simone has changed her image, and her presence on the island threatens to upend the new persona Simone has crafted. Devon disrupts plans for Kiki Kell’s annual summer gala, pleading with Simone to return home and care for their ill father. But she finds Kiki’s influence on her sister and the island’s high-society ladies strangely cult-like, and rumors swirl about why the billionaire’s first wife is unaccounted for. The Netflix comedy-drama “Sirens” features Emmy nominee Meghann Fahy, Julianne Moore, and Kevin Bacon. Filled with lavish settings and costuming, the tone of the series veers from farcical to deeply dark as the story explores themes of class, power, and trauma. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SIRENS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: pain in the grass. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:45:55

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The Ballad of Billy Balls

7/24/2025
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.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE BALLAD OF BILLY BALLS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL SIX MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:33:10

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Liberty Lost

7/21/2025
When teenage Abbi finds herself pregnant, her parents pressure her to go to a maternity home run by Liberty University. There, she’s promised free medical care, college tuition, and counseling on whether to keep her baby or give it up for adoption to a Christian family. But once at the facility, Abbi feels controlled and cut off from her boyfriend - and starts reconsidering her adoption plans. She finds that in the Liberty Godparent Home, keeping her baby is not an offered choice. The Wondery podcast “Liberty Lost” tells the story of women who sought help for their unplanned pregnancies, only to feel coerced into adoptions. Journalist T.J. Raphael explores the resurgence of religious-based maternity homes in a post-Roe world, whether laws there are being broken, and the emotional toll on young mothers and fathers told God believes they don’t deserve to be parents. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "LIBERTY LOST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: snakes on a plane. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:50:56

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Hunting Warhead

7/17/2025
Investigative reporters journey into the darkest part of the dark web in pursuit of a child pornographer. We’ll go back to our November 25, 2019 review of “Hunting Warhead” from CBC Podcasts and Norwegian newspaper VG. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HUNTING WARHEAD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL FIVE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:34:42

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I'm Your Venus

7/14/2025
The 1991 trans culture documentary “Paris is Burning” featured Venus Xtravaganza, a vogue performer who was murdered before the film premiered. Decades later, the Pellagatti family embark on a journey to solve her death while learning more about the way she lived her life. Her brothers take up the unfinished business of legally changing Venus’s name and closing her cold case. But are they ready to hear that their loving acceptance of their sister might have been far too late for her. Now on Netflix, the documentary film “I’m Your Venus” explores the themes of trans visibility, chosen family, and loss. It follows the Pellagattis as they try to get justice and acceptance for their lost sister. It also features her ballroom family - the House of Xtravaganza - as they seek recognition for the trailblazing performer they called their own. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "I'M YOUR VENUS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 15 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:42:12

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American Vandal season 2

7/10/2025
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 October 7, 2018 for a classic rewind to our review of season two to the Peabody Award-winning comedy series “American Vandal.” OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "AMERICAN VANDAL" SEASON TWO BEGIN IN THE FINAL FIVE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:26:25

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Scam Factory

7/7/2025
Max travels from the Philippines to Thailand to take a high-paying job at a casino. But when he arrives, he’s instead taken to a camp in the jungles of Myanmar and put to work in a call center running phone scams across the globe. His sister Charlie learns the only way to get him home is also to work for the syndicate. In order to meet Max’s quota, his brother joins the labor camp while Charlie tricks new recruits into the scam factory. With the hope of rescue slim, they’re left with few options to win Max’s freedom - either negotiate an impossible financial settlement or flee from armed guards into the wilderness. The Wondery podcast “Scam Factory” takes us inside the most dangerous call center in the world. Host Denise Chan tells Charlie’s story of high-stakes fraud and moral dilemmas. It also features interviews with her victims conned into forced labor. It asks the question: how far would you go to save a loved one? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SCAM FACTORY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: Scooby-Doo, where are you? For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:40:04

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Uncover: Calls from a Killer

7/3/2025
In 1989, Canadian serial killer Clifford Olson initiated contact with two journalists, sparking a series of recorded phone calls. Peter Worthington and Arlene Bynon aimed to unravel the psychology of a man who not only murdered eleven children but also persuaded the government to pay him $100,000 in exchange for the locations of their bodies. Suspecting there may be more unidentified victims in the US and Canada, the reporters spent years secretly talking with Olson, learning his M.O. and picking apart his inconsistencies. They learned he was charming, confident, and even from behind bars he was dangerous. “Calls from a Killer” is the latest season from CBC’s “Uncover.” Worthington’s grandson teams with Bynon to rewind the secret tapes and revisit their investigation into Olson. In addition to interviews with investigators and his victims’ loved ones, the podcast leans heavily on Bynon’s recordings of her conversations with the serial killer. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "UNCOVER: CALLS FROM A KILLER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:43:51

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Surviving Ohio State

6/30/2025
In the 80s and 90s, athletes on the Ohio State wrestling team said Doctor Richard Strauss fondled them during physical exams and insinuated himself into their showers. His behavior seemed common knowledge among players and coaches, and the few complaints that were made were brushed aside by the school. Decades later, former athletes from different sports came forward with allegations of Strauss’s abuse. University officials claimed to take the scandal seriously, but have tried to limit their liability. And victims remain frustrated that a powerful congressman, who had been an assistant coach, now says he was unaware the team doctor was a predator. The HBO Original documentary “Surviving Ohio State” looks at the case of Doctor Richard Strauss and how he was able to prey on students with impunity for years. It shows the ways The Ohio State University brushed aside concerns then, and how it downplays the impact today. It also focuses on efforts to get answers from firebrand politician Jim Jordan about what he really knew. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SURVIVING OHIO STATE" IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: Double trouble. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:48:21

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Death County, PA

6/26/2025
When Ty’Rique Riley died after a brief stay in the Dauphin County Prison, his family blamed guards who beat and pepper sprayed him with a bag over his head. But the county coroner, best known for his embellished true crime TV show, declared the 29-year-old's death a routine medical incident. It was just the latest in a string of inmate deaths at the jail for which neither guards nor medical staff had been held accountable. As investigative journalists turned up the heat on county officials, outsiders ran for elective office with promises of reform. Both met stiff resistance from a system built on protecting a brutal status-quo. From Wondery and Penn Live comes the podcast “Death County, PA.” Host Josh Vaughn recounts his multi-year investigation into the prison and those who ran it with an iron hand. It also profiles the unlikely citizens who campaigned to change conditions inside the state’s most notorious corrections facility. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DEATH COUNTY, PA" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:43:31

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The Better Sister

6/23/2025
Crusading magazine publisher Chloe Taylor discovers her husband Adam murdered on the floor of their Hamptons beach house. As suspicion turns to their teenage son Ethan, Chloe is reunited with her troubled sister Nicky, who has spent years battling addiction. But their family secret is revealed: before Chloe married Adam, he was married to Nicky and Ethan is her biological son. Is the murder related to Chloe’s online stalker, Adam’s legal work with a shadowy syndicate, or something more personal? Based on the bestselling book, Jessica Beil and Elizabeth Banks team up in “The Better Sister” from Prime. The estranged siblings attempt to navigate their family drama and personal demons to solve the case and exonerate the child they both consider their own. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE BETTER SISTER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: rocky road. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:48:10

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Dept. Q

6/19/2025
Returning to the Edinburgh police after surviving a shooting, detective Carl Morck reluctantly takes a new assignment: re-investigate cold cases. He takes up the search for a homicide prosecutor who four years earlier disappeared from a ferry while traveling with her non-verbal brother. With the help of other misfit investigators, Morck digs into Merritt Lingard’s family, her enemies, her connections to a muckraking journalist and the powerful man she tried for murder. But the questions remain: is she alive, and if so, where would she be? Matthew Goode and Chloe Pirrie star in “Dept. Q” from Netflix. The nine episode series follows Morck’s cold case investigation, his complicated home life, and the emotional fallout from his own shooting. Can this damaged detective locate the victim…and find himself in the process? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DEPT. Q" BEGIN IN THE FINAL EIGHT MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:42:49

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The Mortician

6/16/2025
In the 1980s, David Sconce took over the family funeral home business and expanded it to offer crematory services. But questions were raised among industry rivals over how Sconce was able to cremate the amount of remains he did. Authorities learned Sconce was not only commingling bodies in the chamber, but also robbed families of their loved one’s valuables - and worse. As the revelations came to light, attention shifted to how Sconce was said to deal with his competitors. The HBO Documentary Film “The Mortician” digs into the scandal that rocked the funeral home industry and shocked the public. It features interviews with Sconce, investigators, and grieving family members whose trust he betrayed. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE MORTICIAN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. In Crime of the Week: fake ID. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:46:54

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Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam

6/12/2025
Three older women fell in love online with the same handsome man who popped up in their feeds. Using different names and cover stories, the Romeo scammed them for thousands of dollars, then disappeared. With broken hearts and empty pockets, the women scoured the internet looking for the man who ripped them off. But when they find him in Los Angeles they learn he’s a victim of the scam too. From ABC News Studios and Anchor Entertainment, the three part series “Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam” is now streaming on Hulu. The show recounts the ways each of the women were charmed and cheated and their unlikely connection to an unsuspecting makeup artist. It also follows the pursuit of the international networks of swindlers who have literally written the book on this kind of scam. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HEY BEAUTIFUL: ANATOMY OF A ROMANCE SCAM" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon. Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Duration:00:42:12