25 Best Detective Shows for Those Craving a Mind-Boggling Mystery
Midsomer Murders is considered one of the best detective television shows in history, and it's not hard to see why. With a talented cast, ...
true crime podcasts
Whether you like acclaimed British mysteries like Sherlock and Broadchurch or police procedurals like Law & Order: SVU and True Detective (which has a new season starring Jodie Foster!), there are plenty of gripping detective shows to choose from on this list. If you enjoy a good mystery try Killing Eve or The Fall for two very suspenseful, action-packed games of cat and mouse. And if you're into <anchor>true crime podcasts</anchor> like Ree Drummond, then Mindhunter on Netflix is a must-watch. It follows two FBI agents in the '70s who discover more about the psychology of real-life serial killers by studying them—sometimes a little too closely. So are you ready to find your next favorite detective show? Grab your evidence bag and get to it!
25 Best True Crime Podcasts to Listen to in 2024
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# 25 Best True Crime Podcasts That Will Keep You Hooked for Hours

These are for fearless listeners only.

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Some things are worth losing a little sleep over—and if you ask Ree Drummond, a good true crime podcast is one of them. Ever since she binge-listened to the podcast Serial on the drive to drop off her daughter Alex at college, she's been obsessed with all things true crime—even though it's been known to keep her up at night. "It’s Serial’s fault, of course, but I have fallen into the world of true crime podcasts. And I can’t get up," she joked. If you're equally fascinated by unsolved mysteries and love to play the armchair detective, then welcome! You’ve come to the right place.

Like your favorite crime drama shows, the best true crime podcasts of all time will put your investigative skills to the test. You'll be on the edge of your seat as you uncover details about some of the most riveting famous and overlooked cases in history.

Some of the podcasts center around specific people, like Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. "Dr. Death" and former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, while others are more overarching and review prominent crimes from all angles. A few (like My Favorite Murder) even have a humorous slant, which will be a relief to anyone who feels queasy at the mere mention of true crime stories.

Whether you're looking for a binge to fill your daily commute, or a suspenseful investigation to keep you awake during a road trip, there's a true crime podcast to hold your attention through every clue, alibi, and motive. And when you need a palette cleanser, we suggest watching the best romantic comedies. Trust us—they'll be a big help when bedtime rolls around.

## Scamanda

best true crime podcasts scamandaSpotify

Scamanda tells the story of Amanda C. Riley, a former teacher and principal who faked a Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis for seven years. During that time, she collected more than $105,000 in online donations for what she claimed were medical expenses.

## Slow Burn: Watergate

best true crime podcasts slow burn watergateSlate

This podcast miniseries explores the Watergate scandal through the eyes of the people involved. Season 1 of Slow Burn was turned into a limited series political thriller, Gaslit, starring Julia Roberts and Sean Penn.

## The Thing About Pam

best true crime podcasts the thing about pamAmazon Music

This Dateline original podcast examines the Christmas 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, a woman from a small town in Missouri. While all signs initially point to her husband being the killer, a police investigation leads to a surprising new suspect: Betsy's friend Pam, the last person to see her alive.

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## What Happened to Sandy Beal

best true crime podcasts what happened to sandy bealAmazon Music

In 1977, 18-year-old Sandy Beal was found fatally shot in her car. Authorities quickly determined that she had taken her own life—but a few strange details suggest otherwise.

## Up and Vanished

best true crime podcasts up and vanishedApple Podcasts

This podcast delves into the mysterious disappearance of Tara Grinstead, a Georgia beauty queen and high school teacher.

## Swindled

best true crime podcasts swindledStitcher

If this podcast could be summarized in two words, they would be: corporate evil. These white-collar criminals would stop at nothing to get what they wanted, no matter the cost.

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## Paper Ghosts

best true crime podcasts paper ghostsAmazon

Investigative journalist and bestselling true crime author M. William Phelps delves into the mysterious disappearance of four young girls in 1970s New England.

## Dr. Death

best true crime podcasstsWondery

If you loved Dirty John, you’ll want to add this to the top of your list. It tells the horrifying story of Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who claimed he was the best—until his patients started experiencing complications. Once you’re done streaming the podcast, consider watching the Peacock series inspired by the gruesome tale. (It stars Joshua Jackson!)

## Dark House

dark house podcastHouse Beautiful

In House Beautiful magazine's very first podcast, editors Alyssa Fiorentino and Hadley Mendelsohn explore the history of four different homes, each well-known for creepy reasons. The hosts interview authors, paranormal investigators, and psychic mediums to try and get to the bottom of what makes these houses so spooky.

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## Death of a Starlet

best true crime podcasstsWondery

Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten was found dead at 20 years old, and three men could be responsible: Hugh Hefner, famed director Peter Bogdonovich, or her husband, Paul Snider. This six-part series will keep you captivated the whole time.

## Unsolved Mysteries

best true crime podcasstsCosgrove Meurer Productions, Inc. + Cadence13

Fans of the original show and the Netflix reboot will certainly enjoy the podcast version. As you likely know, you’ll learn about a whole slew of fascinating mysteries including abductions, deaths, and even paranormal encounters.

## Anatomy of Murder

best true crime podcasstsAudiochuck

If you’re a serious crime buff, you’ll certainly enjoy this one. It’s brought to you by a former New York City homicide prosecutor and an Emmy award-winning journalist (who was also a former Deputy Sheriff), so you know the facts and research are going to be rock-solid.

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## Unraveled: The Long Island Serial Killer

best true crime podcasstsInvestigation Discovery

Take a closer look at the infamous Long Island Serial Killer, who is believed to have murdered 10-16 women from the ‘90s-2010. It’s remained unsolved, but hosts Billy Jensen and Alexis Linkletter dig into what went wrong along the way.

## My Favorite Murder

best true crime podcastsExactly Right Media

Comedians Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark discuss their favorite true crime tales, and welcome more stories from friends and fans.

## The Dropout

best true crime podcastsABC

If you haven't heard all you can about Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos, then let us show you how to spend the next several hours of your life.

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## Serial

best true crime podcastsSerial Productions

Perhaps the most well known true crime podcast ever, Serial first became famous for delving into the mind-boggling case of Hae Min Lee and Adnan Syed.

## Criminal

best true crime podcastsCriminal

This series follows "people who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle." There are more than 130 episodes, so you better get listening!

## The Shrink Next Door

best true crime podcastsWondery

Veteran journalist Joe Nocera thought his neighbor, Ike, a therapist to the stars, was just a regular guy. That is, until another man turns up in Ike's house and spills secrets about Ike's psychological manipulation and fraud.

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## Someone Knows Something

best true crime podcastsCBC Radio

CBC radio has recorded several seasons of this podcast, examining disappearances, unsolved murders, shocking deaths, and more.

## The Clearing

best true crime podcastsGimlet Media

April Balascio joins host Josh Dean to look back at her life with her father, convicted murderer Edward Wayne Edwards.

Headshot of Megan Stein

Megan Stein is the executive editor for The Pioneer Woman, and oversees entertainment, features, and news for the website. Whether it's catching up on the latest true crime podcast, or re-watching the best '80s movies for the zillionth time, she's always here to talk about anything and everything relating to pop culture.

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