Crime Writers On...True Crime Review

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.