Crime Writers On...

When Massachusetts State Police discover a chemist has been tampering with evidence at the drug lab, it opens a legal Pandora's box. Netflix’s four-part “ How to Fix a Drug Scandal ” follows the lawyers seeking answers, the prosecutors who tried to cover it up, and the troubled life of one of the chemists whose personal addiction up-ended the scales of justice. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF “HOW...

Our first review is “ Cool Mules ” from Canadaland. Vice Canada music editor Slava Pastukhov believed the only way to advance at the gonzo news outlet was through more extreme journalism. A mix of greed and ambition led him to orchestrate a drug trafficking ring to Australia. OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF “COOL MULES” BEGINS IN MINUTE 34 Next is a look at Netflix’s foreign-language series, “ The Valh...

The panel discusses the much-buzzed about documentary, " Tiger King ." Expanding on the characters and themes of the recent "Joe Exotic" podcast, this Netflix doc dives even deeper into the world of big cats and the shady people who love them. No doubt it's entertaining, but does it handle the people and issues in a responsible way? FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "TIGER KING" GO TO 1:03 PLUS: A bi...

The crime writers check in with updates on how they're dealing with self-isolation and ponder the world confronted by the coronavirus. In the first review, the panel discusses " The Dating Game Killer " from Wondery and Hollywood & Crime. The docu-drama recalls the tale of serial killer/game show contestant Rodney Alcala. How will the team react to the podcast's style and substance? FOR OUR SPOILE...

This week, Lara's son takes a very bad fall and Kevin has some professional news. Leading off, the crime writers discuss the new podcast from HLN, “ Down the Hill: The Delphi Murders .” The reporters attempt to shed light on a double killing with few publicly known facts. Can they advance the story? OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF “DOWN THE HILL” BEGINS IN MINUTE 33 Then, they jet to Italy for “ Verifi...

After a week of reeling in the years, the Crime Writers are back discussing the hard-hitting Netflix documentary, “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.” Viewers learn the long trail of physical and emotional abuse suffered by Gabriel and the many missed opportunities to save his life. And it dives into the issues around the failings of law enforcement, social services, elected officials, and the Syste...

This is our 200th episode, and to mark the occasion we’re going to look back at some of our favorite moments from Crime Writers On. We’ll revisit reviews from classic podcasts, games, milestones, things that made us cry with laughter, and shed other kinds of tears. For exclusive podcasts and more, go to patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia. This week's special episode cover art: Top row Millie Bobby B...

As the crime writers prepare for their 200th episode special, Rebecca and Kevin have an invitation to London-based listeners. First off, in “The Other Latif,” Latif Nasser learns a Moroccan native who shares his name has been held for years at Guantanamo accused of being a top military adviser to Osama bin Laden. This miniseries from RadioLab explores whether his namesake is as dangerous as the US...

After casting their votes in the New Hampshire Primary, the panel is ready to vote on two new true crime titles. First, the crime writers discuss the new season of Uncover: Satanic Panic . Host Lisa Rundle brings us to a Saskatchewan town rocked in the 90s by an alleged pedophilia ring run by devil worshipers. The podcast recalls the mass hysteria and the lives forever changed by the charges. OUR...

Greetings from New Hampshire, where the Crime Writers will be among those casting their First in the Nation primary ballots. Hear them discuss the new text technology campaigns will be using to get your vote. Leading off, USAToday Sports and For the Win is out with a podcast covering an unusual bank Heist. “ The Sneak ” tells us of a bizarre armored car holdup where a man disguised as a landscaper...

Mixed reviews this week from the crime writers. First, they explore " The Officer's Wife " from Vault Studios. Just as you think the story will be a typical by-the-numbers true crime tale...it offers a real plot twist. But does it leave too many listener questions unanswered? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "THE OFFICER'S WIFE" BEGINS AROUND THE 34 MINUTE MARK. Then, Netflix has a new documentary tackl...

The panel takes a moment to reflect on the premature demise of two of their favorite shows, HBO’s “Watchmen” and Netflix’s “Mindhunter.” The Crime Writers follow BBC Radio to County Donegal for a look at Ireland’s longest unsolved missing child case. In season one of “ No Body Recovered ,” host Kevin Connolly explores the 1977 story of Mary Boyle, through the eyes of the family torn apart by her d...

In an episode that seems to go off the rails at times, the panel discusses season two of “ The Dream .” Host Jane Marie tackles the wellness industry, covering everything from healing crystals and medicinal herbs to vitamins and natural childbirth. Are they coming after the thing YOU believe is saving you from illness? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF “THE DREAM” BEGINS IN THE 29th MINUTE OF THE SHOW. T...

The panel discusses the new podcast/audiobook hybrid “ Midnight Son ” from Audible Originals. We’re taken to the Arctic to explore the crimes of an Alaska Native and to investigate his claim that while as a fugitive in the wilderness he was visited by mythic tribe thought only to exist in legend. FOR OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF “MIDNIGHT SON,” GO TO THE 41 MINUTE MARK Then, we’re off to Louisville...

Rebecca and Kevin start by addressing some back-end tech changes that could affect listeners’ experience. There are shout-outs to our newest listener. And the panel solicits input from the audience for our upcoming 200th episode celebration. The Crime Writers review the new season of “ Accused .” The eight-part series is a story of corporate malfeasance, wrapped in a missing persons case filled wi...

The crime writers marvel at Kevin’s encyclopedic knowledge of Dunkin Donuts locations in New Hampshire! The team is blown away by the latest bonus episode of “ In the Dark ,” which covers Curtis Flowers’s bail hearing now that SCOTUS has overturned his conviction. If this were the final installment of the Peabody winning podcast, would it be the perfect ending? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF “IN THE D...

Leading off, Ronan Farrow's “The Catch and Kill Podcast” is an inside look at one of the most important stories of the decade, giving a deeper dive into the downfall of one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful men. Is there still more to this story? YOU CAN FIND OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "CATCH AND KILL" AROUND THE 34:38 MINUTE MARK. The team behind “Dirty John” returns with “Detective T...

There arose such a clatter at Lara's town holiday celebration ( fowl play ). And Toby has been getting Twitter trolled by Dan Taberski! PBS NewsHour has released a podcast examining the public defender system in the US entitled “ Broken Justice .” Frank Carlson and Amna Nawaz look at the issue through the lens of the Missouri public defenders office, one in which attorneys are given more clients t...

Netflix’s “The Devil Next Door” recaps the legal battles of John Demjanjuk, a retired autoworker in Cleveland accused of being a Nazi prison camp guard known as "Ivan the Terrible." Featuring extensive film from the original trial as well as disturbing Holocaust images, "The Devil Next Door" challenges the viewer’s allegiances. Then, CBC Podcasts and Norwegian newspaper VG have teamed up for a dis...

This week, Lara is bitten by a tick (not on the podcast though), we squee about The Crown, and a person from a recent podcast sends an email to the crime writers. ABC Audio’s new podcast " Have you Seen This Man " goes on the manhunt for a former-death row convict who walked away from an Ohio prison in 1973 and hasn't been seen since. Reporter Matthew Mosk follows US Marshals still hunting Lester...

“ Murder in Oregon ” explores one of that state’s most infamous homicides. Corrections Department Director Michael Francke was stabbed outside of his office in 1989. Was his killing tied to his investigation of corruption? OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF "MURDER IN OREGON" BEGINS IN THE 24th MINUTE. HBO's “ Watchmen ” takes place in an alternative history where cops who hide behind masks for their own...

Leading off, the medical mystery behind Wondery's " Bad Batch " is not just who is responsible for contaminated stem cells that made patients sick. It also looks at the company’s claims that stem cells can treat virtually everything, when it’s only approved for blood disorders. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "BAD BATCH," BEGINS IN THE 28th MINUTE Moving on, NYC Studios and OSM Audio are rolling out a...

First up, Facebook Watch is out with its own imagining of the podcast, " Limetown ." As with the original, the story revolves around a public radio reporter investigating the sudden disappearance of hundreds of people from a tiny town and remote research facility years ago. OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "LIMETOWN," BEGINS IN THE 28th MINUTE. Moving on, “ The Undercovers ” is an audio dramatization of...

We start with a look inside podcasting's biggest business deal: Spotify's acquisition of Gimlet. In " StartUp ," Alex Blumberg and Matt Leiber reveal the behind-the-scenes tensions and pose the question: can a nine-figure paycheck mend this friendship? OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF "STARTUP" BEGINS IN THE 32nd MINUTE. Next, " Motive " from the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ tells the case of teen exonera...

The Crime Writers get into about book covers. (Guess which one has the worst cover ever ?) In “ The Mysterious Mr. Epstein ,” host Linsey Graham hopes to fill in the blanks around the infamous investor-to-the-stars’s origin story and how he was able to lure and rape young women with no consequences for so long. Our spoiler-free review of The Mysterious Mr. Epstein begins in the 32nd minute. BBC So...