Hosted by Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins, the first season of Criminal Attorney follows bank manager turned FBI agent Shawn Brokos on her mission to clean up the streets of Newark. But as Brokos ventures deeper into a dark world of racketeering, drug dealing and murder, she makes a shocking discovery: one of the key figures she is trying to arrest is notorious criminal defense attorney Paul Bergrin. It seems as though every case he takes, he wins, and as rumors start to emerge, it becomes evident that Bergrin has crossed the line and become a criminal himself. 

In Happily Never After: Dan & Nancy, listeners are introduced to writer Nancy Brophy, who fills her novels with romantic betrayals and murder. It’s a far cry from her quiet life in the Portland suburbs, where she and her chef husband, Dan, are living out their golden years. But when Dan is shot dead, Nancy finds herself at the center of a murder case that could be ripped from the pages of her novels. Were the police confusing Nancy’s novels with reality, or could they see something that her friends, family and community couldn’t?

In 1981, June and Jennifer Gibbons were sent to Broadmoor, the notorious high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire. Aged 19, the women were its youngest female inmates and they found themselves detained alongside famous convicts such as the Yorkshire Ripper and the Kray twins.

This fascinating and tragic series, told by June Gibbons, follows the story of the twins from their childhoods, through adolescence and the five-week crime spree that led to their detainment. 

With a wider focus on crime culture of specific towns instead of one event, Crimetown examines crime in US towns Providence, Rhode Island in its first series and Detroit, Michigan in its second. 

If you’re a fan of TV show The Wire, this series is for you. The further the hosts get into organised crime and corruption, the tougher it is to work out who the bad guys are… 

Historian Lucy Worsley and her team of female investigators uncover the fascinating crimes of women from the 19th and 20th century.

Now in its third series, Lady Killers explores female serial killers, axe murderers and stories of lust and deceit from a contemporary, feminist perspective. They’ll have you asking if their victims had it coming all along.

Join true crime-obsessed presenters Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling as they take you through a new fascinating criminal case file in every episode. Each week they take a deep dive into another jaw-dropping story, revealing all the details and leaving no stone unturned.

With 30 minute episodes including The Hitman Dentist, A Killer Cuppa and The Maple Syrup Heist, we can see ourselves devouring the series in no time.

At the turn of the 21st century in Hampstead, one of London’s most wealthy and well-known suburbs, Juliette D’Souza wreaked havoc on a number of people’s lives. Described by her neighbours as being like ‘a knife in a velvet glove’, D’Souza claimed to have a special connection to an ancient source of power and wisdom, deep in the Amazonian jungle. But through extortion and manipulation, she was soon on her way to becoming one of the most prolific con women in British history.

Part rom-com, part-true crime, Stolen Hearts journeys back to 2006 to tell the tail-spinning true-life story, told over the course of six episodes. The series follows Jill, a decorated policewoman who was used to being unlucky in love, and Dean, a businessman whom she meets on an online dating site who seems like a fairy-tale match. But, the skeletons in Dean’s closet threaten to destroy everything.

This gripping podcast from The Guardian is guaranteed to keep you hooked for its entirety. Hosted by journalist Sirin Kale, it follows the case of cyberstalker Matthew Hardy, who wreaked havoc on the lives of countless women over the course of 11 years.

In January 2022, he was finally sentenced to nine years in prison for his crimes, after he was convicted of five counts of stalking. But why did Hardy set out on his reign of terror in the first place? And what allowed him to get away with it all for so long?  

Wondery is known for its incredible range of true crime podcasts – but this captivating series may just be its best yet. Centred around the story of Daphne Caruana Galizia – a Maltese journalist who was killed by a car bomb outside her home in 2017 – the series follows host Stephen Grey and a team of investigative journalists in their bid to continue Daphne’s work and uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death.

In the process, the team uncover a number of key revelations – many of which have consequences which go far beyond the shores of the Mediterranean island.  

Spotify and Gimlet’s true crime series Conviction follows a new convoluted case each season. In 2022, they released their third season, The Disappearance of Nuseiba Hasan, which follows the fascinating case of a young Muslim Canadian woman who disappeared seemingly out of thin air from Hamilton, Ontario in 2006. What’s so intriguing about the case is that her disappearance wasn’t even reported until 2015.

Investigated by journalist Habiba Nosheen and Hasan’s birth daughter who was given up for adoption, this series is filled with twists and turns that will leave you in shock. But it goes much further than your average true crime podcast — it’s also a painful story about family, race and the state modern media.

This eight-part BBC Sounds series led by journalist John Kay focuses on the disappearance of Cheryl Grimmer, a three-year-old who went missing during a family trip to Wollongong’s Fairy Meadow beach in the late 60s, less than two years after her family emigrated from Bristol to New South Wales, Australia.

Despite an arrest in 2017 and a million-dollar reward being offered two years ago, Grimmer’s case remains unsolved – but this series aims to provide fresh insight into what happened.

Featuring interviews with police officers, potential witnesses and Cheryl’s older brother alongside Kay’s knowledge of the case (he’s been following it since 2016), the podcast delves into the impact Cheryl’s disappearance had on the community around her and tries to provide answers for her family. 

Written and reported by the journalist Vicky Baker – the woman behind the BBC’s hit Anna Delvey podcast Fake Heiress – Fake Psychic tells the story of Lamar Keene, a renowned American psychic who exposed himself as a fraud in a tell-all exposé.

Mixing documentary and drama, this six-part series explores Keene’s career and the circumstances that led him to reveal his sordid secrets. 

Hosted by award-winning investigative journalist Alexi Mostrous, and from the makers behind Finding Q and The Slow Newscast, Sweet Bobby is one of those series you have to listen to to believe.

Over the course of six episodes, Mostrous tells the story of an intense 10-year scam, in which one person used over 50 different online personas to manipulate and deceive their victim.

Oh, and if there was an award for the most shocking reveal at the end of a podcast series, this would definitely win. 

Suspect is one of those podcasts that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. Hosted by Matthew Shaer and Eric Benson, the series revolves around the 2008 murder of 24-year-old computer programmer Arpana Jinaga, who was found dead after a Halloween party at a quiet Seattle apartment complex, and the complex investigation that followed. 

Over the course of nine episodes, Shaer and Benson return to the scene of the crime to uncover what really happened, speaking to people who attended the party along the way. 

Described as a series “about cutting-edge science and mislaid justice, race and policing, and the kinds of weighty choices that cops and prosecutors make every day,” this isn’t one to miss. 

This investigative podcast series from Auddy, released in conjunction with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, relays the kind of dark, mysterious and twisted story that makes the true crime genre so great.

The eight-part series takes a closer look at the “shadowy world” of spies and smugglers who worked within southern Africa’s tobacco market in the 2010s, and revolves around the real-life characters that set up an “extensive spy network” with the help of a massive tobacco company.

The result of over a year’s worth of research and investigation by the Bureau’s journalists, Smoke Screen is a story of epic proportions.  

This true crime podcast from Spotify and Parcast sees its host Sarah Turney take a closer look at some of the most well-documented missing persons cases in history.

Unlike most true crime hosts, Turney knows her subject matter all too well – her sister, Alissa, disappeared in 2001, and the case was only solved after Turney shared its details on social media two decades later (her father has since been charged with Alissa’s murder and is currently on trial) – and this gives her a unique perspective through which to explore both the details of each case and the impact these disappearances have on the people left behind.

In the first episode, Turney tells the story of Etan Patz – a six-year-old boy who was abducted on the way to the bus stop, and whose disappearance helped launch the US’ missing children movement. 

Led by journalist Sam Poling, this eight-part podcast series is the product of four years of investigation into the brutal killing of 27-year-old Emma Caldwell.

From the events surrounding her death to the police investigation and the suspects it identified, this podcast guides listeners through the journey to uncover Emma’s true killer, until, in the penultimate episode, Poling confronts her prime suspect with the evidence she has collected.  

If you’re looking for a short and snappy podcast you can listen to over the weekend, then Wondery’s Death Of A Starlet could be just what you’re looking for.  

The six-part series tells the story of Dorothy Stratten, a Playboy Playmate who was found dead at just 20 years old. She was beloved by three “ambitious men” – Hugh Hefner, Peter Bogdonovich and Paul Snider – one of whom was to blame for her eventual murder.

In Death Of A Starlet, co-hosts Tracy Pattin and Josh Lucas dive into Stratten’s tragic story – and explore how her Hollywood dreams led to her death.  

This multi-award winning podcast from Sky News’ StoryCast series investigates the mysterious life and death of Annie Borjesson, a Swedish musician who was found dead on Prestwick Beach in Scotland back in 2005.

Although authorities at the time concluded that Borjesson had died of suicide, her family had several doubts about what had happened – and this six-part series dives into what might have happened to Annie instead.

As the podcast’s official synopsis asks: “Why had Annie been found along with her passport? Why didn’t Annie board her flight at Prestwick airport?” 

A podcast dedicated to dissecting the criminal cases “that shock, intrigue and scare us the most,” Bad People is a true crime podcast with a twist.

Co-hosted by criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw and self-confessed true crime fan comedian Sofie Hagen, Bad People not only explores a different case every episode, it also takes a closer look at the science and analysis behind the crimes, as to avoid speculation and sensationalising the events.

Indeed, as Shaw previously told Stylist: “It’s really important to me not to sensationalise these things. But we can indulge our fascination while also learning about how we can better talk about understanding these issues and, ultimately, prevent them from happening in the future.” 

Described as the “incredible true story of one of the longest and strangest cons in history,” Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen is a 10-part podcast series hosted by two long-time journalists, Josh Dean and Vanessa Grigoariadis, who embark on an “obsessive quest” to figure out who or what is behind a scam which has been plaguing Hollywood for the past six years.

We’d try to explain it, but the official synopsis does it best: “For the past 6 years, someone – or some group – has been terrorizing a certain class of Hollywood workers. Strivers – day players and physical trainers and make-up artists and security guards – receive a phone call or email offering the job of a lifetime. A key role in a major film or TV show. This offer comes from a powerful woman – one of the biggest producers or studio executives in the industry. All these strivers have to do is get on a plane, for Jakarta, immediately.

“But when they land, there is no producer. There is no movie. It’s all a fraud.”

Unlike some true crime podcasts, this series tracks the team’s investigation into the case in real-time, as they uncover new leads and try to paint a picture of the Con Queen at the heart of the scam.  

Following her release from prison and ahead of Netflix’s new true crime series Inventing Anna, interest in Anna Delvey’s crimes – which saw the young woman claim to be a German socialite and scam numerous high-flyers into funding her lavish lifestyle – is once again on the rise. 

And that’s what makes Fake Heiress – a six-art podcast series by journalist Vicky Baker and screenwriter Chloe Moss – such a fascinating listen. The podcast, which dives deep into Delvey’s story and how her crimes came to light, is a mixture of styles, featuring documentary-style reporting and dramatised scenes based on court and press coverage.

Whether or not you’re planning on watching Delvey’s story play out on screen later this year, Fake Heiress is a must-listen. 

If you haven’t listened to In The Dark yet, now’s the time to get to it. The popular podcast, which started with an investigation into the infamous disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, is a firm favourite among true crime fans for its rigorous, journalistic reporting which is delivered in a non-sensationalist and transparent way.

It’s also known for its real-world impact: as a result of the show’s second investigation into the case of Curtis Flowers, a Mississippi man who was tried six times for a crime he probably didn’t commit, and the pattern of misconduct the podcast unveiled, Flowers’ most recent conviction was overturned, and he has since had charges against him dropped.

In the show’s most recent limited series, the host Madeleine Baran has been reporting on the development of Covid-19 in the Mississippi Delta, from life inside the area’s Parchman prison to the reality faced by doctors and nurses at the Greenwood Leflore Hospital.  

From journalist Connie Walker, the host of the acclaimed true crime podcast Missing And Murdered: Finding Cleo, comes another missing person series, Stolen: The Search For Jermain.

Walker has made it her life’s work to tell the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women (she is Cree from Okanese First Nation in Canada), and this series sees her continue this work by diving into the case of Jermain Charlo, who went missing from Missoula, Montana in 2018.

After two years of investigative work the police on Charlo’s case believe they are close to finding out what happened to her, and this podcast goes inside that investigation – tracking down leads and taking part in search parties – while also examining what it means to be an Indigenous woman in America.

Hunting Ghislaine is a podcast which gives listeners a closer look at the life of Ghislaine Maxwell, the former partner of the convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein who was arrested by the FBI last year after almost a year spent on the run.

Led by investigative reporter John Sweeney, the podcast investigates Maxwell’s journey from her childhood as the daughter of infamous British media tycoon Robert Maxwell to a figure accused of some of the world’s most heinous crimes. Packed full of shocking revelations and unnerving truths, Hunting Ghislaine is a must-listen for anyone looking to learn more about Maxwell’s haunting past.

Based on the case which captivated Casefile listeners worldwife, Casefile Presents: The Vanishing Of Vivienne Cameron dives deeper into what is known as ‘the Phillip Island Murder’ – a case which saw the murder of 23-year-old Beth Barnard and the disappearance of Vivienne Cameron, who was later accused of Barnard’s murder.

Presented by writer Vikki Petraitis, co-author of a book which investigated inconsistencies in the case, this podcast dives deeper into the victims, forensics and stories of that night on Phillip Island to try and understand what really happened. 

Girl Taken takes listeners on a journey into the dark heart of the migrant crisis. 

BBC journalist Sue Mitchell and former soldier Rob Lawrie thought they were dealing with the heartbreaking but fairly straightforward story of an Afghan father and his motherless four-year-old daughter as they struggled to get to the UK from Calais. But the following four years saw Sue and Rob fall into a web of lies and life-altering, mind changing events. 

This true crime podcast is a 10-part series, involving closed borders and broken promises, for the truth and to find a little girl.

From the podcast network behind the hugely popular Crime Junkie, Park Predators is a new true crime series dedicated to exploring the most horrific and mystifying true crime events which have unravelled in the national parks and forests around the United States and Canada. 

Hosted by Delia D’Ambra, the series focuses on a mixture of solved and unsolved cases, exploring how the crimes changed the areas where they occurred.

Criminal’s premise may seem quite simple – it describes itself as a podcast which tells the stories of people “who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle” – but the way it dives into the cases it highlights and explores the smallest of details is anything but.

Thanks to the series’ investigative vigour, you’re sure to learn something new with every single episode – and the critical way it approaches true crime offers a refreshing perspective on the genre. 

If you’re a fan of Making a Murderer, you’ll want to check out this podcast from the lawyers featured in the Netflix series.

Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin may have represented Brendan Dassey – the subject of Making A Murderer, but their podcast focuses on 12 other stories of false convictions, including a Brooklyn teen who falsely confessed to killing his own mother, and an innocent New Zealander who was wrongly imprisoned for rape and murder. 

Speaking about the podcast, Nirider said: “We bring you inside the fight to exonerate these innocent people.”    

If you haven’t heard of Serial, a podcast presented by Sarah Koenig and produced by This American Life, then it’s time to get listening. Now in its third season, the iconic title offers plenty of content for the true crime newbie to explore – each season sees one true story unfold through a variety of twists and turns. The best part? The host doesn’t know what happens at the end of the story until she gets there, too, so you’re following the story together over the course of the season.

While previous seasons focused on “extraordinary cases”, season 3’s look at a Cleveland courthouse is an “overarching account of an institution” – and it’s no less gripping because of it.

Film star Natalie Wood’s death has never been explained, and is subject to intense speculation. Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood unpicks much of this speculation, and explores exactly what happened that day in 1981 when Wood disappeared from aboard a yacht and her body was found washed up ashore the following morning.

Despite her husband Robert Wagner’s claims that she accidentally fell overboard, there are still plenty of questions to be asked as investigative journalist and host Dylan Howard is joined by a team of investigators to try and work out what happened. And in the light of new evidence, it seems a much larger conspiracy may have been at play…

A true crime podcast with a difference, Happy Face follows host Melissa Moore – daughter of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson – as she navigates the reality of her father’s crimes and her own relationship with him and them.

In a series which is often deeply personal and raw, Moore questions the legacy of her father and explores her connection to what he did. Ultimately, Moore is haunted by the show’s summarising question: “When you look like your father, and you share his intelligence and charisma, how do you know you’re not a psychopath, too?”

Dr Death follows the true story of Christopher Duntsch, a Texas surgeon who was convicted of gross malpractice after many of his patients were left seriously injured – or even dead – after he assured them his surgeries would help them when nothing else would.

Presented by Laura Beil over 10 harrowing episodes, Dr Death explores the reality of a medical system that “failed to protect patients at every possible turn,” as she uncovers a terrifying story of what can happen when we place our trust in the hands of someone we shouldn’t. 

Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo follows the case of Cleo, a young indigenous girl taken from her family when she was six years old and adopted in the U.S.. Although her family believe she was raped and murdered when trying to hitchhike home to Saskatchewan, the mystery of where Cleo ended up has never been solved – and that’s where Missing and Murdered picks up.

CBC news investigative reporter Connie Walker joins the search to find out what really happened to Cleo in a podcast series which is sometimes difficult – but worthwhile – to listen to. 

At 40 years old, April Balascio’s life was turned upside down when something she’d feared for a long time was finally proved to be true: her Dad, Edward Wayne Edwards, was a murderer. The Clearing is a podcast which tracks the story of Balascio’s life ever since she picked up the phone and shared her suspicions with a detective back in 2009 – a choice which led to her father’s eventual arrest and convictions.

The Clearing sees host Josh Dean guide Balascio through her childhood and past to explore her father’s actions - and with new episodes being uploaded weekly, nows the time to jump on the bandwagon and join Balascio on her journey.