I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures is true crime and the mystery and thrill it brings. If it makes chills go down my spine, then I’m in! Since life is often busy, there isn’t usually much time to sit down on the couch and enjoy a full movie or Netflix show. Thankfully, there are a few good podcasts that do the trick and keep me entertained on the go.
The first of these was the very first podcast to grab my eye– or rather, my ear– Serial. Sarah Koenig, the host, selects intriguing crimes and picks them apart episode by episode. In early high school, I used to spend my lunch hour either listening with my headphones in or discussing the latest update in the case with others. The first season focused on Adnan Syed and the fog surrounding the murder that put him in jail. Was he really the killer? Or is there new information waiting to be uncovered? It gave fifteen-year-old me a sense of excitement to solve a crime and share it with my friends.
Each season, the Serial team switches topics and follows new leads in new cases. In the third season, they switched tactics and stationed themselves inside a courthouse in Cleveland, reporting weekly on what they heard in different trials and the secrets and politics that lingered after they ended. For those looking for more time with one crime, I recommend Serial!
The second podcast I have loved through the years is Crime Junkie. If you want a one-and-done look at an unsolved, wacky, or terrifying case from the past, then look no further. , I have pressed play on more than one road trip and let the mysteries fly in the show’s fast-paced, hour-long format. Because each case is covered in a shorter format, be prepared for more spine tingles and shivers as they throw gruesome details at you.
Whether you pop some popcorn, hop in the car, go on a walk, or relax in your room, these podcasts are sure ways to find easy entertainment at the press of a button. Get listening!