
Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo, The Staircase returns, and an Atlanta Monster take-down
IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP! Crime Writers On is facing off against This American Life for a chance to win DiscoverPods's PODCAST MADNESS. We are one win away from SHOCKING THE WORLD! Let's get it done: vote now at discoverpods.com.The panel tackles quite a bit this week: more "Staircase" episodes coming, the "Black Tapes" fake out, a scathing review in Slate on "Atlanta Monster," books that stay with us, and a special announcement for our Patreon supporters (it involves Toby).Moving on, season two of CBC’s Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo looks at the case of a girl both murdered and now missing. Will Connie Walker find the Cree girl adopted into some American family? Will she skillfully tie the tale to the heartbreaking story of Canada's "Sixties Scoop"? What do the crime writers think of it?TO SKIP TO OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF FINDING CLEO, JUMP TO 1:03:49Then in crime of the week - ready player one.(Wanna see that "human looking dog?" Click here.) For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
23 Maalis 20181h 20min

O.J. Confessed? Atlanta Monster revisited? Seven Seconds Reviewed! (And more!)
This episode the panel blitzes through a bunch of topics. Who knew Stormy Daniels was an accomplished equestrian? That $500m lottery winner gets to remain anonymous. Why did Claire Foy (Queen Elizabeth) get paid less than Matt Smith (Prince Philip) on "The Crown"? Toby finished Atlanta Monster and has some further thoughts. Did OJ Simpson really confess on that Fox special...or did he REALLY confess? And what's on the Scientology TV Network tonight?Then the crime writers talk about the new Netflix series "Seven Seconds." The drama explores the effect of a covered-up hit-and-run on the victim's parents, the driver and his crooked police partners, and the alcoholic DA assigned to the case. And can someone explain why everyone's car is so dirty?TO REMAIN SPOILER-FREE AND SKIP TO OUR REVIEWS OF SEVEN SECONDS, JUMP AHEAD TO 1:00:56In Crime of the Week - the hits keep on coming. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
16 Maalis 20181h 12min

A McMafia Review, An EPIC Rant & "I'll be Gone in the Dark"
The panel talks about updates from "The Pope's Long Con" and "Mommy Dead & Dearest." We listen to a profanity-laden rant from "Crime in Sports" about self-important podcasters. And we talk about the gripping new book, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, published posthumously after crime writer Michelle McNamara's tragic 2016 death.Our main event: "McMafia," the new organized crime series from BBC and AMC. This good-guy-dragged-in-bad-deeds tale is expensive and extravagant, but will audiences like its high-finance meets underworld story?In Crime of the Week - deadly deodorant. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
9 Maalis 20181h 5min

Disgraceland reviewed, the Pope's final con, & Dassey's SCOTUS appeal
Before we take a week off for school vacation (thank you, children) we'll circle back to some important True Crime Updates. The election to fill the statehouse seat of the late Danny Ray Johnson, subject of the "The Pope's Long Con," was this week...and it wasn't even close. "Making a Murderer"'s Branden Dassey has asked SCOTUS for a Writ of Cert (we'll explain what that means).The headliner for this show is the rock'n'roll-themed "Disgraceland." No interviews. No investigations. No audio tape. Not even the artists' music. Just a host spinning tales of musicians behaving very badly. Does this new chart-topper hit all the right notes?In Crime of the Week, it's one thumb down. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
23 Helmi 20181h 9min

HBO's Mosaic, lottery woes, and a brief return to West Cork
This week we ponder the problems of winning $550 million in the lottery and keeping a low profile. We get a love letter from Ireland and circle back to "West Cork" with a spoiler-full discussion about the prime suspect.IF YOU STILL WANT TO REMAIN SPOILER-FREE ON WEST CORK, SKIP AHEAD TO 33:16.Then we'll have an up-close look at "Mosaic," Stephen Soderbergh's multi-platform storytelling experience. The six-part HBO limited series deals with the murder of a famous children’s book writer. While the concept is ambitious, does "Mosaic" deliver the goods?TO SKIP PAST SPOILER-FILLED DISCUSSION OF MOSAIC, JUMP AHEAD TO 1:02:24And this week's Crime of the Week is grrrrrrrreat! For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
16 Helmi 20181h 15min

Double Take: The Onion's 'A Very Fatal Murder' and our (spoiler free) 'West Cork' review
Not even a blizzard can stop the Crime Writers from their appointed rounds (though it may crackle the connection once in a while).We get skeeved out by the latest accusations of "Making a Murderer" defense-lawyer-now-judge Len Kachinsky (cue your own cat noises). There's a notable cameo in "Sword & Scale." And we toss around our thoughts on the Onion's new true crime parody podcast, "A Very Fatal Murder." Does a send up of the crime podcast world seem like it's about three months too late?Then a no-blarney, spoiler-free review of Audible's new 13-part series, "West Cork." The famous1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier is relatively unknown to American listeners. Not since "Serial" have we had such access to a prime suspect. We'll tell you whether you should make time for this one.Our review is truly spoiler-free, but if you still want to skip right to our verdicts, go to the 53rd minute.Then in Crime of Week, how else are you going to carry all that dough around? For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
9 Helmi 20181h 5min

A Done Disappeared encore, Slow Burn’s next story, The Walk’s big idea, The Alienist reviewed
A Done Disappeared encore, Slow Burn’s next story, The Walk’s big idea, and an Alienist reviewThe Crime Writers take on a trio of True Crime Podcast Updates as Slow Burn wraps up season one and teases a *fantastic* follow-up, Dirty John lands a scripted series, and our best friend John David Booter tries to raise funds (click here to help him!) for a second season in which he’ll appropriate all things 1980’s.Then, our take on The Walk, the hit podcast from Panoply. This show is trying to do something completely different with a story that puts the listener in the middle of the action. But does it work? Or is it just the prototype for a future, better iteration of the format?And, a review of the TNT adaptation of the smash bestselling book The Alienist. (If you want to skip any and all potential spoilers and just hear the review, go to 51:04.) For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 Helmi 20181h 5min

In which we review "Dark" from Netflix and retract our criticism of a maligned media figure
This week we unveil the new name for Studio C (it's a mouthful), learn Toby's actually the nice one, and get freaked out by what this drug can make you do in your sleep.The Crime Writers eat some humble pie and admit they were too quick to dismiss one of America's most underappreciated media figures last week - Keith Morrison from Dateline NBC. Some special podcasters will join the discussion - and you can find their awesome show A Date With Dateline right here.The main focus shifts to the new Netflix series, "Dark." This German-language "Stranger Things"-meets-"Lost" has everything: caves, dead birds, surprisingly depressing school plays...and a cast of characters dripping in Teutonic angst. (Try this link to see the Dark family trees.)TO JUMP OVER THE SPOILERS AND GO STRAIGHT TO OUR REVIEWS, FAST FORWARD TO TIME CODE 59:59Then in crime of the week: I love you. You love me. But it's going to cost you $350. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
25 Tammi 20181h 12min