Seven of the best True Crime podcasts

Do you love podcasts as much as I do? I hardly listen to radio anymore – my audio input these days is a combination of podcasts on subjects I’m interested in and audiobooks, which I love!

I’m not wild about dramatized fictional podcasts but I really enjoy listening to podcasts on true crime. Here are my recommendations!  

1. Serial

Serial is arguably the podcast that kicked off the craze, and it’s really good!

In the first series, investigative journalist Sarah Koenig did a deep-dive into the story of alleged murderer Adnan Syed and set the internet ablaze with debates on his guilt or innocence, and the flaws in the legal system which may have led to a miscarriage of justice.

The second and third series are also worth listening to.

2. Small Town Dicks 

 I love this one which feels (strangely) more wholesome than most in this genre!

It’s hosted by actress Yeardley Smith (the voice of Lisa in The Simpsons!) along with twin brother detectives “Dan” and “Dave” — their true identity is kept secret.

In each episode, they deal with a true crime and include their own experiences, actual 911 calls, and interviews with the detectives who investigated the case. It’s respectful of the victims, gives a great behind-the-scenes peek into the impact on cops, and isn’t a gore-fest.    

 3. Criminal

This one is hosted by Phoebe Judge, whose dulcet tones will keep you calm through the storm of crimes she explores.

What’s great about this podcast is that she interviews the criminals themselves and deals with an enormous variety of crimes (not just the usual serial killer fare), some of which are ranked as “petty” but which are nevertheless fascinating!

It’s an intelligent podcast – more compassionate than sensational, and I rank it up there with the best!

4. Dr Death

 I haven’t heard this one yet, but it comes highly recommended by my DD who warns that it’s horrific and you shouldn’t listen to it before getting surgery! It tracks the story of neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch and the swathe of damaged bodies and lives he leaves in his wake. You’ll never blindly trust a doctor again!

If you like this one, you might like my novel Dark Whispers, which was inspired by the true story of a Ob-GYN in Australia whom the media dubbed The Butcher of Bega. I was horrified and fascinated by what he did (and got away with!) because it seems to me that allowing yourself to be anaesthetized and then putting your very life into the hands of a doctor you probably don’t know personally is the very height of vulnerability.

5. Dirty John

This one was so juicy, that it spawned a TV series but, in my opinion, the podcast was better.

It tells the story of a con-artist and sociopath who inveigled himself into the life of an otherwise sensible, intelligent and successful woman, and then wreaked havoc in her personal and professional life. I was especially fascinated because in my therapy practice I’ve encountered victims of these predators and the pattern is common to the stories.

A messier podcast than some, it’s still a compelling listen. 

6. Murder Book

If you’re a reader who loves crime and police-procedural novels, you’re probably a fan of Michael Connelly’s books or the Harry Bosch TV series based on them. They’re well-researched and true to life because Connelly has good friends in the LA police force.

In season one (The Tell-tale Bullet), the author delves deep into the case of a seemingly innocent young man who is shot in a car hijacking gone wrong, and tracks the outrageous miscarriage of justice as the cop who killed him bucks and manipulates the legal system for seventeen years! The episodes include interviews with detectives, lawyers, the victim’s friends and family, as well as court recordings and even wiretaps. Fascinating and infuriating in equal measure.  

7. S*Town

And now for something completely different ...

A listener to the Serial podcast contacts the producers and says people in small Alabama town are bragging about getting away with a murder. An investigative journalist starts digging, but soon the poignant story becomes as much about this backwoods town mired in poverty and drugs, and the lonely, depressed but entertainingly colorful horologist who sent in the tip, as about the crime itself.

There’s a shocking twist early on, and it’s as compelling as listening to a slow-motion car wreck.

If you like crime podcasts, chances are you like crime / mystery / suspense novels, so you might like to check out mine!

The First Time I Died

and The First Time I Fell are books 1 and 2 in the Garnet McGee series.

After a near-death experience, tough-minded rationalist Garnet McGee begins hearing voices and seeing visions. Unsure whether she’s developing a psychic ability or merely going crazy, she begins investigating murders in Vermont — with some help from the victims!  

Dark Whispers

How much do you trust your doctor? When a patient in hypnosis describes an experience of abuse at the hands of her doctor, psychologist Megan Wright starts investigating. Determined to find out the truth and stop the abuse, but bound to silence by the ethics of confidentiality, Megan enters the dark mind of a dangerously disturbed man in a deadly battle of wits and wills.

New release!

I'm delighted to announce the release (in Kindle ebook and paperback) of my eco-warriors series for younger teens and tweens. I've completely revised (read rewritten) these and I'm now delighted with them.

Fun and funny, with a gentle eco-theme, these clean novels will appeal to younger teens and tweens. This is definitely one for the VSCO girls!

The first book, Turtle Walk, is out, and the second and third (multiple award-winning) books are already on preorder and will release within the next month - perfect for binge-reading.

Check out the books here!

I am thrilled and honored to have been chosen as the winner of the Percy Fitzpatrick Prize for Youth Literature, 2018, for the third book in the Eco-warriors series, Fault Lines!

My thanks to the English Academy for choosing my book, and to my publishers Protea Boekhuis and my wonderful editor, Danel Hanekom for helping me create the best book I could.

I loved writing this book and it deals with important themes and issues that are close to my heart, so it means a great deal to me to have the novel recognised by this prestigious bi-annual award.

Here's more about the book:

The eco-warriors are back! 

Samantha Steadman and her friends are now in Grade 10 at Clifford House boarding school but this year, cracks are beginning to appear in their friendships, romances and their belief in themselves. When Sam joins ecological activists to block fracking in the Karoo, she expects that her best friends will be right alongside her in the fight. But Nomusa takes a very different view of the controversial issue and Jessie, under the influence of a glamorous new girl at the school, is too obsessed with her weight and appearance to care about ecology.

Sam feels very alone as she tries to deal with pressure from boys, school and her Poison Dwarf of a science teacher, all while uncovering a personal mystery from the past and struggling to save the Karoo – as well as her friendships – from splitting down their fault lines.

Fault Lines is the winner of the 2018 Percy Fitzpatrick Award for Youth Literature and the MAHLA Award (Minara Aziz Hassim Literary Awards) in 2016.

10 Intense YA dystopians

I'm amped that my novel Recoil has been selected for this terrific list of top YA dystopian fiction, and I love the video :D as well as the video on how Dystopias suppress storytellers.

Governments are scared of storytellers and books - this is the primary premise of Fahrenheit 451, where books are illegal and are burned, and people are encouraged to watch mindless (propaganda) TV constantly.

I think dystopian fiction, although it looks like it's set in the future, is actually tackling worrying issues in the present. This was certainly the spur for my YA dystopian series, The Recoil Trilogy. I'm horrified at how many of the things i predicted have already come true!

From the YA fiction list, I see I have lots of reading to do! From the classic dystopian list, I read (and loved) Handmaid's Tale, Fahrenheit 451 and 1984, and from the films, I loved Hunger Games and enjoyed Minority Report. In my first degree, I took a year of drama and film, and one of the films we had to watch and study was Metropolis, the 1927 classic by Fritz Lang. No, I wasn't in university in 1927 - I had to go to a special film festival to catch this one, and boy was I glad I did! I saw the remastered version with music by Georgio Moroder and it was fantastic - crazily modern in its themes. If you ever get a chance, watch it!

Check out this terrific page on Dystopians here.

New release!

I'm delighted to annnounce that my latest novel for adults is now available! Here's the book description:

The first time I died, I didn’t come back alone...

When Garnet McGee returns to her small Vermont hometown for the holidays, she vows to solve the mystery of the murder which shattered her life ten years ago. 

But then the unexpected happens — she dies in an accident and gets brought back to life by paramedics.

Now she’s hearing words, seeing visions and experiencing strange sensations. Are these merely symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and an over-active imagination, or is she getting messages from a paranormal presence? 

Garnet has always prided herself on being logical and rational, but trying to catch a killer without embracing her shadow self is getting increasingly difficult. And dangerous, because in a town full of secrets, it seems like everybody has a motive for murder. 

Fast-paced and riveting, The First Time I Died is a suspenseful and haunting crime story with an supernatural twist.

Great reading for fans of Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware and Liane Moriarty.