“Wisecrack,” “Snitch City,” “Bone Valley” named best true crime podcasts of 2025

“Crime Writers On” releases annual list of top ten true crime titles

[editor’s note: complete list can be found below]

(Concord, NH) True crime and investigative podcasts “Wisecrack,” “Spotlight: Snitch City,” and “Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County” are the best true crime podcasts of 2025. The shows were the top three in the annual Best Podcasts episode of “Crime Writers On,” the original true crime review podcast.

The other shows in the top ten for 2025 include “Not a Very Good Murderer,” “Stakeknife,” “The Retrievals,” “Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer,” “Breakdown: Three Days in May,” “Scam Factory,” and “Liberty Lost.”

“The past year offered many variations on the themes within true crime,” said “Crime Writers On” host Rebecca Lavoie. “There was some great longform investigative reporting. There were thought-provoking profiles of unreliable narrators. And there were stories of average people in need of help who are dismissed by authorities who don’t believe them.”

“Crime Writers On” is the original true crime review podcast. It’s hosted by true crime author and journalist Rebecca Lavoie. The co-hosts are true crime author and broadcast journalist Kevin Flynn, true crime writer and private investigator Lara Bricker, and podcaster and noir novelist Toby Ball. Since 2016, the panel has reviewed more than 1,000 true crime and crime-adjacent podcasts, documentaries, TV shows, and other media.

The panel determined the number one podcast for 2025 was “Wisecrack” (Tenderfoot TV). In this genre-bending series, standup comedian Edd Hedges recounts the night a man murdered his neighbors, then banged on his door. The routine intrigues a TV producer who works with Hedges to fact-check the story.

“‘Wisecrack’ was unlike anything we’ve ever heard, which makes for an exciting listen. The four of us all literally sat in driveways or extended our commutes because we were so sucked in,” said co-host Flynn.

At number two, “Spotlight: Snitch City” (Boston Globe) examined one police department's abuse of confidential informant procedures which allow them to skirt constitutional guardrails. Host Dugan Arnett of the Spotlight team found the biggest abuser of the system in New Bedford, MA was the police chief, who retired after the exposé.

“Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County” (Lava for Good), the number three podcast on the list, explored a potential wrongful conviction case. The media loved the 2000 story of a housewife who solved a cold case murder. But Susan Galbreath wasn’t a mere citizen sleuth. Host Maggie Freling reveals Galbreath may have pointed the finger at an innocent man to lead police away from their main suspect, who was a family friend.

Other shows in the top ten include Ronan Farrow’s “Not a Very Good Murderer” (Audible Original), in which he spends time with a colorful socialite who may - or may not - have tried to kill two of her husbands. The BBC Sounds podcast “Stakeknife” looks at the ruthless IRA double agent Freddie Scappaticci and whether the British government should be held accountable for allowing their asset to murder Irish informants in order to maintain his cover.

The second season of “The Retrievals” (Serial Productions), which ranked number six, explores how 11% of women undergoing C-sections report their pain medication never kicked in. Host Susan Burton reports the larger problem is often medical staff do not believe the women who say they can feel every excruciating aspect of the surgery, dismissing the complaints as anxiety or over-reactions.

“Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer” (Audible Original) is not a traditional true crime series, but host Leon Neyfakh’s profile of the complicated life and legacy of TV’s trashiest talk show host is magnetic. For its eleventh season, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown: Three Days in May,” profiles a miscarriage of justice involving a couple who went to prison for murdering their newborn, only to be released after medical evidence suggested a medical condition caused the baby’s death.

Two podcasts from Wondery complete the top ten list. “Scam Factory” focuses on people tricked into working at a scam call center in the jungle of Myanmar, surrounded by armed guards who won’t let them leave unless they can lure others to take their place. “Liberty Lost” tells the story of pregnant teens promised free medical care and assistance by Liberty University’s “Godparent Home.” But when the unwed mothers gave birth, they were coerced into giving up their babies to pre-selected Christian couples.

“True crime gets ridiculed as being lurid or sensational. But creators in this genre are turning out important investigative journalism, intriguing thought-pieces and character profiles, and the best nonfiction storytelling in audio. These podcast series are more expensive and labor intensive than the thousands of weekly chat shows and rewatch programs up and down the charts. The ten titles in this list are must-listens and these podcasters should be recognized and rewarded for their excellence,” said Lavoie.

The “Crime Writers On” Best of 2025 list was created from the top ten lists presented by each of the four panelists, with each selected show receiving a score based on its ranking. Sixteen different podcasts were identified. The “Crime Writers On” Best Podcasts of 2025 drops December 8. The Best TV of 2025 episode drops December 11.

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CWO Best True Crime Podcasts of 2025

Wisecrack (Tenderfoot TV)
Spotlight: Snitch City (Boston Globe)
Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County (Lava for Good)
Not a Very Good Murderer (Audible)
Stakeknife (BBC Sounds)
The Retrievals season 2 (Serial Productions)
Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer (Audible)
Breakdown: Three Days in May (AJC)
Scam Factory (Wondery)
Liberty Lost (Wondery)