Last year I was brought into the world of podcasts. With so many options and unsure what to listen to first, I chose a random true crime podcast that, little did I know, would spark a vicious cycle of binging and anticipation for the next episode. Here are five of my favorite podcasts that are also highly reviewed and loved by many listeners. 

“Crime Junkie”

Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat have produced one of the most well known and popular true crime podcasts, “Crime Junkie.” Of course with popularity comes mixed reviews, but a common complaint is Prawat’s side commentary and interruptions. Overall, it’s a highly rated podcast at 4.8 out of 5 stars on Apple Podcast. If you can move past the interruptions from Prawat, the storytelling by Flowers truly can make you feel like you’re a part of the story. Within 45 minutes, the hosts provide a compelling story each week with a great amount of information on a wide variety of cases.  

“Murder With My Husband”

True crime lover Payton Moreland and her husband Garett Moreland, who’s just along for the ride, put a fun twist on podcasting about true crime with “Murder With My Husband.” Payton does the research and Garett does the listening, reacting in a way that many listeners can relate to. This podcast has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on Apple Podcast. The couple also began recording videos of themselves podcasting which are available on YouTube. 

“Morbid: A True Crime Podcast”

Join Alaina Urquhart and Ashleigh Kelley through true crime nightmares, horrifying history and spooky stories in this podcast that definitely supports its name. Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on Apple Podcast, it is hard not to love these two women who compliment each other throughout their story telling episodes. While many podcasts rely heavily on the facts of their case, Urquhart and Kelley can make you laugh, cry and feel horrified all within an hour of listening to their podcast. 

“Serial”

Sarah Koenig does enough research to cover all details of a case and ensures the listeners hear every piece on “Serial.” Each season of this podcast covers a different case and, unfortunately, each season gets less interesting. The podcast is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Apple Podcast, but most of the positive reviews are centered around the first season. The original concept was interesting and the layout of the episodes left you impatient for the next, but the concept was lost nearly entirely and there are many doubts that the podcast will ever have a season as good as the first.

“CounterClock”

Host and journalist Delia D’Ambra digs into the aspects of old homicides and provides listeners with the steps she takes, knowledge she finds and interviews she conducted along the way on “CounterClock.” Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on Apple Podcasts, this podcast makes listeners feel as though time is turned back. D’Ambra’s thorough investigations in each case provide the listener with details that aren’t commonly found in basic research.