After being transferred to a new church, Father Jud Duplenticy meets the mercurial Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a domineering priest whose parish is filled with secrets. But when Wicks is murdered while alone in a closet in front of his most ardent parishioners, authorities bring in noted private detective Benoit Blanc to solve the case. Blanc and Father Jud dig into Wicks’s past and his relationships with his followers to solve a quintessential closed-door mystery. The detective and the priest discover the murder is only part of a larger puzzle of deceit, wealth, and power.

Daniel Craig and Josh O’Connor lead an all-star cast in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” now on Netflix. The sequel forces the renowned private eye and the earnest priest to join forces and sift through a bevy of suspects that includes the church secretary, a drunk doctor, a failed politician, a high-strung lawyer, and a struggling novelist. The film covers themes of morality, faith, and greed, wrapped in a classic whodunnit throwback the Knives Out series is known for.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WAKE UP DEAD MAN" BEING IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: The future's so bright.

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After her neighborhood is rocked by a gas leak explosion, Sarah Trafford discovers a young survivor has been erased from press coverage and stashed away by authorities. Sarah enlists a pair of private eyes to get to the bottom of what’s happened to the child. Zoë Boehm digs into how the effort to keep Dinah out of sight is connected to her own personal tragedy. But as she and Sarah get closer to the truth, they find themselves stalked by assassins linked to a mysterious operation run out of the Ministry of Defence.

Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson star in the Apple TV thriller series “Down Cemetery Road.”  The mismatched pair find themselves in a web of cover-ups and chaos. What is the government hiding? How does the child fit into their plans? And who are the figures they encounter trying to kill them and each other?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "DOWN CEMETERY ROAD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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In the 2010s, “Totally Laime” wrote the blueprint for podcasts with hot takes, humorous advice, and an engaged audience. Among Elizabeth Laime and Andy Rosen’s colorful group of listeners was one woman struggling with a relationship affected by her past stint as a model. A subset of listeners grew increasingly reliant on Laime’s attention, and when tragedy struck, the hosts questioned what went wrong. But as they dug deeper into what happened, Laime and Rosen feared something more sinister was at play.

The podcast “Beth’s Dead” looks into the dangers of parasocial relationships and the mystery behind why Laime and Rosen ended their trailblazing show. "Armchair Expert"’s Monica Padman holds extended chats with the couple to recount their story and help them confront the unsettled questions of what really happened.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BETH'S DEAD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Penny for your thoughts.

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In 2004, Dateline NBC rolled out a new segment. “To Catch a Predator" was a bait-and-switch operation where producers chatted online with men looking for sex with a minor, then lured them to a home where reporter Chris Hansen would confront them on camera. The undercover segments were billed as helpful to both police and victims, as America watched the would-be predators squirm in shame before getting arrested. But its legacy is complicated, as the show faced scrutiny for aggressive tactics, murky ethics, and entertainment masquerading as justice.

Now airing on Paramount+, “Predators” looks at “To Catch a Predator"'s impact on due process, actual benefits to deterrence, and effect on those ensnared. It also looks at the new generation of vigilantes who entrap suspected pedophiles. Director David Osit questions whether the TV show’s goal was - as host Chris Hansen would claim - to understand why the men did what they did…or whether the goal was to humiliate them on national television.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "PREDATORS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. 

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In 2016, Truman State University was rocked when two fraternity members died by suicide within weeks of each other. But officials were troubled that both students had close ties to Brandon Grossheim, the person who found each of their bodies. Grossheim called himself “The Peacemaker,” someone students could turn to in times of crisis. But as more deaths occurred, and his behavior grew more peculiar, those around him wondered if Grossheim had been steering his classmates away from self-harm…or encouraging it.

The podcast “The Peacemaker” from Coolfire Studios and iHeartPodcasts explores a tragic suicide cluster and the one man connected to all the deaths. Host Ben Westhoff and producer Ryan Krull drill down into the unanswered circumstances around each incident, as well as Grossheim’s proximity and preoccupation with death. It seeks to answer whether his actions were unsuccessful attempts to counsel people already in crisis or whether he nudged them along a path to self-harm.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE PEACEMAKER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Whoville are you?

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Financier Marissa Irvine discovers her son’s playdate was just an elaborate kidnapping. With the search underway, Marissa faces judgement from family and the press for Milo’s disappearance. Meanwhile, Jenny Kaminski struggles with her guilt for hiring the nanny who abducted the child. While police search for the nanny, tensions within the Irvine family grow, as secrets and resentments come to the surface. And loved ones turn on each other as they wonder what role they played in setting the crime in motion.

Golden Globe nominee Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning star in “All Her Fault” on Peacock. The domestic thriller pivots between the missing person’s case and commentary on the societal pressures placed on women. In a race against time, the show exposes how fear, blame, and buried truths can shatter even the closest bonds.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ALL HER FAULT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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Jeremy Bamber was convicted of killing his parents, sister, and nephews in 1985. The Whitehouse Farm murders became England’s most sinister case, cementing Bamber as the nation’s most infamous criminal. And to this day, many remain convinced he is the cold‑blooded killer behind the massacre. But New Yorker reporter Heidi Blake looked into why police turned away from their original theory that the deaths were a murder-suicide at the hands of Bamber’s schizophrenic sister. The investigative reporter found Bamber’s relatives may have manipulated evidence, detectives altered the scene, and authorities may have suppressed evidence in an effort to get and maintain a conviction.

From the team at In the Dark and The New Yorker comes “Blood Relatives.” The series reopens one of the country’s darkest chapters with fresh scrutiny. Blake topples popular belief that Jeremy Bamber slaughtered his family by uncovering new evidence, including an interview with a dispatch operator who says his report about that night was forged.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IN THE DARK: BLOOD RELATIVES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: party animal.

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There was something for everyone on TV in 2025. Some shows shattered conventions, others re‑examined true crime classics as dramatic adaptations, and still others were returning favorites. But which TV shows and documentaries we reviewed truly stood out? We’ll hear from crime writers as they share their top ten picks for 2025.

Lara's picks for best TV of 2025

1. Adolescence
2. The Quilters
3. Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War
4. Unknown Number Catfishing scam-
5. Dept. Q
6. The Diplomat season 3
7. Only Murders in the Building season 5
8. Task
9. The Perfect Neighbor
10. The Hunting Wives

Toby's picks for the best TV of 2025

1. Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War
2. Adolescence
3. The Lowdown
4. The Diplomat season 3
5. White Lotus
6. The Perfect Neighbor
7. The Yogurt Shop Murders
8. Only Murders In the Building season 5
9. CHAOS – The Manson Murders
10. The Fox Hollow Murders

Kevin's picks for the best TV of 2025

1. Adolescence
2. The White Lotus season 3
3. Good American Family
4. Unknown Number: A High School Catfish
5. Task
6. Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War
7. The Fox Hollow Murders
8. Surviving Ohio State
9. The Perfect Neighbor
10. The Bunker

Rebecca's picks for the best TV of 2025

1. The Diplomat season 3
2. Adolescence
3. The White Lotus season 3
4. Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War
5. The Beast in Me
6. The Perfect Neighbor
7. Unknown Number
8. Quilters
9. Only Murders In the Building season 5
10. Murdaugh: Death in the Family

The Crime Writers On Best of 2025 true crime documentaries

1. Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War (Prime)
2. Unknown Number: A High School Catfish (Netflix)
3. The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
4. The Quilters (Netflix)
5. The Fox Hollow Murders (ABC News Studios)
6. The Yogurt Shop Murders (HBO)
7. Surviving Ohio State (HBO)
8. CHAOS - The Manson Murders (Netflix)
9. The Bunker (Viaplay)
10. A Deadly American Marriage (Netflix)

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2025 was a solid year for podcasts. There were multiple investigative series, retrospectives on the history you thought you knew, and even some light‑hearted fare that was quirky and entertaining. But which titles truly stood out? We’ll hear from crime writers as they share their top 10 podcasts we reviewed in 2025.

Lara's top 10 podcasts:

1. Spotlight: Snitch City
2. Liberty Lost  
3. The Preventionist
4. The Retrievals season 2
5. Not a Very Good Murderer
6. Wisecrack
7. Breakdown: Three Days in May
8. Uncover: Sea of Lies  
9. Scam Factory
10. Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County

Toby's top 10 podcasts:

1. Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County
2. Scam Factory
3. Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer
4. Breakdown: Three Days in May
5. Uncover: Sea of Lies
6. Not a Very Good Murderer
7. Wisecrack
8. Stakeknife
9. Dirtbag Climber
10. Lords of Death

Kevin's top 10 podcasts:

1. Wisecrack
2. Spotlight: Snitch City
3. Stakeknife
4. Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer
5. The Copernic Affair
6. Not a Very Good Murderer
7. The Retrievals season 2
8. Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County
9. Death County, PA
10. The Preventionist

Rebecca's top 10 podcasts:

1. Wisecrack
2. Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County
3. Spotlight: Snitch City
4. Stakeknife
5. The Retrievals season 2
6. Not a Very Good Murderer
7. Dirtbag Climber
8. Death County PA
9. Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer
10. Liberty Lost

The Crime Writers On Best of 2025 Podcast List

1. Wisecrack
2. Spotlight: Snitch City
3. Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County
4. Not a Very Good Murderer
5. Stakeknife
6. The Retrievals season 2
7. Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer
8. Breakdown: Three Days in May
9. Scam Factory
10. Liberty Lost

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When the body of 18-year-old Sarah Zuber was found outside her home in 2019, the evidence suggested a variety of competing theories. Was it a murder, a hit and run, or Sarah’s own intoxicated misadventure?  Her parents believed authorities bungled the case and are hiding information. Community members organized on Facebook pages and in action groups, spouting their own theories and suspects. The Zuber case also spawned a political movement targeting a mayor and the sheriff. But as answers to what actually happened still elude us, questions remain whether the attention has benefitted the case - or benefitted the people demanding results.

Season two of the podcast from Oregon Public Broadcasting “Hush: Love Thy Neighbor” focuses on the Sarah Zuber case and why the available evidence supports the contrary conclusions of those throughout Columbia County. Host Leah Sottile and producer Ryan Haas examine how true crime culture and changes in media have altered how a case like this is consumed. They also leave listeners to wonder if the motives of Sarah’s greatest champions are completely altruistic.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "HUSH: LOVE THY NEIGHBOR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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