Hell and Gone: Just plain good true crime
The Premise (from Apple Podcasts): ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Hell and Gone is a true crime podcast from iHeartRadio and School of Humans that follows host Catherine Townsend as she investigates unsolved deaths in small-town Arkansas.
Series or standalone:
Series
Begin listening to:
Episode 1: 14 Years Gone
Format:
Long-form investigative reporting
Host(s):
P.I. Catherine Townsend
Sound/production quality:
Very good
Rating/age suitability:
Deals with murder, so not for kids
Approximate length of episodes:
45-50 minutes
Curricular ties:
None; just for fun
Similar recommended pods:
There are tons! Check out my True Crime category of the blog to see more options.
Podcast Librarian’s Review:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There are a lot of true crime podcasts out there, and if you follow that scene, you know that not all of them are great. HAG starts out inauspiciously enough with a pretty standard story: a long-cold case of a young woman who was murdered. With no real evidence and few leads, it’s no wonder this case has gone cold for so long. Add in a major drug culture in the Arkansas community and people who might be covering up for friends or themselves, and it makes the case even knottier. This well-produced pod takes listeners through all the possible suspects (and speaks to many of them, as terrifying as that is) and leads right up the present state of the case. What sets it apart from the seemingly endless stream of true crime podcasts is that host Catherine is actually a licensed PI. This gives her more access and better skills with which to speed along an investigation like this. Warning: This case is ongoing, so if you prefer a neat wrap-up to your true crime, you won’t find it here (though Catherine does promise to update the feed with pertinent updates). My only slight complaint was that some of the background music got a little clangy and distracting at times, but the audio quality is otherwise great. Season 2 is just beginning and covers a new case—I, for one, am excited to keep listening!
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Update 10.19.20
Season 2 has been released, but I have not yet listened. This review was for Season 1.
