“Elementary, my dear Watson.” So said the greatest (fictional) detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes. As you’ll see from Podcast Pursuit’s list of mystery podcast picks, however, these stories are anything but elementary.
Staying sharp is always a goal worth pursuing, and being a little bit scared is part of life. These podcasts will keep you on the edge of your seat with room to think, strategize, and be entertained all at the same time.
Best Mystery Podcasts
Limetown
Pure fiction, this podcast is like an audio novel, yet segmented out to keep the narrative alive and fresh. Annie-Sage Whitehurst plays a fictional reporter, Lia Haddock, in a setting of a Tennessee neuroscience facility and all the people that go missing from it. Limetown has two seasons, both of which are available for download and listening. Indeed, Limetown has a prequel novel, and a complementary TV show adaptation streamed exclusively on NBC’s Peacock, starring the talented Jessica Biel.
ParaPod
The paranormal meets the hilarious in this podcast, hosted by the comedy duo Ian and Barry. Haunted houses? No problem. Mythical creatures? Yep. And conspiracies surrounding chilling tales like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. How that can be funny is a bit of a stretch, but the duo manages to make it work. This podcast also has a complementary film version called The ParaPod: A Very British Ghost Hunt.
Unexplained
This is a British mystery podcast that centers around mysteries that go beyond scientific explanation. It also goes beyond conventional murder mysteries to tackle demonic possessions and near-death experiences. In this way, it straddles the line between the normal and the paranormal. What’s great about this podcast is that host Richard MacLean Smith wrote a complementary book called Unexplained: Supernatural Stories for Uncertain Times.
Mirrors
Hosted by writer Jamie Killen, this is the sequel to the limited-series drama Spines that goes through the inner and outer life of an amnesiac who uncovers a deep mystery. Mirrors takes it further and focuses on three women who face spooky and menacing creatures in three distinct periods. This podcast is no longer in production, but you can still listen to the archives.
Missing Richard Simmons
Strange, to say the least, this podcast is about a man who disappears without a trace and a friend who begins to uncover his disappearance. While not stranger than Stranger Things, it definitely puts a twist on the conventional mystery as the friend – filmmaker Dan Taberski – keeps finding weirder layer after layer in the mysterious man Richard Simmons’ disappearance.
Mysterious Universe
Mystery news abounds in this part-fact, part-fiction podcast. Presenting real-life mysterious questions about potentially paranormal phenomena and hosting guests who espouse crazy theories, Mysterious Universe is a delightful yet somewhat spooky foray into the strange and unknown in our world. Plus, there’s an episode about mind lasers. I mean, c’mon. How could you not?
Serial
Serial, hosted by Sarah Koenig, is one of the most popular mystery podcasts out there. Its creators are the very ones who started NPR’s This American Life, and it won a stunning Peabody award for its quality authorship and content. The popular first season told the story of the unsolved murder of Hae Min Lee and the eventual arrest of Adnan Syed. This true crime story captured people’s minds everywhere, leading to subsequent seasons.
Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories
Another smashingly popular true crime podcast, Unsolved Murders packs a powerful punch in quality content and a stellar cast of voice actors. If you’re looking for the best true crime podcasts, you’ll love the dramatic reenactments of real historical crimes that have yet to be fully solved.
Unfound
This podcast is as real and true crime as it gets and has helped solve real cases with quality investigative journalism. The content can be heavy at times, so be prepared. Featuring interviews with family and friends of missing persons, it highlights the mystery in which these stories have been enshrouded.
Batman Unburied
Of course, where would a list of media be without a Batman reference? In stunning detail, Batman Unburied is a new podcast series with a major twist on the Batman narrative. In these podcasts, Bruce Wayne shows both his inner and outer life as a forensic pathologist by day, Batman by night. This show is an excellent psychological thriller and is sure to excite.
Conclusion
Unsolved mysteries and true crime stories are a great way to be engaged in the inner and outer lives of characters entangled in suspenseful situations and circumstances. Be it fact or fiction, as you follow their narratives, remember these are other worlds beyond your own that require keen attention to detail.
This article covered a superb list of the top mystery podcasts you can indulge in when you want to solve a mystery. If you’re a crime junkie, be prepared for some thrills and chills as you check these out, and make sure to have a calming exercise before and after to ground you after your senses get heightened. Enjoy these podcasts as you enter these other worlds and follow the mysteries that may make your hair stand on edge.
