The podcast boom isn’t limited to just two people sitting in chairs across from one another—it’s also home to immersive, suspenseful storytelling that will have you trying your hand as a detective.
Ranging from true crime to scripted drama, these are eight of the best mystery podcasts—representing some of the very best the genre has to offer, delivering thrills, intrigue, and everything in between.
In the Dark
An award-winning, investigative mystery podcast, In the Dark, exposes real failures in the justice system. Known for deep, season-long examinations, the show is deeply atmospheric and impactful—often making a difference in the very cases it covers.
Hosted by Madeleine Baran in association with The New Yorker, if you’re looking for a master class in journalism, this one is for you.
The Black Tapes
The Black Tapes is a serialized docudrama in which faux-investigative journalism and paranormal conspiracy collide.
In-universe, the show is hosted by Alex Reagan (voiced by Lori Henry) and follows paranormal investigator Dr. Richard Strand (voiced by Christian Sloan) as he embarks on a journey into the supernatural, including his unsolved cases, known as "Black Tapes."
Deadly Manners
A modern take on the classic locked-room mystery follows the events of the Billings family’s annual dinner party as the evening begins to unravel.
Featuring a remarkable cast, including narrator LeVar Burton, Kristen Bell, Anna Chlumsky, RuPaul, and many more, you’ll find yourself working alongside the guests in this mystery podcast, as everything slowly starts to go wrong.
Solve
If you want to be involved in piecing together the mystery, Solve is the audio experience for you! With one crime and four suspects, it’ll be up to you to weigh all the evidence and decide the culprit.
Every episode of this mystery podcast is a game of deduction—bringing you one step closer to either cracking the case wide open or leaving it among the cold cases.
Criminal
With hundreds of individual, non-sequential stories released regularly, Criminal is the perfect podcast for mystery lovers who dabble in everything. The episodes cover a wide range of topics, including historical crimes and unusual legal cases.
Unpacking the truth behind headlines, the host, journalist Phoebe Judge, the entertaining and thoughtful narration makes this one of the best mystery podcasts out there.
Death by Dying
A scripted audio-drama dark comedy, Death by Dying is a mystery podcast that is equal parts absurd and exciting. Created by Evan Gulock and Niko Gerentes, the story follows an obituary writer in the fictional town of Crestfall, Idaho.
It all begins when said writer decides to investigate the strange deaths of local residents—and quickly spirals into something much more sinister.
Cold
If you prefer a single, season-long story, Cold is a podcast known for its deep-dive examinations of missing-person cases. Season 1 in particular, which follows the 2009 disappearance of Susan Powell and offers primary-source information, is highly popular.
Dave Cawley, the host, is a journalist, investigator, and storyteller who knows not only how to tell a compelling narrative but also how to see through the evidence.
Limetown
A faux-journalistic mystery podcast, Limetown uncovers the disappearance of 300 people in a secretive research town.
Following the perspective of Lia Haddock, an American Public Radio reporter, across six installments, she strives to answer the question: “What happened to the people of Limetown?"
Featured image: Canva
