“Crime Writers On” Names Best True Crime Podcasts of 2025.

“Wisecrack,” “Spotlight: Snitch City,” and “Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County” have been named the top three true crime podcasts of 2025 by Crime Writers On, the long-running true crime review podcast that annually evaluates the genre’s most notable releases.

The rankings were revealed during Crime Writers On’s Best Podcasts of 2025 episode, which highlights standout investigative and narrative series from across the rapidly expanding true crime landscape. The annual list is compiled by the show’s four-member panel, which has reviewed more than 1,000 podcasts and crime-adjacent projects since launching in 2014.

Tenderfoot TV’s “Wisecrack” earned the number one spot. The genre-bending series centers on standup comedian Edd Hedges, who recounts a chilling story about a man who murdered his neighbors before banging on Hedges’ door. The unsettling tale captures the attention of a television producer, triggering a deeper investigation into whether the story is true. Co-host Kevin Flynn called the series “unlike anything we’ve ever heard,” saying the panel found themselves extending commutes just to keep listening.

The second-ranked podcast, “Spotlight: Snitch City” from the Boston Globe, examines the misuse of confidential informants by a Massachusetts police department. Hosted by Spotlight team reporter Dugan Arnett, the series uncovered systemic abuses that allowed law enforcement to bypass constitutional safeguards. The investigation ultimately led to the retirement of New Bedford’s police chief following the exposé.

At number three, “Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County” from Lava for Good revisits a potential wrongful conviction tied to a celebrated cold-case resolution. Host Maggie Freling scrutinizes the actions of Susan Galbreath, a woman long praised as a citizen sleuth, raising new questions about whether she deflected suspicion away from a family friend by implicating an innocent man.

Other podcasts rounding out the top ten include Ronan Farrow’s “Not a Very Good Murderer” (Audible Original), a character-driven investigation into a wealthy socialite suspected of attempting to kill two husbands, and the BBC Sounds series “Stakeknife,” which explores the life of IRA double agent Freddie Scappaticci and the moral consequences of British intelligence allowing murders to preserve his cover.

Serial Productions’ “The Retrievals” ranked sixth with its second season, which investigates reports from women undergoing C-sections whose anesthesia failed. Host Susan Burton highlights broader issues of medical disbelief and gender bias in healthcare settings.

Also recognized were Audible Original’s “Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer,” a probing portrait of the controversial talk show host by Leon Neyfakh, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown: Three Days in May,” which examines a miscarriage of justice involving the wrongful imprisonment of parents accused of killing their newborn.

Two Wondery podcasts completed the list. “Scam Factory” documents forced labor inside a scam call center in Myanmar, while “Liberty Lost” investigates coercive adoption practices tied to Liberty University’s Godparent Home.

Rebecca Lavoie, host of Crime Writers On, said the genre continues to deliver some of the most rigorous nonfiction storytelling in audio. She noted that while true crime is often dismissed as sensational, many of today’s creators are producing high-impact investigative journalism that demands time, resources, and careful reporting.

The Best of 2025 rankings were determined using individual top-ten lists from each panelist, with scores assigned based on placement. The Best Podcasts of 2025 episode debuted December 8, with the Best TV of 2025 episode following on December 11.