22 September 2025 - 4 min read
When the days get shorter and the evenings colder, it’s all too easy to lose track of time and spend hours buried in revision notes, essay-writing and webinar recordings. But skipping regular study breaks isn’t great for focus, wellbeing, or productivity, especially during the autumn and winter months when we’re naturally spending more time indoors.
With Halloween just around the corner, we’ve rounded up our top 9 true crime podcasts – the perfect mix of spooky, thrilling, and binge-worthy listening to keep you entertained during your autumn study breaks.
Lucy Worsley is a British historian, author and television presenter, as well as being the host of her own podcast, Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley. Each week she investigates various true crimes of Victorian woman, but does so from a modern, feminist approach. Lucy is joined by a team of female detectives as they delve into the lives of the woman who have committed these crimes, analysing their backgrounds, upbringings as well as dissecting clues and common themes.
Lucy has recently launched a brand-new podcast series, named Lady Swindlers, where she switches her attention to con-women and hustlers. Diving into how their crimes have influenced women of today, as we live in a patriarchal society.
Where you can find Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley: Spotify, BBC Sounds, Apple Podcasts.
Our favourite pick: 23. Jane and Ann Boyd – Secret Baby.
A BBC podcast, June: Voice of a Silent Twin delves into the lives of June and Jennifer Gibbons, Welsh twin sisters. Growing up, the girls began portraying extremely strange behaviours, creating their own language in which only they could understand, in turn completely isolating themselves from those around them.
They continued to only speak and interact with each other throughout their childhood, their language being described as idiosyncratic. The girls were also said to have had slow synchronised movements, while refusing to read and write. In school they were severely bullied as the only black children in their community.
Turning to alcohol and drugs in their teenage years, they began committing crimes of vandalism, petty theft and arson. Following, they were finally admitted to Broadmoor, a psychiatric hospital and were the youngest female inmates.
The sisters apparently were said to have an agreement in which if one of them passed away, the other was to begin speaking and interacting with others, with the goal of leading a normal life. This eventually resulted in Jennifer passing away, June seeing this as an opportunity to be free of her sister.
The twins were the subject of 1986 tv drama, The Silent Twin, following a 2024 BBC Podcast named June: Voice of a Silent Twin, that features June herself, as she delves into her life throughout the years.
Where you can find June: Voice of a Silent Twin: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BBC Podcasts.
Our favourite pick: 4. Psychopathic Arsonists.
Hosted by Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire, previous teacher and events manager. The women both fell into the world of true-crime podcasting, with host Hannah saying that studying Anthropology at university, has left her with an “anthropological appetite” to find out “why people do what they do”. Since, the podcast has won awards in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
A podcast that delves into murders, crimes, mysteries and more, RedHanded is guaranteed to provide you with your creepy weekly hit, if that’s something you’re after! Recent episode, called Constance Marten and Mark Gordon tells the story of parents, Constance & Mark, who’s baby was found in a plastic bag in a shed, covered with soil and rubbish. The episode delves into the brutal details of the parents’ horrific actions, such as nights spent sleeping outside with their baby in a tent on the freezing moors.
Additional episodes explore Mormon family vloggers, sinister murders and corrupt police officers.
Where you can find RedHanded: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music.
Our favourite pick: Episode 366 – Constance Marten & Mark Gordon.
Husband and wife, Iain and Laura are self-confessed true-crime lovers and since have created their own podcast, which examines some of the world’s most startling and menacing crime stories. The pair have warned listeners to expect “murder, mayhem, blackmail and betrayal” and have shared over 40 episodes with their listeners, averaging between 30-45 minutes long, the perfect podcast to listen to in between study sessions.
Where you can find Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling: Spotify, BBC Sounds, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music.
Our favourite pick: A Deadly Affair.
For the self-confessed social media and technology fanatics, podcast Can I Tell You A Secret by The Guardian features journalist Sirin Kale, as she explores the story of Matthew Hardy, a cyberstalker. Matthew cyberstalked a total of 11 women over a decade, endangering, tormenting and destroying the lives of his victims.
Spanning 6 episodes, Sirin also spends time speaking to Matthew’s mother, on a mission to find out exactly who he is and why he became a cyberstalker.
A modern, interesting and chilling listen, Can I Tell You A Secret not only provides entertainment but reminds many of us about the dangers that can come sharing your lives on the internet.
Where you can find Can I tell you A Secret: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music.
Our favourite pick: Can I tell you a secret? Episode one: the beginning.
More light-hearted but nonetheless still creepy, podcast Morbid is hosted by autopsy technician, Alaina Urquhart and her niece, Ash Kelley, who is a hairdresser. The family members choose a crime that piques their interest weekly and with their fun and uplifting personalities, chat with their listeners in the way they would chat to their friends, sharing their thoughts, insights and witty humour about these crimes.
With over 600 episodes to tune into, the auntie and niece explore themes like murder, kidnapping and disappearances.
Where you can find Morbid: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music.
Our favourite pick: The Strange Death of Cindy James.
Focusing on the eerie crimes across Maine and New England, the Murder, She Told podcast differs from others of a similar genre due to it’s documentary, storytelling style and plenty of original interviews. Passionate about telling the stories of the friends, family and investigators that were close to said crimes, podcast host, Kristen Seavey has a life-long passion for mystery, true crime and horror stories, as well as being a victim’s advocate herself.
Listeners have described Kristin as a great storyteller, highlighting that her voice, delivery and sensitivity is what makes her podcast stand out amongst others.
Where you can find Murder, She told: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music.
Our favourite pick: Maura Murray: A conversation with Julie Murray.
For the lovers of Netflix’s documentary, Inventing Anna, the Fake Heiress podcast explores the life of Anna Delvey, a New York based con artist who led people to believe that she was a multi-millionaire heiress. In this six-episode podcast, hosts Vicky Baker and Chloe Moss explore the scandal in further detail. Very much true crime, this podcast skips the murder and gore, making it a lighter listen on those long studying days.
Where you can find Fake Heiress: Spotify, Amazon Music, BBC Sounds.
Our favourite pick: Episode 1.
An award-winning podcast, They Walk Among Us, is likely to send chills down your back, as hosts discuss an array of crimes in their entirety, from the mild (in some cases) to the utmost severe. With currently 9 podcast seasons, all featuring several episodes, there’s murders, gangs, guns and abduction, not to mention that each episode comes with a *listener caution is advised* note. All crimes are also UK specific, if that’s more your think!
Where you can find They Walk Among Us: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music.
Our Favourite Pick: Season 9, Episode 1.
So, if you’re taking a break during your study sessions or looking for a new true-crime podcast to tune into over the winter months, why not check out one of the above? However, like other podcast hosts, we also agree that listener caution is advised.
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