Crime Writers On podcast
Hosted by Crime Writers On
A panel of four writers and investigators critically review the latest true crime shows, podcasts, and documentaries, concluding with a thumbs-up or down.
This is a meta-commentary on the true crime genre, delivered as a weekly roundtable. A panel of industry insiders—journalists, a PI, and authors—dissect the craft of true crime storytelling, from police procedure and journalistic ethics to narrative structure. The structured analysis is frequently punctuated by irreverent personal anecdotes and humorous pop culture tangents.
“Unlike simple recap shows, this panel uses professional expertise to critique the journalistic, legal, and storytelling choices behind the media they review. The definitive "thumbs up/thumbs down" verdict provides a clear, decisive takeaway for listeners deciding what to watch next.”
Who hosts this show
Crime Writers On is the original true crime review podcast where hosts Rebecca Lavoie, Kevin Flynn, Lara Bricker, and Toby Ball dig into crime-adjacent pop culture. Started in 2014 as a commentary on the podcast "Serial," the show has grown to cover a wide range of documentaries, series, and films. The hosts leverage their professional backgrounds as authors, journalists, and private investigators to provide irreverent but informed critiques, giving each piece of media a final "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" review.
Credentials & credits
- Rebecca Lavoie: Director of On-Demand Audio at New Hampshire Public Radio, true crime author.
- Kevin Flynn: Award-winning journalist, true crime author of five books.
- Lara Bricker: Journalist, author, and licensed private investigator.
- Toby Ball: Author of the 'City Trilogy' suspense novels, works at the University of New Hampshire's Crimes against Children Research Center.
Other ventures
- Rebecca Lavoie: Host of Netflix's 'You Can't Make This Up' podcast, panelist on 'These Are Their Stories: The Law & Order podcast'.
- Kevin Flynn: Host of 'These Are Their Stories: The Law & Order podcast'.
- Lara Bricker: Author of the 'Piper Greene Exeter Mysteries' series, host of 'Leave It To Bricker' podcast.
- Toby Ball: Host of 'Strange Arrivals' and 'Toby Ball's Deep Dive Book Club' podcasts, founder of Bear Island Media.
- Partners in Crime Media: The production company for the podcast, run by Lavoie and Flynn.
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01Hunting the Suicide SalesmanJun 25, 2026 · 54 min
- 02The WitnessJun 22, 2026 · 45 min
- 03The Murder of Rachel NickellJun 19, 2026 · 51 min
- 04Blunt Force TraumaJun 15, 2026 · 59 min
- 05A Good Girl's Guide to Murder S2Jun 11, 2026 · 55 min
- 06My Mother's LiesJun 8, 2026 · 53 min
- 07City of LightsJun 4, 2026 · 52 min
- 08The CrashJun 1, 2026 · 55 min
Notable episodes
- 01The Murder of Rachel Nickell & The Witness
Reviewing both a documentary and a dramatization of the same case in back-to-back episodes showcases the show's depth in analyzing different storytelling approaches to a single true story.
- 02Hunting the Suicide Salesman
This episode demonstrates the panel's ability to tackle a complex, ethically fraught case involving modern technology, online forums, and the responsibilities of journalism.
- 03A Good Girl's Guide to Murder S2
The review of this popular fictional series highlights the show's range, moving beyond documentaries to critique how true crime tropes are used in fiction.
What you'll be asked on this show
This is a four-person panel show that is not an interview format. Each episode follows a consistent structure: host introductions, a 'business section' for sponsors and Patreon, a spoiler alert, the main review discussion, and the final 'thumbs up/down' verdict. The conversation is a mix of structured critique and informal, often humorous, tangents among the co-hosts.
Signature segments
- · Thumbs up/thumbs down review
- · The Business Section
- · Spoiler Alert Warning
- · Cat of the Week
- · Crime of the Week
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show is a co-host-only panel format and does not typically feature guests. When guests do appear, they are often fellow journalists or experts related to a specific case being reviewed.
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show is supported by a mix of direct-to-consumer brand sponsorships (e.g., Mint Mobile, Quince) and a robust listener-supported model via Patreon. The 'business section' is a dedicated segment for ad reads and promoting their Patreon-exclusive content.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Crime Writers On?
- The podcast is hosted by a panel of four: Rebecca Lavoie, Kevin Flynn, Lara Bricker, and Toby Ball.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a weekly review panel. The four co-hosts discuss a true crime documentary, series, or podcast and each give it a 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down' rating.
- Is this an interview podcast?
- No, it is a review panel where the four co-hosts discuss a piece of media among themselves. It is not an interview show.
- How often do new episodes come out?
- New episodes are released twice a week, typically on Mondays and Thursdays.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.
- What are the hosts' backgrounds?
- The hosts are all professional writers and journalists. Rebecca Lavoie works in public radio, Kevin Flynn is an author and journalist, Lara Bricker is a private investigator and author, and Toby Ball is a noir novelist.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Crime Writers On... Official Websitecrimewriterson.com
- [02]Crime Writers On... - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]About Rebecca & Kevin - Crime Writers On...crimewriterson.com
- [04]About Lara - Crime Writers On...crimewriterson.com
- [05]About Toby - Crime Writers On...crimewriterson.com
- [06]Lara Bricker Inklarabricker.com
- [07]About - Toby Balltobyball.com
- [08]Partners in Crime Media - Audioboomaudioboom.com
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