Crime Writers On... (sometimes stylized as Crime Writers On or CWO) is a twice weekly podcast hosted by four American true crime authors: Rebecca Lavoie, Kevin Flynn, Toby Ball, and Lara Bricker.[1] The podcast started on December 12, 2014, as a commentary on and review of the hit true crime podcast Serial.[2][3][4] Crime Writers On grew to cover journalism and a variety of crime-related pop culture topics including other podcasts, films, and television shows.[5] The panel often provides updates on the real life cases discussed in previous episodes as they develop.[6]
| 'Crime Writers On...' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | Rebecca Lavoie, Kevin Flynn, Toby Ball, Lara Bricker |
| Genre | True Crime, Comedy, Commentary, Arts |
| Updates | Twice Weekly: Mondays and Thursdays |
| Production | |
| Audio format | Podcast (via streaming or downloadable MP3) |
| No. of episodes | 395 (as of June 24, 2021) |
| Publication | |
| Provider | Partners in Crime Media |
| Related | |
| Website | www |
In March 2018, Crime Writers On won the Discover Pod's Podcast Madness 2018, a March Madness style competition for podcasts.[7][8]
Hosts
editRebecca Lavoie is the Director of On Demand Audio at New Hampshire Public Radio.[9] Lavoie previously worked as a freelance journalist and has co-authored five true crime books with her husband Kevin Flynn.[10][11] Lavoie also works as a producer, host, or co-host on several other podcasts.[12][13][9] She has appeared as an expert on true crime shows, including on Investigation Discovery.[14][15]
Kevin Flynn, Lavoie's husband and co-author, is a journalist and the author of additional books including American Sweepstakes and Wicked Intentions.[citation needed] Flynn regularly appears as an expert on true crime television programs, including, Deadly Sins, Unusual Suspects, and On the Case with Paula Zahn. He also co-hosts of the Law & Order podcast These Are Their Stories, with Lavoie.[citation needed]
Toby Ball is a crime noir novelist who has written three books.[16][17] Ball is also the Program Director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.[18] He runs the Partners in Crime Media account on Patreon and hosts other podcasts including Radio Free Dystopia and Strange Arrivals.[19]
Lara Bricker is a private detective and freelance author of three books[20] Bricker hosts a Patreon-exclusive podcast called Leave it to Bricker and a podcast version of her newspaper column, Exeter Life.[21][22]
Production
editCrime Writers On is produced by Partners in Crime Media in Lavoie and Flynn's home in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, formerly known as Square Egg Studios.[23] Episodes are typically uploaded Mondays and Thursdays and receive around 100,000 downloads.[24] The show includes recurring segments like Crime of the Week, Cat of the Week, and True Crime Update segments. The podcast has a presence on Twitter and Facebook.[25] On July 7, 2020, the Crime Writers On began an exclusive partnership with Facebook. The videocast is released on Facebook Watch the day after the audio podcast release.[26]
Occasional shows feature a guest host or interview with an expert on the programming being covered. Recurring guests have included Colin Miller and Rabia Chaudry, co-hosts of Undisclosed, and JAG Lt. Col. James Weirick (ret), host of Talk and Purpose Radio and the Military Justice podcast.[citation needed]
The show's original theme song was by Rocksteady Freddie and the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble. The new version is performed by Ty Gibbons.[citation needed]
Public appearances and reception
editCrime Writers On has recorded multiple live episodes of the podcast, beginning in 2016.[24] Respective co-hosts have also appeared at conventions and other events to discuss both true crime and their work in podcasting.[27][28][29][30]
On December 5, 2017, the Crime Writers On podcast was parodied by Done Disappeared, a satirical crime podcast, in the "*BONUS EPISODE*".The fictional Crime Writers Off included Vanessa, Steven, Lauren, and Bobby Tall as versions of Lavoie, Flynn, Bricker, and Ball, respectively.[31]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Phew, we've apparently solved 97% of the podcast measurement problem – everybody relax". Nieman Lab.
- ^ "Beyond 'Serial': 10 True Crime Podcasts You Need to Follow". Rolling Stone. July 22, 2016.
- ^ Locker, Melissa (July 11, 2016). "This week's best podcasts: Code Switch and The Stakes tackle police shootings". The Guardian.
- ^ Meltzer, Marisa. "Are True-Crime Podcasts Ready for the #DefundthePolice Era?". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ "'The Pub' #67: Rebecca Lavoie – public broadcaster, private podcaster". Current. June 10, 2016.
- ^ "Everything You Need to Know Before Watching 'The Case Against Adnan Syed'". In Touch. September 19, 2022.
- ^ "Podcast Madness 2018 – Announcing the Champs!". DiscoverPods.com. March 26, 2018.
- ^ "Best of NH 2018 This & That". nhmagazine.com. June 12, 2018.
- ^ a b "Rebecca Lavoie now heads NHPR podcast team". New Hampshire Public Radio. December 14, 2021.
- ^ "Rebecca Lavoie". Penguin Random House.
- ^ "Mike Burke: Holyoke native Kevin Flynn and wife Rebecca Lavoie create another page-turner". Mass Live. May 15, 2013.
- ^ "State v. Pamela Lanier – Addendum 2 – Embedded Justice". WBEZ. May 3, 2018.
- ^ Turner, Julia (May 4, 2017). "Mom and Dad Are Fighting Twice As Often". Slate.
- ^ "Cable's Campiest Channel Has Perfected the Art of Killing Women". Washingtonian. December 10, 2015.
- ^ "TV murder mystery show examines 1985 Paquette case". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Bausells, Marta (August 12, 2015). "The best book designs of 2015 – in pictures". The Guardian.
- ^ "'Maximum Horror': On Violence in Novels". Publishers Weekly.
- ^ "Toby Ball". University of New Hampshire. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "Aaron Mahnke's Grim & Mild Announces New Podcast 'Strange Arrivals'". Nerds and Beyond. March 27, 2020.
- ^ "Roger Wood Talks With Lara Bricker on Writing". In Depth NH. October 10, 2021.
- ^ "Columnist launches podcast version of Exeter Life". Seacoast Online.
- ^ "Murder she wrote: Crime podcaster launches new Exeter mystery series". Seacoast Online.
- ^ "Talking with Trendsetters: Rebecca Lavoie, Founder, Partners in Crime Media". EContent Mag.
- ^ a b "An evening with crime writers coming to Exeter". Seacoast Online. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "Podcast Success Reinforces Old Lessons in Engagement". EContent Mag.
- ^ "'Crime Writers On' now on Facebook Watch". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ "Exeter Historical Society: Crime Writers on Podcast". Water Street Bookstore, Inc.
- ^ "The Business of Podcasting". Babson. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "SYMPOSIUM: "THE RISE OF THE ARMCHAIR DETECTIVE"". Toronto True Crime Film Festival. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
- ^ "Could Your At-Home DNA Test Be Used to Crack a Cold Case? A Future Tense Event". Slate. March 11, 2019.
- ^ "Oh Hell No: Payne Lindsay is NOT a podcaster, everyone". Mystery and History. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.