The Top 35 Narrative Non-Fiction Podcasts that AREN’T About Murder
I love podcasts, but I hate interview podcasts. I know, it’s weird! But I can’t be the only one.
When it comes to podcasts, I’m looking for an incredible story. A narrative thread, some cliffhangers, and to really capture my attention it has to be a true story.
The defining podcast of this genre is the very famous Serial (which is excellent, for the record). But it’s a murder podcast. And sometimes you just don’t want a story about a real human being killing another real human being, ya know?
So, straight from a professional podcast listener, here’s my list of excellent, gripping narrative format podcasts that are NOT about murder.
These are vaguely ranked from must-listen to meh. But I only included podcasts on this list that I finished and would recommend. (Believe it or not, there are a ton more I listened to that didn’t make the cut!)
The Dream
I haven’t met a human yet who didn’t absolutely love this podcast. Listen to it. LISTEN TO IT. This is at the top of the list for a reason!
The Trojan Horse Affair
DAMN this was good, and co-created by the creator of Serial you expect nothing less. Education is a common theme on this list, so a podcast that follows an education story with some truly jaw-dropping moments is sitting right at #2. I don’t even want to tell you what it’s about because the topic doesn’t sound that juicy, BUT IT IS. Just listen.
The Missing Crypto Queen
This is one of the most bananas real-life podcasts you will ever hear, so many great cliffhangers that left me dying for the next episode. The Bulgarian crypto beauty pageant is too good to be real, and a scene you will never forget.
Exit Scam
I had to put this one below Crypto Queen because the stories are bizarrely similar. This is a different shady crypto founder who also disappears. The production value isn’t as excellent as Crypto Queen, but still a really interesting story.
The Gateway: Teal Swan
This podcast absolutely haunted me and I still think about it (and get mildly creeped out) all the time. It’s a deep dive into Teal Swan, a “self help” leader who focuses on suicidal people. She is a deeply fascinating character, and since I’m a big self-help reader myself I loved exploring some of the darker sides of this world.
No Compromise
I would honestly say this podcast is a must-listen for every American, especially if you feel confused by Trump supporters. No Compromise reveals a LOT about America, including how many of our state representatives are “out” white supremacists. I was also fascinated to learn about Christian Reconstructionism. (Google it or listen to the podcast!)
Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen
This is one of the most “holy shit that’s too incredible to be true” stories on this list. Plus it has a great surprise twist!
The Shrink Next Door
A top pick because it’s so fascinating and insane it’s hard to believe it’s real!
I’m Not a Monster
This one is pretty unforgettable — a white American mom joins ISIS and takes her kids with her — WTF? This is a really well done podcast with in-depth reporting of what happened, including recordings of propaganda videos made by her kids. Disturbing AF . . . but no one (OK, none of the main characters) gets murdered, hey-o!
Gangster Capitalism: The College Admissions Scandal
I find “gangster capitalism” a really dumb name, don’t let it deter you from listening to this excellent podcast!
California City
I LOVE A GOOD SCAM. And this show is all about a scam that’s gone on for decades (and still goes to this day!) selling land with no value in the middle of nowhere. The best part was probably discovering how the company lets the useless land go to auction when the taxes are no longer paid, buys it again, then sells it to another sucker.
I Was Never There
What if you were raised on a hippie “back to the land” farm and then in a punk house? And then, as an adult, you made a podcast about it with your mom? That’s basically what the score is in I Was Never There. Ostensibly about a missing person, but I loved diving into the mother/daughter relationship and portrait of a unique place/time/movement.
Uncover Season 1: Escaping NXIVM
Cults are right up there with scams on my favorite topics list, and I gobbled up stories from a few different sources about NXIVM. This one was the best — a great, creepy, complex story told right from how it started.
Startup Season 1: Gimlet
There have been a lot of seasons of Startup, some much better than others. This is the original, and the best. Truly captured the raw emotions of the emotional journey of starting a company.
Startup: Success Academy
This is the second best season of Startup, even though it’s one of the least “entrepreneurial” seasons. I found learning about Success Academy fascinating
The Mysterious Mr Epstein
Hey I said these didn’t involve murder, other horrific crimes are fair game!
Hoaxed
SATANIC PANIC. Another fav topic right up there with cults and scams! This podcast from Alexi Mostrous (see also Sweet Bobby) covers a modern Satanic Panic case set in the London suburbs. Includes a fun chase through Morocco!
Surviving Y2K
I have to say this one falls under the “Dan Taberski podcasts where nothing much happens” umbrella. However the narrative arc weaving his coming out with Y2K is just some of the finest podcasting of all time. And that’s from someone who (clearly) LISTENS TO A LOT OF PODCASTS.
Dolly Parton’s America
Honestly I’m cheating by including this one as I doesn’t really have a strong narrative, it’s more of a collection of Dolly-related themes. However, the lesbian interpretation of Jolene is one of the many shining moments that make the whole series well worth a listen.
Sick: Season 1
I like creepy stuff, what can I say? This one is a fertility doctor who used some “unorthodox” methods, and what happened in the aftermath.
Rabbit Hole
Honestly this one starts out really captivating then fizzles a bit, but I still made it to the end. It’s basically an exploration of how some of the extreme right-wing ideas on the internet spread, with a Q-Anon primer thrown in for good measure.
Tiffany Dover is Dead
Oh, you like podcasts about Q-Anon? Then you’ll probably be into this one about Covid misinformation! This goes deep on how a verifiably false story is able to spread deep and wide on the good ol’ internet. A great reminder not to believe everything you read (or see) online. (See also Death by Conspiracy on this topic.)
Heaven’s Gate
OK I’m stretching the “not about a murder” definition here a bit, but I will maintain that this is about a cult, not a murder. Really well done and gave me a deeper perspective on something that felt like just random odd news trivia before.
Nice White Parents
I had a strong personal interest in this one as I attended schools just like the ones discussed on the show, where “nice white parents” go in to change (and insert their children) into schools in low income communities. The show explored a lot of interesting themes on race, class, and how they get tied into education.
Sweet Bobby
Sweet Bobby is basically the ultimate catfishing story. Plus it’s kind of a follow-along whodunnit, as I’ll give a minor spoiler and let you know the catfisher is someone we are introduced to in the story. It was pretty painful at times to listen to the “mark” insist that she was not gullible, as she was incredibly gullible and believed some absolutely outrageous stories from the catfisher. Ultimately it’s a twisty story about someone who had years of her life taken away in a very strange way.
Do You Know Mordechai
I’m sticking this under Sweet Bobby because it’s the same topic but I thought Sweet Bobby was a bit better (sorry!). Still, this story is well worth a listen and a different slant than Bobby because this one leaves you feeling quite sympathetic with the catfisher. Best moment is all the victims of the catfisher banding together to make their own crackpot detective team!
Sent Away
Teen treatment facilities! Scams, abuse, craziness — so up my alley. This podcast explores the whole industry from the insane way kids are kidnapped in the middle of the night to the lack of government oversight on the facilities.
Toxic
This one could have gone a bit deeper in the storytelling and journalism, but still worth a listen overall to understand more about the insanity that is Britney Spears’ conservatorship.
My Year in Mensa
I suspect you’ll either find the host of this podcast hilarious or outrageously annoying. I’m on team hilarious, and the air horn never got old. This is the only one on the list that would also fall into the comedy genre. Not my usual thing, but entertaining overall.
Death by Conspiracy
OK this one is clearly about a death . . . but it’s not a murder, he died from Covid! Gotcha! This was an interesting exploration of someone who fell into the covid conspiracy rabbit hole, and it definitely gave me insight as to how it happens. If you’re into this topic, you may also want to check out We Were Three, but honestly I didn’t love it enough to make this list.
Betrayal
Not about murder, just sexual assault of a minor! This is like listening to outrageously juicy gossip, and I love how the wronged wife banded together with the victim of her husband’s abuse instead of blaming her. If you think YOUR ex is bad, this podcast will cheer you right up!
Southlake
This one caught my attention because everyone who went to the University of Texas like I did knows someone from Southlake, a suburb of Dallas. If you’ve ever wondered how people started the wild theory that “critical race theory” is being taught in elementary schools, this podcast gets to the bottom of it.
The Opportunist
This gets kind of a B overall, I didn’t find myself thinking about it much after it was over. But it is cult-adjacent which is a good enough reason to listen for me. Also bonus points for clips from Coast to Coast.
Missing Richard Simmons
I have to spoil this one in advance and warn you that nothing happens. This a podcast with no resolution, not even close. But at this point I am a Dan Taberski superfan and will listen to anything he does, and this was no exception.
Fed Up
This is a fun one but at the bottom of the list for a reason. I definitely enjoyed the drama of two influencer’s instagram feud, but the podcast is about as surface as it sounds and the story doesn’t really go anywhere. Still, this is one of the only podcasts mentioned that contains zero dark themes so I thought it deserved a place on the list!
Plus, Two Honorable Mentions That Didn’t Fit the List
In The Dark: Season Two (Curtis Flowers)
This one is sort of about murder, although gory details never appear. It’s really about the complex, incredibly length case of the man who was tried six times for the same crime. It’s riveting storytelling about race and the criminal justice system in America, and it’s a true must-listen.
Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet
And on a very, very different note (what was I thinking putting this after the Curtis Flowers podcast??) this is one isn’t about murder, but it also isn’t narrative. It’s a brother and sister reading yelp reviews, and it thoroughly cracks me up every time.
