Bone-chilling podcasts you may have missed this winter

This winter may have been rough for some, but as it finally comes to a close it’s the perfect time to look back at some of the podcasts that kept us company indoors. True crime remained a tried-and-true genre for podcasts fans, along with other thrilling shows that included a deep dive into an uncomfortable era of American history.

Forged (CBC and ABC Australia)

In this Australian six-part series, host Adrian Stimson, a painter, tells the story of legendary Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau and how criminal fraudsters copied his work. The scheme turned out to be one of the largest art fraud cases in the world.

Known as the “Picasso of the North,” Morrisseau is one of the most “celebrated Indigenous artists in the world,” said CBC. But when a rock star gets a tip about the authenticity of his Morrisseau painting, he finds a “sinister underworld with thousands of forged paintings, millions of dollars in profits, multiple fraud rings and even a suspected murder.” Forged is “instantly gripping and easy to devour,” said Podcast Review. (CBC Listen, Spotify, Apple Podcasts)

History for the Reckoning (Independent)

Fans of history podcasts will likely enjoy this new show about “uncomfortable history,” though it “will be controversial for some,” said Podcast Review. History for the Reckoning digs into moments in history that have been misremembered, “whether by accident or through deliberate censure.”

The episodes feature interviews with “historians, scholars, artists and people who lived the history firsthand.” The debut season focuses on the “forced removal and incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans following Executive Order 9066,” said Podcasting Today. The first guest on the show is actor, writer and activist George Takei, best known for portraying Lieutenant Sulu in the Star Trek franchise. (Spotify, Apple Podcasts)

Killer in the Code: Solving the Black Dahlia & Zodiac Cases (Independent)

Bestselling author Michael Connelly investigates the claims of cold-case consultant Alex Baber, who used modern technology to solve two of the most infamous unsolved crimes: the Black Dahlia and Zodiac Killer cases. The podcast follows his two-year journey using cryptology, genealogy and AI to identify a suspect.

The new evidence that Baber uncovered all pointed to one man as the possible killer in both cases. Listeners of the true crime podcast can visit the Killer in the Code companion website to view additional case materials and decrypted evidence. (Spotify, Apple Podcasts)

Safe to Drink (New Hampshire Public Radio)

This four-part series chronicles the struggles of a New Hampshire town that discovers its water is contaminated with forever chemicals, known as PFAs. The chemicals have been linked to various health conditions and diseases, but officials insisted the water was safe. When a local man has the water tested, the results “sets off this chain reaction that leads to the United States Environmental Protection Agency stepping in” and “telling the town not to drink the water,” host Mara Hoplamazian said to NPR. (NHPR, Spotify, Apple Podcasts)

Something About Cari (NBC News)

Dateline’s Keith Morrison, with the case of Cari Farver, leads this examination of a disappearance in America’s heartland. The midwestern single mom goes missing weeks into a new relationship.

What follows is a “series of strange and terrifying events,” including taunting texts and threatening emails to Farver’s boyfriend and his ex that “escalate to stalking, arson and murder,” said NBC News. As the show followed the story, it “became clear this was no ordinary case,” Morrison said, per Deadline. The nightmare of her disappearance led to a “chain of events so unexpected that it challenged every assumption about what had really happened.” (NBC News, Spotify, Apple Podcasts)