The Clearing Spotify Podcasts

Too many podcasts, these days, seem to relish in graphic scenes of violence, wallowing in all the sadistic minutiae in a sort of “points for blood” pact with their producers. Maybe I’m just a squeamish old-fashioned relic, but I favour a “show not tell” style of writing - and DO think it’s possible to conjure up the most horrifying of scenes without having to dwell on every pool & splatter of blood, and every act of torture - in all their gory details!

This podcast admirably takes us though a sad story of multiple killings over as many decades without ever descending into prurience or scandal mongering. Here a daughter and survivor of a horribly dysfunctional family, instead of just enjoying the fruits of having clawed her way to respectability, instead decides to confront her past even though this means unraveling the fact that her father was a brutal, lying, narcissistic, cruel serial killer.

April - the daughter’s name - pairs with the podcast makers and they develop a really symbiotic relationship, digging into cold cases where the “best” outcome for April is finding out that her own flesh & blood is responsible for yet another brutal and wanton murder.

And yet one of the joys of this podcast is April’s sunny, steadfast personality. “Success” for her is uncovering yet another killing - maybe 30 years ago - perpetrated by her father, and this means she has to visit the grieving families. Yet in every case her winning personality, sincerity and goodwill breaks the ice and wins her friends from one of the most improbable groups of people one could imagine.

April with Josh and the team, aided by some retired cops, make a formidable team uncovering wrongs and spreading a little gold dust. I can’t think of a podcast that leaves me feeling CLEAN (but not in a schmaltzy way) rather than sullied & grubby, as most Crime pods do!

Can’t recommend this podcast enough. Just listen you won’t regret it.

I binged this podcast and found it shocking and compelling. I find the podcast host incredibly easy to listen to (I often struggle with finding podcast hosts annoying) and I am so in love with April. What a beautiful person.