Achi news desk-
West Cork
Premiered in 2018 as an Original Audible, this 13-episode podcast investigated the brutal 1996 murder in West Cork of 39-year-old Frenchwoman Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who had been living in the area for some years. Louis Theroux, no less, called it “possibly the best true crime podcast ever” and in 2021 it was announced that it would be turned into a TV drama series – to join the two documentary versions that have also been made on the back of the success of the podcast.
Witches of Scotland
Claire Mitchell QC and author Zoe Venditozzi are your hosts for this podcast which looks at witchcraft and allegations of witchcraft in Scotland and beyond, and tells the stories of some of the 3837 people (mostly women) which were tried. The podcast also has a political edge: its mission statement is to press for an apology, a national memorial and a pardon for all those convicted. One chapter is an interview with Edinburgh author Jenni Fagan, whose novel Hex is set in 1591 in a condemned cell that holds a young woman who is due to be burned at the stake the following day. Others look at modern witchcraft or look at witchcraft stories from other countries and regions, such as Ireland, Lancashire and Catalonia.
Serial
Described as “the granddaddy of all podcasts”, the investigative series premiered in 2014 and its fourth season dropped a few days ago, this time exploring the troubled history of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp. Series two, in collaboration with Oscar-winning Hurt Locker screenwriter Mark Boal, dealt with the case of US soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who was deployed to Afghanistan and held captive by the Taliban for five years and then fought in court to leave it. Series three dived deep into the American criminal justice system in Cleveland, described by Series creator Sarah Koenig as “the least exceptional, most middle-of-the-road, most middle-of-the-country place we could find.”
Whiskey Sisters
Inka Larissa and Jennifer Rose are the siblings of the title and each episode of this podcast sees them stick their noses to a glass or two as they talk drams, distilleries and, as they say, “everything corner of the whiskey universe.” And it’s not just Scotland’s best brews that are explored – series three finished in December and as well as checking out some Japanese whiskeys the pair flew to Finland to taste the best Teerenpeli Distillery had. to offer.
