Crimetown looks into organized crime in American towns. Hosts Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier zoom in on how they operate even with government accomplices. Their approach is analytical and investigative, revealing the complexity of the underground world.

Each season focuses on a location — so the research is really fleshed out. Season 1 is a deep dive on crime and corruption in Providence, Rhode Island, featuring a spotlight on mayor Buddy Cianci, while Season 2 moves on shifts to Detroit, Michigan, and takes a look at police shootings, drugs, and political scandals. With 18-19 episodes in each season, you’ll know the ins and outs of each American city when you’re done listening.

Straightforward yet entertaining: A hard balance, but one that this podcast manages to achieve. The hosts make sure to humanize the subjects while also exploring the extent of their crimes which paints a well-rounded picture for each episode.

These guys are experts: The amount of detail that goes into each recording requires immense amounts of research so it’s impressive how thorough they’ve been. The only thing missing is more episodes. So far only two seasons are out but we can’t wait for the next one.

You can listen onApple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, and Soundcloud (although limited).

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