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Artwork for Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Blue Ewe Media
True Crime
Jack the Ripper
Murder
Prohibition
New York City
Gambino Crime Family
Chicago
Scotland Yard
New York
Absinthe
Grimes Sisters
Victorian London
World War II
Donner Party
John Gotti
Villisca Axe Murders
Manhattan Well Murder
Indiana
Crime
Murder Investigation

Serial killers. Gangsters. Gunslingers. Victorian-era murderers. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each week, the Most Notorious podcast features true-life tales of crime, criminals, tragedies and disasters throughout history. Host Erik Rivenes interviews authors and historians who have studied their subjects for years. Their stories are offered with unique insight, detail, and historical ac... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes522Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryTrue Crime

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Artwork for Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Latest Episodes

(Orig Pub Date 11/8/17) My guest is former criminal defense attorney Mark Shaw, author of "The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What's My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen". He talks about the life of Pulitzer nominate... more

The Harp(e) brothers have been called America's first serial killers, once notorious enough to be the stuff of folklore and legend before fading into obscurity. In the chaos of the post-Revolutionary frontier, the two men committed dozens of murders ... more

This is the first episode of American Criminal's latest season - all about Boss Tweed, the Tammany Hall politician who has become synonymous with civic graft and corruption.

Listen to my interview with Ken Ackerman about Tammany Hall’s Boss Tweed he... more

William Morgan was last seen in Batavia, New York, in September 1826, shortly after threatening to publish purported Masonic secrets. He was arrested that same month in Canandaigua, transported to Fort Niagara and never seen again, and the local Free... more

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Recent Guests

Katherine Grandjean
Associate Professor of History at Wellesley College
Wellesley College
Episode: 450: The Murderous Harp Brothers Revisited w/ Katherine Grandjean
Ann Webster Bunch
Forensic anthropologist and author
Author of The William Morgan Affair, A Masonic Mystery in Upstate New York
Episode: 449: The Mysterious Disappearance of William Morgan w/ Ann Webster Bunch
Caroline Fraser
Author and historian discussing Murderland
Episode: 448: Did a Tacoma Smelter Help Create a Generation of Serial Killers? w/ Caroline Fraser
Philip Barlag
Author of Evil Roman Emperors, The Shocking History of Ancient Rome's Most Wicked Rulers; host of Greats of History podcast
Author/Podcaster
Episode: 447: Rome's Most Evil Rulers w/ Phillip Barlag - A True Crime History Podcast
John Boessenecker
New York Times bestselling author
Author and historian
Episode: 446: Bandit Chief Joaquin Murrieta: Myth Vs. Fact w/ John Boessenecker
Tal McThenia
Author and screenwriter; co-author of A Case for Solomon, Bobby Dunbar, and The Kidnapping That Haunted a Nation
Author/Screenwriter; Moza Mac Science contributor
Episode: MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Disappearance of Bobby Dunbar w/ Tal McThenia
Robert Fitzgibbon
Author of Murder in Salem, Massachusetts. The Death of Frances Cochran.
Author/Historian
Episode: 445: The Murder of Frances Cochran w/ Robert Fitzgibbon
Debra Miller
Author of The Most Wonderful, Terrible Person, A Memoir of Murder in the Golden State
She Writes Press / Simon & Schuster distributes
Episode: 444: A Memoir of Murder in the Golden State w/ Debra Miller
David Donovan
Co-author of The Nastiest Saloon in Iowa
Author, Historian
Episode: 443: Iowa's Notorious Carter Gang w/ David & Rose Donovan

Host

Erik Rivenes
Host of the show

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 3.7k ratings
  • Good, but…

    I love your show, but I have never yelled at a podcast more than your guest talking about the Exorcist. As an LCMS Lutheran, there are so many details he got very wrong about the Lutheran aspect of it. We absolutely believe in possession, participate in exorcisms (my former Pastor went to Madagascar to observe and participate in them relatively recently), heck—our St. Louis seminary has a room walled off to this day because that’s where an exorcism tied to this case was performed. Which is disap... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    coloradonative1876
    United States6 months ago
  • Terrible guest

    I love this pod and am not going to change my rating. But, as a Grand Rapidian, I was looking forward to Allie Seibert's story, but was very disappointed. She essentially told the whole story - why read the book? And here we have another case of just because someone can write doesn't mean they can speak. She has a grating voice and terrible style.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    PW from GR
    United States6 months ago
  • IMO Steve Hodel proved his father knew ES and perpetrated her undoing. Not buying this take on her murder. Still great interview questions, sadly very biased answers.

    Podcast Addict
    1
    movonup
    7 months ago
  • The Best!

    Eric Rivenes is my favorite podcast host. Always gracious, generous, and knowledgeable. Thank you for years of great listening!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    IHeartRose&104Ever
    United States9 months ago
  • 5 stars!!

    Eric, I have left you a review before, but I just had to tell you that your interview with Chris Pouy is fascinating!! I remember seeing his mother on TV as a child! Thank you for having him on to tell his story, that should be a much more well known story. I hope it gets the attention of a producer because it would make an excellent movie or series!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Katherine P Palmira
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans appreciate the balance of storytelling and scholarly insight.
Seasoned listeners value the archival depth and historical context.
Some feedback highlights the high production quality and pacing.
Guests consistently note the host's preparedness and deep knowledge of the material.
Listeners praise the host for thorough prep and thoughtful questions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#132
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#249
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#136
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#211
South Africa/History
Apple Podcasts
#235
South Korea/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

448: Did a Tacoma Smelter Help Create a Generation of Serial Killers? w/ Caroline Fraser
Q: How does it work taking your theory and applying it to other times and places? Like the Whitechapel murders, for instance. Do you think a toxin might have been a factor in creating a killer or killers there?
Fraser discusses applying the lead-crime hypothesis to other polluted eras and cities, including London during the Industrial Revolution and the Yorkshire area, suggesting that heavy metal pollution may be a contextual factor that influenced crime patterns beyond the Pacific Northwest.
448: Did a Tacoma Smelter Help Create a Generation of Serial Killers? w/ Caroline Fraser
Q: Yes. So, may I ask you this? How did this book come to be? How did you make that important connection that fuels the theme of your book? That connection between toxins and quite possibly serial murder?
Caroline Fraser explains that the toxins were a later discovery but the core question was why there were so many serial killers in the Pacific Northwest, leading her to explore environmental factors like lead exposure from smelters and leaded gas as a possible contributor to spikes in crime and violent behavior.
447: Rome's Most Evil Rulers w/ Phillip Barlag - A True Crime History Podcast
Q: Which Roman rulers are most notoriously brutal and why?
The guest explains that brutality is context-dependent, with different eras showing different scales and types of violence; Caligula, Nero, Caracalla, and Elagabalus are discussed as cases where personal excess, religious offense, or mass executions created lasting infamy, while other rulers like Augustus also initiated cruel policies under a veneer of stabilization.
444: A Memoir of Murder in the Golden State w/ Debra Miller
Q: Can you tell us more about each of your parents and how they came to be in your life?
Debra Miller discusses her parents' challenging backgrounds, her father's depression and the complicated marriage, and how these dynamics formed the environment she grew up in, including moments of affection and trauma.
MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Disappearance of Bobby Dunbar w/ Tal McThenia
Q: How did you first learn about the Bobby Dunbar case and why did it become a book versus a radio piece?
The case lingered in family memory and archival records; interviews with descendants and extensive archival material revealed layers not fully covered by the original This American Life episode, making it a rich subject for a full, deeply sourced historical nonfiction account.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

True crime history storytelling with expert guests who are scholars and authors. Each episode centers on a historical crime, tracing the cultural context, archival records, and the resulting myths versus documented facts, all anchored by a meticulously prepared host who guides the conversation with careful questioning and deep readings of source material. The show stands out for its blend of narrative readability and rigorous historical analysis, often featuring cases from detective work, courtroom history, and notorious figures, offering listeners both engaging storytelling and scholarly insights. This combination makes it a strong fit for audiences who crave thorough context, archival detail, and a clear through-line from historical event... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Crimes of the Centuries
2. Southern Mysteries Podcast
3. Infamous America
4. Dark Histories
5. Southern Gothic

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 11 years ago and published 522 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Katherine Grandjean
2. Ann Webster Bunch
3. Caroline Fraser
4. Philip Barlag
5. John Boessenecker
6. Tal McThenia
7. Robert Fitzgibbon
8. Debra Miller

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