Podcast pick of the week: Listen to 'Criminal' for Halloween

Looking for something new to listen to while you drive to work/go for a walk/wash the dishes? We're here for you. In our weekly series, we highlight a podcast, audio personality or specific story worth hearing.

This week's pick: Criminal

Radiotopia's Criminal, co-created by host Phoebe Judge and producer Lauren Spohrer, is for people who enjoy hearing real-life crime stories, but aren't necessarily keen on Halloween horror. It's also for people who appreciate episodic artwork: Criminal's is designed by Julienne Alexander

The show has well-crafted tales about everything from an identity thief who lives closer than expected, to a faraway Harry Potter fan who delivers death threats.

Why it's ripe for listening

Criminal's addictive episodes run at about a half-hour, which means you can listen to one while doing the dishes, and then consider cleaning the rest of your kitchen so you can play another. The show presents a wide range of sympathetic characters that stay with you even after the podcast ends... and possibly in a follow-up interview, like in the brilliant recent show, Episode 50: "This is Criminal."

Judge and Spohrer don't just bank their show, they're taking it on the road. Starting Oct. 25, the Criminal stars are touring the U.S., ending with the Hot Docs Podcast Festival in Toronto Nov. 18.

Memorable Line

Judge likes to say that her podcast is about people who have "done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle."