True Crime Case Histories, Volume 17

I’ll admit, I approached *Volume 17* with skepticism. True crime audiobooks often drown in salacious details or narrator histrionics, but this one surprised me by doing the opposite. Neal’s writing treats each case like a case file: concise, evidence-driven, and refreshingly free of armchair psychology. The standout here is the 1987 ‘Highway Killer’ segment, where Neal traces the killer’s cross-country spree through gas station receipts and witness misidentifications—it’s a procedural deep dive that feels like *Mindhunter* meets *Serial*. Less successful is the ‘Babysitter’s Secret’ chapter, which leans too hard on speculative motives without enough concrete evidence to back them up; it’s the one moment where the book’s usually rigorous approach falters. Simon de Deney’s narration is a revelation. His voice—deep, unhurried, and just slightly detached—mirrors the book’s tone perfectly. He doesn’t *perform* the crimes; he *presents* them, letting the horror seep in through understatement. The production quality is flawless, with no jarring edits or volume spikes, though I’d have loved a smidge more variation in his cadence during courtroom testimony sections to break up the monotony. At six hours, the runtime is tight, with no fat to trim. If you’re tired of true crime that feels like exploitation, this volume offers something rarer: a respectful, almost academic dissection of darkness. Just don’t listen before bed.