Not every murder mystery needs to be overly serious. Sometimes a bit of light humor can make a compelling mystery even more interesting. I’ve found this very true for murder mystery audio dramas. These podcasts are all high-quality scripted stories that will have you impatiently clambering for the next instalment. While humor is subjective, you’re sure to find something that’ll interest you here.
Additional Info: From November 2019 through May 2022, true crime podcast listening increased by 66% — the largest gain among the top three genres. Comedy-inflected crime podcasts like My Favorite Murder have been a key driver, placing in the top 5 of U.S. podcast charts during that period. (Source: Wikipedia)
All 5 of my favorite options turned out to be British. They are in no particular order.
1. Jackie The Ripper (Dark Comedy)
A modern day story of Jack The Ripper but… the serial killer is a woman and the victims are all men. The story follows the bumbling lead detective of Scotland Yard, Frederick Abberline, as he tries to track down Jackie The Ripper while getting hilariously sidetracked throughout the investigation. This one is laugh-out-loud funny.
2. Victoriocity (Steampunk Comedy)
This story, set in London 1889, follows Inspector Archibald Fleet and journalist Clara Entwhistle as they investigate a murder, and find themselves at the center of a conspiracy. Although set in the past, the technology available to them is from the future. The story is brilliantly written and acted, and is laugh-out-loud funny. I do especially love stories that have a narrator – such as this one.
3. Mockery Manor (Black Comedy)
A story set in a British theme park in 1989, it follows teenage twins JJ and Bette who have just started working there. After getting caught up in a series of mysterious deaths, it’s up to these chaotic teenage twins to catch the killer.
4. Gather The Suspects (Comfy Comedy)
A light-hearted comedic murder mystery set in 2025 after the collapse of society. This audio drama follows serial procrastinator Jack and his roommates Kara and Geraint as they try to solve a murder – using skills learned from watching terrible detective TV shows. It’s basically Only Murders in the Building, but set in a block of flats in Wales.
5. This Mortal Coil (Comedy)
A hilarious story set in the world of theatre. This 6-part series follows actress Elissa and her friend Bailey as they try to catch a killer who has a penchant for Shakespeare. If you know anything about the ins-and-outs of theatre life – such as finance worries and egotistical critics – then this show will be even funnier.
Honorable Mention
6. Sherlock & Co. (Modern Retelling)
A modern retelling of all 56 short stories of Sherlock Holmes. Dr. John Watson is the host of a podcast and tells the story of Sherlock Holmes adventures in a modern-day London. It’s a full cast production with excellent effects, witty banter and lots of humor thrown in.
Best Murder Mystery Podcasts
Additional Info: True crime podcast fans – including comedy-crime crossover shows – spend approximately seven hours per week listening to podcasts, a full hour more than the average podcast listener. Two-thirds of these listeners specifically value podcasts for the companionship and conversational quality of the format. (Source: Sounds Profitable)
If you want even more murder mystery podcasts, then check out our list of more serious fictional murder mystery podcasts as well as our favorite true life murder mystery podcasts. These are all great options with hundreds of episodes available between them all. You’ll definitely find something amazing to binge listen to.
Sherwin has been designing and selling murder mystery cases from 2023. His murder mystery case files have received rave reviews and he has since expanded into murder mystery dinner party games as well. Prior to this, he spent 10 years creating high quality digital products for his customers.
