Digging up the past
Your Own Backyard review
Rating – 
After last week’s awards delayed this review by a week (I’m still finding glitter), we return to normal service with a true crime review. The show in question has garnered quite a lot of recommendations online, so I figured I would be mad not to jump on the bandwagon.
How does this fit in with other series in the genre though? For the first time, true crime has overtaken horror fiction as my most listened to style of podcast. Well read on, and I’ll elaborate on the rating you can see above.
So what’s it about?
Freelance journalist Chris Lambert started looking into the case of Kristin Smart. Kristin was a student at Cal Poly when she disappeared after a party on campus one night in 1996. She was never heard from again, and no body was ever found.
Neither the campus security nor the police could solve the case, and slowly (officially), the case went cold.
Kristin’s family never gave up though. Her father continued following up any leads he could, including psychics and other, more left field “helpers”. By the time Chris contacted the family 5 years ago, they were on the verge of giving up. It had been nearly 30 years of disappointment and false leads, and so were rather reluctant to deal with Chris and his podcast. The clues that Chris had collected though, would blow this case wide open.
Chris’ dogged persistence, and quite frankly remarkable talent for investigation, should finally provide some closure for the Smart family.
Is it any good?
There are no shortage of true crime shows that follow cases, particularly murder cases. This one is different though. Whereas the other shows report on cases “from the outside”, Your Own Backyard involves a concerted effort to solve the case. Chris Lambert has invested so much time to this, that he has actually contributed to help solve a case that for many was declared cold years ago.
Chris Lambert is a great host. His style engaging and interesting, but he never loses sight of his true goal to cater to the more sensational elements of the case. First and foremost, he treats this story with compassion. These are, after all, real lives here. His talent for digging up clues is remarkable, and as the case builds a whole new area comes in to focus.
There are many emotions you experience listening to this show. Initially despair and sorrow, this is truly a tragic case. Then anger and frustration at the original investigation. Finally hope. After so long without answers, you can’t help but feel for the Smart family who, in losing their eldest daughter, gave up their own lives to try and solve her disappearance. There is a sense of loss on so many fronts here, and Chris treats the investigation with great compassion and care.
Final thoughts
This is a true crime podcast unlike any other I’ve heard. After a recent comment on another post, I have decided to put the “that I’ve heard” caveat in here to (hopefully) avoid any future clarification.
There is a good reason why this won a Podcastgeek award last week. There are a lot of true crime shows that seem to stagnate as the actual case goes to trial. The chase element is obviously where the excitement lies, and the trial seems to be bolted on for closure. This series had me gripped right to the end though.
You can get Your Own Backyard here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods