Skeletons in the closet

Ghost Story review

Production company – Wondery

Rating –

***RELEASE DAY REVIEW***

When the advance episodes of this series showed up in my inbox, I couldn’t have been more intrigued. I really don’t listen to trailers or previews for shows. That way I can go into each podcast with no expectations other than a logo and a production company. Seeing as the nights are drawing in and spooky season is upon us, a podcast called “ghost story” should be perfect. Shouldn’t it?

Another thanks to GreatPods for sending me the advance episodes of this podcast, so I can get this release day special out to you all.

So what’s it about?

When he was a boy, journalist Tristan Redman lived in a haunted house. Things would move about on their own in his bedroom, and lights would flicker. Talking to a local resident (and definitely NOT a gossip), reveals that other people who lived in the house also had ghostly experiences. Including the vision of a “faceless woman”.

“So far, so what”, you may think. But that’s not all.

It turns out that Tristan’s wife’s great-grandfather (great-grandfather-in-law I guess, goodness so many hyphens), lived in the house next door in the 1930’s, and that his wife was murdered there. Possibly by her brother, who then killed himself. So now you have a building with a haunting that ties to a possible murder-suicide.

This sets in motion an investigation that spans a hundred years and uncovers the remarkable story of the illustrious Dancy family. Particularly Dr. John Dancy, whose wife was murdered. I only add that to clarify, because as Tristan says, every generation of the family has at least one John Dancy in it.

Is it any good?

Stylistically, this show sits between the paranormal shows presented by Danny Robins, and the hard facts of a Tortoise Media investigation. You should no doubt be aware of my love of both of these podcast institutions, and therefore it will no surprise that I wholeheartedly recommend this show.

The series is cleverly constructed and slips easily between these apparently disparate styles. As the story goes on, rather than close loopholes and solve mysteries, the life of John and Naomi Dancy become increasingly complex, and every episode uncovers some other previously unknown secret to the light of day.

If there’s any criticism I can offer, it’s that the paranormal researchers seem to be the weirdest stereotypical bunch available. Almost bordering on parody at times, they do nothing to actually shed any credible light on the paranormal aspect of the mystery. I’m not sure whether this was by design, although Tristan does seem to be quite open to his experiences as a child. Thankfully, the more outlandish characters seem to be kept to a thankfully short chunk of one episode.

Final thoughts

A delicious blend of true crime and paranormal investigation, Ghost story is more than the sum of its parts. What begins with a relatively simple premise, has soon grown into far more than the Dancy family could appreciate.

As the series progresses, there is a real feeling of trepidation from the men of the family, men who have held their ancestor up on a pedestal for so long. And that dear reader, is where I will leave it. I’m not going to spoil anything for you.

I do recommend you listen to this show though. Very soon indeed.

You can get Ghost Story here:

https://pod.link/1708635466