Ghost Story – Wondery – Podcast review

New for 2024: I’m adding podcast reviews to my blog! For me, they are a very natural partner to book reviews as they are just another way of devouring great stories – fiction and non-fiction. First up – an absolute belter. I’ve been telling everyone I know (you now included!) to go and listen to Ghost Story immediately!

Meet the Dancy family

Ghost Story is hosted by journalist Tristan Redman and it’s a personal story for him and his family. Or more specifically, his wife Kate’s family – the Dancys.

On 23 November 1937, Dr. Naomi Dancy was shot in the eyes in her home on Queens Road, Richmond, London. The same night, in the same house, her brother, Maurice Odell Tribe died by suicide. There was also another person in the house, Naomi’s husband, John Dancy, known as ‘Feyther’.

The terrible event was recorded by police as a murder/suicide eg: Maurice killed his sister then himself. However, there are a lot of unusual elements in the case that indicate it could, in fact, be a double murder. Committed by John Dancy. And this is exactly what the eight episodes of this podcast explore.

And there is just SO much to explore.

From the fact famous actor Hugh Dancy pops up as he’s Kate’s brother, to the legendary status of so many other members of the family, to the unusual details that made Tristan look into the case. Some of my favourites are that John Dancy contacted author Dorothy L. Sayers just 3 weeks after his wife died to tell her more about what happened and suggest that she might want elements of it for a book, to Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle’s seances inspiring our host to try something similar…

A Ghost Story like no other

Oh and yes, the ghost story element comes into play as this whole podcast was triggered by the fact that the house where all this 1937 drama took place in was next door to the house Tristan, our podcast host grew up in (!!). Not only that – he is sure he was visited by a ghost in his childhood bedroom – a woman with no face…

I know, spooky, right??

There are just so many layers to this highly intriguing tale and each episode is so brilliantly structured, you just gasp and enjoy every second.

Is it worthwhile to know the truth of your past if it’s ugly? Or is it better not to know it?

Quite crucially – the ending is very satisfying. Also – there is a follow up questions episode (8), actually hosted by Elizabeth Day and is brilliant as it answers all the things running through listeners minds after hearing the podcast.

Ghost Story was recommended to me by my friend and I’m so pleased she did. Sometimes when it comes to choosing a podcast to listen to, it can be overwhelming as, where do you start? There’s just so many out there now! Yes, I know the same can be said for books, but I feel a lot more secure in that setting as have a well-established TBR list to help me along.

So yes, I’m always on the lookout for new podcast recommendations, so let me know any amazing ones you’ve listened to below!

• Listen to the Ghost Story podcast here;
• Hosted by Tristan Redman;
• From Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios;
• 8 episodes;
• Genre: True Crime
• My rating: