Love the podcast. Huge fan. However, would rather just be auto downloading the actual podcast and not the debriefs.

my biggest podcast pet peeve is when ads are randomly dropped in the middle of a conversation and this happens waaaay too often with this podcast. if the actual concern is getting the word out about these cases then you don’t need to be selling ad space every five minutes. makes it pretty unlistenable

I am currently following Season Six (Jessica) where each episode is now just a lengthy interview. Edited properly, the useful kernels pulled out of these interviews could be interesting and informative. Instead they just feel like filler to get an hour long podcast to market. There is just too much info that isn’t worth listening to.

This guy needs an editor. Seriously. These are amazing stories and Ryan has the persistence to dive deep. But good lord, the storytelling is horrendous and drawn out.

This is one of the best podcasts I have ever listened to, and I listen to A LOT of podcasts. Ryan Wolf is an incredible journalist. He is invested in the stories and the families impacted by these tragedies. So many true crime podcasts feel like they are a book report or a recap of a wiki page. Ryan takes you into the investigation. Cannot recommend enough.

I love this podcast. Ryan puts his all into digging for answers. I’ve binged all seasons before this current one. Highly recommend. Keep up the great work!

Yep, yep, a good idea is dragged out and spread thinner than vegemite should be on a sammich.

Used to be a great podcast now it’s just our long interview that lacks interest. It’s sort of like a money grab. Used to be investigative now it’s just an interview not worth it.

Thanks for doing this work - you’re creating create content for these stories!

I’m on season 3 and love how you do a deep dive on these cases. I will look for you everywhere now. God bless you on these journeys

The topics are so interesting, but the host needs to use some of that legal training and lose the hyperbole and constant “housekeeping” comments. Get a better microphone or learn to cut background noise. I have to fast forward through any interviews with voice changing because it’s impossible to understand. I listened to 3 dozen Heidi episodes waiting for him to finally spit out his theory and find her, only to have him call it all off and never updated again. Claims to not play 90% of the content he records from interviews. Either that’s the better content than the 10% shared or all of it must be nonsense. Clean it up and it could be great.

Brevity Studios is not brief at all. Describing every detail on every drive, every conscious thought, and every second of every interview really loses the listener. Which is unfortunate given these are important stories.

I absolutely love this podcast. I found it from listening to another podcast you were a guest on. I’ve been hooked ever since. I got to binge all the episodes of past seasons and now I have to wait for episodes to come out. But it’s worth the wait. I love the unique way we are brought along with you as the story is developing. Thanks for such a great podcast!!

The content is actually extremely compelling. The format is not good at all. Interview after interview after interview is absolutely excruciating to listen to, and frankly, lazy production. It’s a shame because it could have been done so much better.

The overall story telling is good. But some content in some episodes seems only to drag out the story for more episodes. Also the editing for some of the interviews. Oh my. The swallows, breathing, lip smacking. Can be a bit distracting when listening with earbuds. Some of the interviews don’t ever seem to get to the point?

Prior seasons of this pod were excellent. This latest one about Dave Davan is just full of long boring garbled and unintelligible interviews with background noise and no direction. Use pertinent clips of interviews to highlight a point. Playing a full conversation with someone who knew the victim is just lazy.

I absolutely Love every single episode and season that you bring out. Your voice is as captivating as the story itself. I do have one suggestion, maybe the mics can be placed somewhere not so close to people’s throats, the sounds of saliva being swallowed is giving me the cringes each and every time. Not sure why or what it is, but.. I promise I’m not being picky, it’s just the Only thing that makes my stomach turn when listening to your shows. Keep up the great work and great investigations!! Best of wishes and luck! Aloha and Mahalo!

The next time you go interview someone and their girlfriend inevitably starts loudly talking in the background would you kindly tell them to shut up?

What a bananas episode. Theo is a creep!!! Why was he cleared and allowed a no comment? Also, the two swabs…I’m not confident in the thoroughness of this final physical exam. I cannot trust that everything they describe was performed with the eye for detail these things call for. I don’t know how any coroner or prosecutor finding out the identity of two people who clearly had intimate contact with a deceased teenager and then ultimately can’t see a very unusual circumstance around her death. It’s as though they identified her drug use and called it an overdose because technically that was what occurred, never mind that her oddly redressed body was found in an abandoned house and one of the last people to have been intimate with this 15 year old child was a man several decades older known for his questionable sexual behavior with minors. Sure, that all seems normal. They basically victimized her again by blaming her death on her toxicology results without actually knowing the full circumstances of her last night alive. The mindset is ‘Why should we waste our time trying to solve this death or complicate our case when it’s easier to say she was doing bad things and she was a bad girl, so let’s just call it closed’. Drug use isn’t about the morality or values of a person’s worth. It’s this very stigma that keeps people stuck and away from effective help. This kind of discriminatory approach to unnatural death shows how people can get away with murder/or manslaughter at the very least and simply continues the cycle for others to come later. This kind of thing happens all the time everywhere. It’s the main reason why serial killers target sex workers and people who are morally ostracized by society, they understand that the system doesn’t value them. How many other victims does Theo have since then? I’m guessing it’s dozens. He won’t stop because he doesn’t have to. I hope for Alana’s sake she didn’t know what was happening at her end because that old man was/is still a sexually disturbed individual. If you have to drug your partners, they’re not partners, they’re victims and you are a predatory rapist. I don’t know how this could be solved without a direct witness coming forward or a confession of some kind but I think it’s time for the truth.

Thanks

While I feel so awful for Alana‘s family, I do not feel like this podcast gave a great insight as I was hoping into the case of Alana. I do see plenty valuable information, the way it was given was very unhelpful and uninteresting. I know her family is hurting, but the interviews with her father are just awful. I really feel like the host should have summed it up on his own with maybe a few cuts of the interview with the family here and there. These 15 minute rambling’s are just excruciating to listen to. I find myself skipping ahead because I really cannot tolerate much of it. There’s probably a ton of information that the family wants to give out and that is the reason why it may not be so organized…but that’s for the host to figure out and to clean up. To ask those precise questions. Other podcast that cover true crime such as Delia Deambra or even Ashley flowers kind of do a format that makes it more interesting. And a lot more easy to listen to. I really hate leaving a review on something so sensitive, but I do want the host to understand that he’s not being helpful in what I believe he wants to accomplish. I do want to say that I am thankful for people like you that you take the time to help families out that are struggling with answers.

Thank you for all your hard work. Still hoping for closure for you, and Alana’s family. Love from the U.S.

I do hope a resolution is found. Alana has touched my heart! She sounds like such a kind soul who unfortunately fell into a web of deceivers and was too young to see that they were using her for their benefits. Pathetic Laurel, a weak woman who is a coward…at her core she is rotten. It wasn’t the drugs that made them do what they did, it was their character or rather lack there of…Shame on them all. Karma is coming for them all. Theo is a disgusting human too, it turned my stomach hearing him talk of her and all the other girls he’s hurt as if they were nothing. I hope he never sees past the walls of prison. Thank you Ryan.

Very well done!! The dedication and perseverance it takes to do something like this…Well Done!!

I agree with the reviewer that said the interviews with the family could be better. It’s understandable to have their point of view but these interviews seem like mostly fluff. I feel that if you could play some of it then just summarize it would make the show better. It’s constant tangents.

I found it difficult to understand the people with thick accents. The story is so sad of course and I feel sorry for the family’s loss.

I was looking forward to this podcast because it had been given so many stellar reviews. Much to my surprise it was another poorly made podcast where the host had ZERO investigative skills & provides very little discussion about the evidence or suspects in the case & uses interviews with the police, family, & co workers as filler material because he has nothing else. These interviews would be ok if they provided any evidence or leads in the case which they do not. Not only does the host have zero investigative skills they lack any interviewing skills as he will ask one question & then allow the person being interviewed to go on a boring 10-15 minute tangent with rambling dialogue that provides no information to help solve the case. The host is not skilled enough to take control, interject, & get the interviews back on focus. He should stick to acting. I quit listening after 4 episodes. To the reviewer that thought the host struck a good balance of providing evidence & doing interviews-what podcast were you listening to !?! Episode 4 seems to be interesting, but with the host talking about himself so much, e.g. his up upcoming marriage, which has no relevance to the case is quite frustrating. The other problem is that I’m having is deciphering the people speaking in a deep Australian accent as in episode 2 where they have audio of the detectives testifying in court. I can barely make out a word they are saying. The podcast would be better served by playing a transcript with someone reading their words so we can understand what they are saying !!!!!! If this continues I will quit listening as I can’t follow what is going on. And it’s why I gave it only 1 star. OK so I’m on episode 3 of season 4 & the host is again using interviews with friends & family as filler with not much info regarding the facts or evidence of the case. At least I can understand what they are saying ! The host promised facts & evidence in episode 4 so I’m skipping to that episode now…OK this is getting ridiculous. The host apologizes in advance for the poor audio of a recording of Mr Cecil speaking to the court & it is unrecognizable. Hasn’t this podcaster ever thought of using an actor to read the transcript of people speaking when the audio is poor !?! I’ve listened to hundreds of true crime podcasts & the good ones have an actor reading from a transcript of the audio with poor audio. What an amateur. I’ve listened to 1 hour & 7 minutes of Season 4 episode 4 where the host promised the presentation of evidence. The only thing I’ve learned as the judge & Mr Cecil go back & forth is that they have DNA of 2 suspects found on his daughter Alana. Now they have a match. Couldn’t the host just give us this info without wasting over an hour of back & forth dialogue between the Judge & Mr Cecil ?

Listening to the episode with Jody. I wish I could tell her speaking on this podcast is brave and her life is worthwhile <3 sending love to all who lost Alana. I’m so hoping that by the end of this podcast, I learn that the perpetrators are held accountable.

Ok so the ambient music in the whole first half was horrible. Then the host blathering on about himself even worse. Then the tipster blathering on about the host…just a lame vanity project. Too bad because it seems like a fascinating case

I really appreciate Ryan’s thoroughness AND empathy! You feel his investment in these cases and his honoring of the full humanity, not only of the victims, but of the witnesses and family members he interviews. This is what sets apart his podcast from others. He cares on a deep and personal level!

I am on season 3 and while it does have merit for me to continue to listen, I need to count how many times he says something along the lines of this is the piece of information which could break the case. He is a bit overly dramatic but it is a nice though that he is trying to share the stories in hopes of finding different pieces of info which may bring closure to the families who lost a loved one.

Really there us no possibility that Jodi could recall the exact details of that time and place with a history of addiction! Even currently she exhibits signs of mental instability. This is a goose chase for answers from a variety of drug addicted people whose mental health is questionable! Way to long of a dive into a very sad situation!

I love this podcast! I love that you’re actually trying to solve something but you need to get more women involved with your podcast because if I hear “non-consensual sex” one more time on this show I’m going to scream. There is no such thing as “non-consensual sex” and to call it that downplays what it actually is, which is rape or sexual assault. By not calling it what it is, it sounds not as bad. You might think that I’m arguing semantics but that area of the world just got called out in the news for having the worst reported numbers of sexual assault in the world. To be fair, it probably isn’t the actually highest rate because there are areas of the world that most sexual assaults aren’t reported because why bother when they aren’t even going to be investigated, let alone punished. But I’ve also had multiple people tell me they would move to Australia/New Zealand/Oceania in a heartbeat if it weren’t for the misogynistic culture and for Americans to say that about somewhere else is astounding because America very obviously really hates women. I also doubt that I’m the first person to bring this up to you so not fixing it or making a statement is real gross. I also think correcting these little things would take you to the next level if that’s something you’re interested in. Maybe you don’t care what women think about your word choice but you should because as I’m sure you’ve noticed women consume more true crime than any other demographic by a lot.

The reason I’ve kept listening is the choice of cases. Compelling and tragic, I only hope for resolution for those impacted. Th host claims he started podcasting to leverage his skills as an attorney and actor. Over the 4 seasons, the host has yet to use his legal knowledge to explain the NZ and now AU systems, or give listeners an understanding of the cases’ legal documents (assuming he’s obtained any). In fact, in Season 3, he refers to ‘formal’ information requests more than 10 episodes in, tells us it was denied due to an ongoing appeal, but never comments as to whether this is typical in NZ. My impression is that the host is using his acting skills well and often. He seems ambivalent about his motivations, sometimes portraying himself as a journalist and/or investigator - without any claimed training - sometimes as a judge (that was an odd one as he claimed to be independently presenting evidence, then immediately providing opinions [often with “made my hair stand on end”]. He claimed to end S3 assuming police would come calling, having not told the audience if he’d compiled and submitted anything to them. It seems like the ‘investigations’ begin before any documents are requested if any, and in fact the ‘correction’ provided about the murder conviction demonstrated a lack of detail and perhaps documentation review. Restarting S3, effectively throwing a fit that “no one was paying attention to me” then ending it again only to produce subscriber only content, despite spending 3 mins in every intro/outro saying the podcast is 100% independent (with ads? What is your definition of independent). No mention of whether he’s contacted Heidi’s family - do they know, do they support this? Often he is presenting repetitive information, out of order and without presenting a coherent timeline, his bombshells don’t quite have the impact he believes they do. The ambivalence is a common symptom of true crime podcasts - wish the host would reflect on his motivations both claimed and actual and rebrand if needed. You may be a lawyer but you’re presentation shows no sign of it. Put some timelines, evidence, documents online with the 1000s of hours you claim to spend. Keep picking great cases and I’ll be tempted to keep listening, but please be honest with us and yourself about what and why you’re doing this. If using your legal skills is a reason, show it in the podcast. If not why mention it? Tell us what you’ve learned about investigations and journalism. Be real or be an actor. Pick one.

Warning for anyone else with Misophonia. A lot of mouth noises in Season 4. Specifically tongue clicking.

Typically really enjoy your podcast, but this season just seems to be hours of interviews with no commentary or putting the story together. The last two episodes have been purely people telling long confusing stories with no input or clarification. I don’t need to hear every last word of the interviews, just a summary and how it relates back. Still not sure why this is even a criminal case, except for the fact you keep eluding to it.

The host takes his time to explain how he plans to unfold the case why and addresses concerns the audience may have. He lets the victims tell the story without uncut audio. So much respect and care is given and I really appreciate it’s obviously a life's work and not just for clicks.

First time listener, nearly 5 minutes into my first episode and the host is still rambling about the podcast format, newsletters, and how to recommend the podcast to others. Not a great way to get listeners invested. Save that for ad breaks or show notes.

The host centers himself and doesn’t seem to edit anything. There’s dead space EVERYWHERE. The pace is torturous. What in the world is happening here?

Best podcast ever

Great podcast!!

Will there be a transcript for episode 17 finding Heidi? Able to understand every 3 or 4th sentence.

Highly recommended listening to this podcast, you won’t be disappointed.

Ryan is a talented podcaster, and has an ability to empathise and connect to his subjects in a unique and engaging way, which allows him to bring to light a lot of untold stories about these local New Zealand unsolved cases. This is the first podcast I have ever subscribed too, as I wanted to support Ryan so he can continue to investigate new cases. Keep up the awesome work!

Good host good content

This podcast is compelling and I enjoyed all three seasons. I found the host, Ryan Wolf, to have a nice balance of being personable while keeping the focus on the investigation. The sound effects were also good.

This podcast has gotten me through many workouts and long drives. Very well researched and edited. Also the host's voice is clear and soothing. I would fall asleep to it, except that I don't want to Miss a second of the plot.

I’m listening from America. I like to learn about different cultures, and it’s amazing that we can access stories from around the world with the tap of a button nowadays. I’m happy to support an independent podcast, and it’s so important to tell these stories and keep the cases alive, especially when there isn’t a clear-cut answer or “closure”. Keep up the amazing work. Obviously this work is spreading across the world, you’re doing great!

I don’t presume to know what closure is, who receives it, and how. Everyone deserves answers. Two Swedish families have gone decades without knowing the full story of the circumstances of the last days of those the love. Imagine living for 34 years in the aftermath of their two young adult children ( in love and in the prime of life) meeting a terrible end who travelled to New Zealand. This podcast investigates the crime and searches for the remains of the young woman of the pair. Listen!

I’ve enjoyed every season of Gilt, and this season is outdoing itself! Thank you for all you’re doing to bring light to these cases. Love love love this podcast!