Lazy Long Weekend – Listen, Read, Watch

Here’s a few recommendations from the WOMAN team for those of us who will be utilising this long weekend to catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation, while still being entertained with these great podcast, book and streaming suggestions.

PODCASTS

NORMAL GOSSIP: If you find yourself getting ridiculously invested in drama involving complete strangers, then Normal Gossip is the podcast for you. Each episode features host Kelsey McKinney and a special guest as they dive into an anonymous morsel of gossip submitted by listeners. Even though you don’t know any of the people involved, you still feel the rush of hearing extremely juicy gossip as if they’re close friends.

MURDER 101: In a small Tennessee town, a local serial killer was caught by the most unlikely investigators: a group of high school students. Throughout the course of one school semester, the class pieced together a 30-year-old mystery and identified the killer behind at least six brutal murders. Shockingly, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations publicly agrees with their theory, no charges have been filed. The graduates, along with a fresh crop of high schoolers, still want to finish the assignment, once and for all.

THE GODMOTHER: In the 1930s, Lucky Luciano, one of American history’s most notorious mobsters, was finally taken down by a rookie prosecutor. Eunice Carter was one of the first Black Women ever to become a prosecutor in America. She operated from the heart of the Harlem Renaissance to navigate the corrupt world of downtown Manhattan politics, and a deeply racist and sexist pre-civil rights American society. But her pioneering role in what became known as the “trial of the century” has been forgotten by popular history. Hers is the story of a writer, social worker, mother, teacher, sister, socialite, political candidate, community organiser and unheralded pioneer. This eight part immersive podcast is hosted by poet and writer, Nichole Perkins. It tells the story of Eunice Carter: a bad-ass anti-hero unafraid to bend the rules in pursuit of ambition, justice and legacy.

BOOKS

THE ANTIQUE HUNTER’S GUIDE TO MURDER by C. L. Miller. The perfect cosy read to take you on an armchair-adventure… What antique would you kill for? Freya Lockwood has avoided the quaint English village in which she grew up in for the last twenty years. That is until news arrives that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and Freya’s estranged mentor, has died . . . and the circumstances seem suspicious. When a letter from Arthur is delivered, sent just days before his death, and an ordinary pine chest concealing Arthur’s journals, including reservations in Freya’s name, are revealed, Freya finds herself sucked back into a life she’d sworn to leave behind. Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Arthur’s staunch best friend, Freya follows both clues and her instincts to an old manor house for an ‘antiques enthusiasts weekend’. But not all is as it seems.

THE MYSTERY GUEST by Nita Prose From the million-copy bestselling author of The Maid. When a famous mystery writer drops dead in the grand tea room, Molly the maid has an unusual clean-up on her hands. As rumours and suspicion swirl in the hotel corridors, it’s clear there’s grime lurking beneath the gilt. And Molly knows that she alone holds the key to the mystery. Because Molly knew the dead guest once upon a time – and he knew her.

THE ALICE NETWORK: Woven into actual events which did take place, The Alice Network is a slice of history of the type which should never be forgotten. Much of this book is based on fact – the Network did exist and those women were heroic. An absolute must-read and one for the fans of The Rose Code and The Bletchley Circle – trust us, you won’t be disappointed!

STREAMING

Apples Never Fall: Drama and mystery collide for an utterly bingeable, seven episode series. The life of the Delaneys, a well-known West Palm Beach family, is turned upside down when Joy, the matriarch, suddenly goes missing. Her husband Stan (played by kiwi actor Sam Niell) and their four children are forced to explore their family’s history in an effort to uncover the truth.

The Gentlemen: Guy Ritchie returns to the helm for this small-screen spinoff to his 2019 film by the same name. This comedy drama follows young aristocrat Eddie Horniman as he inherits his family estate and uncovers the vast weed empire that calls it home. Eddie is begrudgingly forced to navigate a world of nefarious agendas and eclectic characters to protect both himself and his new home. An engaging watch from the opening scene, to the very last minute.

Netflix’s The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping. Years after being sent to a disciplinary school, a woman who is haunted by her experiences exposes the corruption and abuse of the troubled teen industry. Fair warning – nothing will prepare you for what these kids went through and the fact some of these establishments are still running, is absolutely mind-blowing.