Black Hands
In 1994 five members of the Bain family were found shot dead in their Dunedin home — only their son survived. Was he guilty, or the sole innocent? The debate has never ended.
Podcasts Like Black Hands
If you loved Black Hands, here are the best podcasts to try next. Matched by case type, storytelling style, and community ratings from our database of Murder, Family homicide, Wrongful conviction shows.
Why listeners love Black Hands
Black Hands is meticulous New Zealand investigative journalism built around an unsettling question: if David Bain didn't kill his family, who did — and if he did, how was he acquitted? One of the genre's best examples of evidence-first storytelling with no tidy ending. With a binge factor of 8/10, it sits among the most compulsively listenable shows in the genre.
Binge Factor
8/10
Community-rated compulsive listenability
Format
Serialised
Mix of serialized and standalone episodes
Style
Measured; evidence-focused; quietly urgent
Presentation approach
Episode Length
30-50 min
Typical episode duration
Host Style
Solo host
Presentation format
Verdict
Must listen
Our editorial rating
Recommendations
12 podcasts like Black Hands
Bear Brook
True crime fans fascinated by forensic science, DNA technology, and cold cases with a genuine scientific payoff.
The Teacher's Pet
True crime fans who like journalism-driven investigations with massive real-world impact; anyone fascinated by domestic crime and institutional failure.
West Cork
True crime fans who love atmospheric investigative journalism, Anglo-Irish tensions, and cases that remain unresolved and fiercely contested decades later.
New Zealand True Crime
Covers New Zealand criminal cases with local knowledge and historical context.
Beyond Reasonable Doubt
New Zealand true crime podcast examining cases where reasonable doubt about convictions exists.
True Crime New Zealand
New Zealand's primary true crime podcast covering local cases from the Land of the Long White Cloud.
NZ True Crime
Covers New Zealand criminal cases including historical murders, cold cases and disappearances.
Foul Play: A Historical True Crime Podcast
<p><em>Foggy</em> <em>gaslit</em> <em>streets.</em> <em>A</em> <em>quiet</em> <em>courtroom.</em> <em>And</em> <em>crimes</em> <em>that</em> <em>history</em> <em>tried</em> <em>to</em> <em>bury.</em><
Crime Next Door: The Beast of Birkenhead
BBC’s Olivia Graham revisits the 1986 Diane Sindall murder and the 2025 quashing of Peter Sullivan’s conviction. Sullivan quashed 13 May 2025; killer unknown.
In the Dark
Listeners who want journalism-grade investigation into wrongful convictions, systemic racism, and institutional failures — more 60 Minutes than true crime thriller.
Serial
Anyone interested in journalism, legal procedure, and deep investigative dives into morally ambiguous cases with no easy answers.
The Trial of Erin Patterson
The Crime Desk's courtroom coverage of the Erin Patterson 'mushroom murders' trial — one of the biggest cases of the decade.
How they compare
| Podcast | Format | Country | Binge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hands (original) | Serialised | New Zealand | 8/10 |
| Bear Brook | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| The Teacher's Pet | Serialized | Australia | 9/10 |
| West Cork | Serialized | Ireland | 9/10 |
| New Zealand True Crime | Episodic | New Zealand | 6/10 |
| Beyond Reasonable Doubt | Episodic | New Zealand | 7/10 |
| True Crime New Zealand | Episodic | New Zealand | 6/10 |
| NZ True Crime | Episodic | New Zealand | 6/10 |
| Foul Play: A Historical True Crime Podcast | — | — | — |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What podcasts are similar to Black Hands?
The best alternatives to Black Hands are podcasts that share its Murder, Family homicide, Wrongful conviction focus and serialised format. Our editorial team has hand-picked the most similar shows based on content type, storytelling style, and community ratings.
Why do people love Black Hands?
Black Hands is known for its measured; evidence-focused; quietly urgent approach to Murder and Family homicide. It scores 8/10 on our binge factor rating, reflecting how compulsively listenable listeners find it. It has earned a "Must Listen" rating from our editorial team.
How long are episodes of Black Hands?
Episodes of Black Hands are typically 30-50 min long. The format varies between serialized arcs and standalone episodes.
Where can I listen to Black Hands?
Black Hands is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify. You can find it by searching the show name on any of those platforms.
What is the best episode of Black Hands to start with?
New listeners are recommended to start with Episode 1 — the case requires full context from the beginning. Episodes can generally be listened to in any order.