Tell Me What You Did

Published in 2025, Tell Me What You Did explores the ethics of true crime media through protagonist Poe Webb’s job as the host of the eponymous true crime podcast. True crime is a genre that depicts the details of real-life crimes, most often violent crimes like assault and murder. Though true crime media has existed since the 16th century, the genre experienced a resurgence of popularity in 2010 through the rise of true crime podcasts like Serial, which investigated the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. Nowadays, true crime is a multimillion-dollar industry, with podcasts and TV shows among the most popular formats.

Despite its popularity, true crime has also been the subject of heavy criticism. Critics of the genre have argued that it exploits victims and their families, sensationalizing their trauma for entertainment. Focusing attention on violent criminals risks glorifying their actions at the expense of those affected. Publicizing crimes can also lead to privacy concerns for living victims, as public attention directed toward their personal lives can lead to harassment or revictimization. Some critics have also raised concerns about vigilantism—since the resurgence of the genre, there have been several cases of the public misidentifying a perpetrator, sometimes leading to serious consequences for the falsely accused individual.

With Tell Me What You Did, Poe provides a space for callers to confess to crimes they have committed. Their confessions are often detailed and violent. When Poe’s mother’s murder becomes the focus of her podcast, she finds herself on the other end of the lens, watching an audience of strangers speculate on her experiences and question her credibility. Her conversations with Hindley, recounting her most deeply held secrets and traumas, are broadcast live to tens of thousands of viewers. Though Poe is relying on her audience to help find Hindley, she grows increasingly detached as she realizes that her trauma is a source of fun, “a goddamn Netflix series” (301) to many of her fans.

Tell Me What You Did also explores the positive aspects of true crime. Toward the end of the novel, Poe’s fans identify Hindley as John Worbly and bring his charade to an end. Wilson explores how true crime media can help bring attention to lesser-known cases, potentially assisting in solving these cases. The novel ends with Poe continuing her podcast as she serves out her prison sentence. Though she has seemingly decided that the benefits of her career outweigh the risks, the reader is left to ruminate on the ethics of true crime consumption. In real life, a true-crime podcast in which incarcerated people narrate their crimes would be unlikely to make it past prison censors, as it raises complex issues around The Ethics of True-Crime Media and the risks of retraumatizing victims. However, there are examples of podcasts run by incarcerated people—most famously the Ear Hustle podcast created by San Quentin inmates Earlonne Woods and Antwan “Banks” Williams. Since Woods was released in 2018, fellow San Quentin inmate Rahsaan Thomas has taken over the running of the podcast, which offers incarcerated people a chance to describe their daily lives, shedding light on an environment typically hidden from public view.