Beautiful, thoughtful, so fascinating. I learned so much. Absolutely loved the soundtrack. Looking forward to future updates on this story! Rest in peace

We mostly enjoyed this podcast but the pacing was a bit too slow and repetitive. Most annoying was the use of, at times, music much louder than the rest of the episode, and poor clarity on some of the dialogue due to so much ambient noise (real and added in). The story itself is good but could have benefitted from a bit of editing.

Recording conversations outside with ambient sound does two unfortunate things: makes the conversation harder to understand (especially when listening to thick Norwegian accents) and draws one's attention away from the content, which is a genuinely fascinating mystery. On top of that, the evidence is presented in such a haphazard way - glossing over details, and returning to them many episodes later. It's hard to follow. It's hard ENOUGH to follow as it's ALREADY A MYSTERY. The producers don't seem to trust the content of the worlds most riveting case, and so completely over produce it with moody music, ambient sounds, fleeting mentions of clues, colorful, irrelevant details. I couldn't get through it. Just couldn't.

I enjoyed the introduction to this long running enigma and the host’s thoughtfulness in looking at all the evidence/scenarios about who this woman was and what led to her lonely life/death. However it sometimes felt too much like a fishing expedition, tryin’d have an expert come on to the podcast to discuss’d have an expert come on to the’d have an expert come on to the podcast to discuss a theory or point, discount it based on their professional/personal experience, and then she’d make a comment like “Well no, I don't believe that’s the cast here." Like Fox Mulder, she really wants to believe that there's a big story behind this case. Which leads up to the Al Capone’big story behind this case. Which leads up to the Al Capone’e’s Vault episod. In which a local metal detector hobbyist finds a rotting purse near the Death Scene and we get her blow by blow narration of the forensic examination of a decomposing old purse. Which yields absolutely nothing other than the comedy of her stating again “I really thought something was there” and Neil’s understated English response of something to the effect of “well that’s a shame.” None of this is to discount that *something * was up with this woman’s travels and death while going to great lengths to hide her identity. It’s just that the series clearly had ambitions of being another True Crime show that cracks a Cold Case and that’s what shapes the narrative around it (personally after listening, I’d say anybody who goes to those lengths to change their identity that many times, the truth is probably something more banal, personal, and sad.

Interesting and well done. Appreciate the thoroughness of the investigation, and the hosts do a great job of presenting clearly and in an organized way. Side note: where can I get an hour long loop of the theme music played at the end?? I think it would be amazing to play to sleep to!!!

Wasn't there something about a woman found in a hotel room in Oslo - same MO - labels cut off clothes , different ids .... closeness to the old USSR could be spies??

Very interesting podcast, great informative and hosts

Great story telling and engaging. I’m sorry to the people who want everything to have an ending but life, especially true crime, often doesn’t. They really care about giving her name back to her and you should too!

Maybe if you are from Norway and can somehow relate you should listen to it. Interviews with people that can recall every detail of random conversations in 1970 is not very credible. At the end there isn’t anything very revealing.

Only gave 5 stars because this podcast was the most well done true crime podcast I’ve listened to. The story, however is very frusterating and slow. The production and music in this podcast is on point. This podcast definitely has the scariest/creepiest/most fitting music I’ve ever heard in any true crime show. And the production feels so big and layered; it’s more like a movie than a podcast. The production and awesome narration alone make the show far more interesting than it otherwise would have been.

I don't understand the need of producers to inject suspenseful music throughout conversation and narration not just this podcast but many podcasts. It's distracting and annoying, even if the content is interesting. I deleted podcast, didn't even finish the first episode, music was just too distracting I could'nt concentrate on what they were talking about.

I really wanted to like this podcast, but I’m not convinced the “let’s see what we can find” formula works. I imagine most investigations—especially cold cases—are slow, meandering, and frustrating…and this one is no exception. It was recorded and published while the hosts were making their inquiries, and they mostly deal with theories episodically. They conclude that most are possible. There’s simply not enough evidence to say one way or another. To make up for the lack of substance, the podcast over-hypes itself: “somebody must know something” and “very suspicious” are thrown about constantly and dramatically when they find little tidbits, but the narrative and investigation are haphazard. I get the feeling the hosts thought they would be able to make some headway in the case, so I do feel sorry for them. They clearly put a lot of work into this. They also appear to have built a huge online network of fans and amateur investigators, which is really cool. I appreciate and applaud the effort and quality production, but I ultimately can’t recommend the podcast.

I was really engaged in this podcast until I realized that it’s basis was ridiculous. How can one spend years traveling around, pondering conspiracies and intrigue without coming to a conclusion? Gee, that sounds like a great podcast. WRONG! Start out by saying that this is only a story about the mystery of a woman’s death and it remains unsolved to this day.

Interesting travel through time to find any information about a mysterious woman who while her life and death both remain a mystery, she seems to have left an impression on those who saw her!

Absolutely wonderful podcast, very engaging and interesting!

Solid podcast and investigation, for sure. But a few major red flags: first, they are unwilling to see ALL the ways this woman's movement and behavior is like that of a sex worker. They think prostitution is a bad word so they don't want to consider it. They want her to be a spy. Second, the are treating as legitmate the witness testimonies of people who did not actually know or speak to her, but remember seeing A WOMAN (was it even her??) 47 years ago in a shop or restaurant? Forensic professionals have proven dozens of time that witnesses are deeply unreliable with descriptions moments after they witness a crime live. Come on guys! Do the public DNA registers comparison and let's wrap this up.

Why hasn’t familial DNA happened yet? Anything less is irresponsible both in casework and podcasting pursuit.

I really enjoyed this podcast. I was aware of the story already but this deep dive gave me a much greater understanding.

Excellent work. Well researched and told. I remain subscribed (as with Cryptoqueen), though I finished some time past, just in case a new episode will be added. Highly recommend.

I was late to the game on this but couldn't stop listening. So well thought out and produced.

For all the excitement of the hosts and the suspenseful buildup of the narration and, most especially, the eerie music, nothing much here.

Have only listened to the first three episodes but I am loving it so far! The music and sound effects really communicate how eerie the story is and the sound of raindrops and wind really transport you to a cold rainy Norway and give you a sense of the loneliness of the place of the woman’s death. I enjoy the accents of both hosts, they are not too heavy to make it hard to understand them. I don’t understand why everyone says the Norwegian host is hard to listen to. She has an accent but she speaks English very well and her accent does not make her words indecipherable at all. I also love the documentary form of the podcast. It’s much more immersive with the recordings of the hosts actually in Norway than it would have been if they had just been sitting in a studio. I hope that the woman will one day be truly identified and her cause of death and what happened to her and why she was in Norway will be discovered. This is will not be a waste if your time.

Love their voices and a compelling story. I hope they find out who she is

Made little sense. And what’s up w the woman host? Straight faced changes her mind , then is adamant. ( & mocking other’s pronunciation?!)

This is my second time listening through, I cannot get enough of this podcast! A completely juicy Jane Doe mystery wrapped nicely in a Nordic noir blanket, what more could you ask for? The music, the hosts, the mystery, it’s relaxing and all beautifully well done. As an American I really dig the hosts’ accents as well. Hoping these two will collaborate on another Scandinavian mystery podcast!

I thought this was one of the best podcasts I’ve listened to in years. I practically binged it because it was so intriguing. I truly hope the answers to this mystery will come forth somehow. Thanks you for this wonderful but sad story.

Hey now—four episodes in and I like it. Curious to learn how it ends. Coincidentally, a case involving a different unidentified woman found in Norway was recently featured in Season 2 of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries, but this podcast case is better and without silly reinactments.

Listened to two episodes that could have been condensed to two sentences. Overly dramatic. Like many podcasts and documentaries this one seemed stretched out to fulfill a contracted number of episodes.

I’ve never listened to a better podcast. Marit and Neil work so well together. The soundscape is surreal and haunting and the entire story is captivating and pulls you in. Definitely my favorite podcast of all time. Please make more or another!!!

I like the realism and story-telling. There’s tension. Not every lead pans out, but it lets us understand why things are crossed off the list as the investigation unfolds. Each new lead is extra satisfying and exciting. The hosts are dynamic, editing is excellent, soundtrack is unnerving & spooky (in a good way). Maybe this is how critical thinking will be taught in future

The narrators do a great job of really transporting the listeners to the various locations. Their descriptions and interpretations make this so interesting to listen to. Highly recommend!

So good please make another!!!

I think it’s the music and the narrators voice but this really takes you to Norway. It’s a bit slow but it’s an interesting story.

The pace of this telling seems slow to some but I think it adds to the story. The slow unrolling of details gives one time to consider the facts and theorize on one’s own. Go watch an old CSI episode snack if you’re in a hurry as this is a podcast meal best savored.

The pacing, the mystery… it really just works. It's such an interesting story that I would have never heard about if it wasn’t for this series. For a world of stories that move as fast as the latest Star Wars(the Rise of Skywalker) this is a relief to hear something that is slowed down and put on low heat, it simply tastes better.

I just finished Episode 8. This podcast was so well paced and organized. I feel like I am coming along in the investigation step by step and enjoying the impact of new technologies on the discovery of new information. I can’t believe I missed this podcast when it came out in 2018. True crime & history & spies wrapped in one. Excellent. Don’t want it to end.

So. Slow. Let’s tell you what you’re going to hear, then hear the thing we told you about; and then tell you what you just heard. This could easily have been done in half the time with better pacing and writing.

Would gladly rate this 5 stars if it moved a little faster. The storytelling seems to stretch out the dead ends.

Great story, great narraration, great details so fun and easy to listen to

Poor audio production detracted from this story. Also, it was overwritten.

This is a fantastic podcast. Beautifully crafted with high production value, an interesting story, and thoughtful investigative journalism. Everything a podcast should be and I’m truly enjoying. Thank you so much.

I’m only a couple of episodes in, but I can’t stop listening! I’m totally hooked! Can’t wait to find out what happens!

I love this podcast. The reporting is fantastic, the story is engrossing- it’s a welcome break from other crime genre podcasts. The only thing that gets to me is the goofy sound effects. I find them a little distracting.

You can tell sometimes the narrators are either acting or have rehearsed some lines. The story is very interesting, so worth sitting through the cheesiness. Drags on at times or focuses on insignificant ideals for too long.

The 90 year old espionage agent said the hairspray can killed her but the autopsy said the lungs had char in them? If she died immediately in a explosion that wouldn't be the case?

This is a fascinating story in general. This podcast started out good but then got way way too drawn out. The last half of the episodes are pretty pointless. Way too drawn out! And frankly, it is not that uncommon or surprising to lie about one’s age. But then again episode 11 gets interesting again.... But it’s a little like when Geraldo opened the vault. :0 SO Let’s get those genetics tested for a follow-up!!

Wonderfully intriguing. A mind boggling, head scratching mystery. A joy to listen to.

I love the time and history of it all. I love the sound effects too. So real!

These folks have done a wonderful job. I love that they have done so much investigating and have allowed people who were involved in this case to speak for themselves. There’s no over-dramatizing or annoying time-wasting ‘banter’. Good solid investigating and very well presented.

One of the best podcasts I’ve listened to. The Isdal Woman is a deeply intriguing mystery, and the podcast hosts Marit Higraff and Neil McCarthy are smart and engaging journalists who try to unravel it with the latest scientific methods and by interviewing several sources with firsthand knowledge of the case. The music and sound effects are first rate and add to the sense of mystery and drama. Highly recommended.