Good podcast, but Very disappointed to have to subscribe to finish the podcast. I found that to be a cheap move. I did not subscribe.

Thank you for covering this story! I have been following it since it happened! So unfortunate that they haven’t found the killer(s). Hoping one day this mystery is solved.

Wow ….long long wait ..hardly weekly…very disappointed in this podcast …..Click bait for garnering subscriptions ….fed up

First 3-4 episodes were fine, then a lot were for subscribers only, not really worth $3.99/month or $32/year to listen to the rest. I’ll go elsewhere where I can listen to the episodes for free. Feel like I wasted my time.

Great content… when you can access it. Even non- subscription episodes are blocked by the channel with ads to subscribe. Wait it out or go elsewhere for the story.

An episode that was supposed to become available February 21 still hasn’t been released for general consumption.

Donovan has easily done the best investigating on this sad subject, but other decent podcasts about the Shermans are out there.

Should be an excellent podcast. Horrible in its delivery. Content is wonderful, but 2 stars for being so clueless in how people listen to these.

It’s an 8 part pod, with 3+ months between episodes. Episode 4 was meant to be released without subscription in Feb? Just as I get into the content… brick wall.

This is the podcast equivalent of clickbait. The choice to release a number of filler “bonus” episodes that are not about the case but about the making of the podcast itself buys them time to get more subscribers with the promise of more material, but I’m starting to think that their best material was used for the first two episodes to hook people and sell subscriptions. I don’t know if any other podcast series that has taken this approach, and likely for good reason. I feel bad for Donovan because I doubt that this “format” was his choice.

Where is the rest?

Why do I have to pay now?

What order was I suppose to listen in?

I am not naïve enough to think that podcasts will remain free forever but if you say that you’re going to release something from the subscription list on February 21 and it’s late April well I have to question what your motivations are! The podcast is wonderful, the contact superlative, except I just don’t understand why you’re going to publish something that isn’t true!!

Smarten up!

Detailed reporting but poorly written and edited. The style is often self-aggrandizing and somewhat irrelevant. It's slow going to hear what happened and constantly trying to get you to subscribe to the star... obviously not.

Very interesting and well done but … feeling manipulated by the multiple trailers, random bonus episodes, uneven scheduling.

Just go listen to the CBC version of the same story. Same people are interviewed. No new details have emerged. They even give the host of this podcast all the credit for the information. Stop with the bonus episodes and subscription. This podcast is not that groundbreaking.

I was excited to listen to this podcast but it is so confusing to follow along. The bonus episodes seem like fillers and now episodes require a subscription. Very disappointing.

I was enjoying this until all this nonsense, now I’m out

I was recalling looking forward to this podcast but there is so much wrong with it

- poorly organized titling … just start a new podcast … don’t run off the subscription to the previous season one that is nothing to do with the Barry Sherman

- every episode we are told about how much toronto star spent in time and money to get access …. But that if we want the full story we will have to pay

- episodes contain a lot of filler data …. About bad leads … obvious way to add more episodes

- lastly the story is not about the Sherman’s but more of the legacy of the toronto star reporter and what he has to sell us

If the point of staggering the release of episodes was to create a sense of anticipation, the strategy has failed miserably. Instead of engaging the audience, this strategy has just frustrated us ( I say us here as, based on other reviews, I am not alone). It would appear that being a subscriber doesn’t really enhance the experience either. Lots of great pods out there….sadly, this one is not living up to its potential.

Like the detail but why is it subscription only now?

Also please get on with it without the distraction of ‘bonus episodes’

While I was looking forward to this podcast and learning more about the Sherman deaths I am not prepared to support the Toronto Star. Very disappointed that it has gone this way.

Hi there,

I, like many others have become increasingly frustrated about this particular podcast. I like how you tell your stories but why is it being help up with all these strange “bonus” episodes? Is there no where on the page you can provide some updates of when the pod will pick back up again?

Lol releasing two episodes and then disappearing is a bad look.

Let me start by saying the actual episodes r great. But why is there such a large gap between episodes and we just had a teaser for the Clinton ep then wait 2 weeks I believe then that episode was a mini episode it seems. It just seems very disorganized when I listen to a great ep I look forward to it being release a week apart and on a regular basis. Update it is now almost the middle of April and no new episode except for some measly “bonus “episodes. The one hidden behind a pay wall. This is absolutely inexcusable for such a prestigious paper as the Toronto Star.

Why on earth would you start releasing episodes and then go on a hiatus and release bonus stuff? In the meantime I listened to the CBC version which was meh making me even more peeved that this one isn’t releasing anything.

The first two episodes were great and got me into the story. Then they got into bonus episode mode on how difficult it is to produce and behind the scene discussions… some of them were released and then got put behind a pay wall. All in an attempt to increase subscription to the Toronto Star. Not gonna work

Why are there only two episodes? Did they rush to publish the first two because of the cbc podcast on the same subject? Very frustrating. They should’ve advertised ahead of time that there would only be two episodes available so that listeners could’ve decided whether or not to become invested. Very deceiving.

Kevin Donovan is an incredibly talented journalist! I love his pods, and also ‘The Billionaire Murders’ book he wrote. 10/10 would recommend.!

The first two episodes were great but why on earth launch the podcast and then stop for god knows how long? Insanity. I forgot what happened in ep 2.

I’m not upset that I started this series, after seeing and hearing many many ads pushing the podcast.

The thorough explanation of processes is laid out well and easy to follow. After the first episode we know immediately that something went terribly wrong with the TPS investigation.

My only question is why would the star push this podcast so heavily when it really isn’t going to get rolling until several months later?

What is going on with the loosening lips episode? Has it been shut down?

This otherwise fascinating podcast is saddled with a completely irrational — and frustrating — approach to releasing episodes. They should have waited until they were ready to release them on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

It’s an intriguing story, but the shambolic production values—lack consistent release dates, random side stories—are irritating. CBC has a better podcast about the same case.

I can only guess they knew of the CBC podcast coming out and wanted to be first, only to have to wait to actually finish the work. Not a great strategy from a listener POV.

Great podcast with interesting interviews and intriguing new info! Looking forward to new episodes. Be patient everyone.

Great story but why release only 2 episodes (short ones at that) and nothing else but a bunch of “bonus” episodes full of speculation and junk information. Release the whole story please!

Not sure why they started publishing these - it’s been over a month since episode 2. The bonus content without the overall podcast content isn’t adding much value

I’ve lost interest. How is possible to have more bonus episodes than actual episodes in the season? Release all episodes of the season first, and then add the bonus content after.

I am loving this podcast and so excited when a new episode drops! Well researched and told in a manner that is engaging . So excited about tv documentary as well. Keep up the great work! I am also going to look into the book!

Interesting, intriguing story, but momentum is lost with weeks between new material. Very annoying.

Like many others who’ve written reviews, I really enjoyed the first couple of episodes but then - not a lot of substance.

Most podcasts deliver new episodes weekly. Not sure what happened here…

The gap between each episodes is too long. Are you making the story has you go? In which it’s not the case.

Waiting patiently for new episodes

Totally agree, what’s with starting something and then ghosting everyone. Booooo!

Was looking forward to this podcast. It says “weekly series” but there hasn’t been any new episodes. Very annoying. Could have been a great listen if they had the release schedule figured out.

It’s a hard topic to investigate - this family is ssoooo secretive it’s unbelievable. To even get as much info as Kevin has is a job well done. I look forward to hearing from the family members first hand (hopefully) in future sessions. I think at this point (more than five years) they really don’t have anything too lose - err well maybe one of them might… IMO these murders were ‘personal’. It doesn’t appear as a professional hit as pro’s wouldn’t have done it this way. If Kevin can figure out who was angry and whom benefited by *both* of them killed, the search for the killer(s) will come to a conclusion. It’s also apparent that TPS blew it. I don’t want to get personal but one of those officers was promoted above their abilities based upon nepotism… Keep up the great reporting Kevin and we’ll keep listening!

and then got really busy and decided against it.

Tossing out an occasional audio bone, with no continuity or form, does not constitute a podcast.

Very bad form, especially from a news organization.

I thought journalists weren’t supposed to insert themselves into the story. This ended up being a big ad for the Toronto Star and a pat-on-the-back, look-how-good-I-am for the journalist.

The CBC version is much better.

I’ve been following Kevin’s reporting in the Toronto Star from the onset of this horrible crime. I didn’t think there was much more to know about this until I heard the podcast. The story, regardless of your viewpoints and theories about the perpetrator(s), is told in a fulsome and richer way in this podcast. Well done - looking forward to more episodes. Also, it goes without saying (but I’m going to say it anyway…), May the souls of Barry and Honey rest in eternal peace 🙏

Very interested to hear the story but not enjoying the long pauses between episodes. Would have been better off releasing weekly once you had all the episodes ready.

Season 2 didn’t get very far. Was it making Trudeau uncomfortable and the our journalist was threatened or payrolled?