I spotted Gimlet Media’s Mystery Show podcast cropping up in the recommendations section of Overcast, and immediately downloaded episode one to give it a try. I was instantly charmed, and although I’m a jaded podcast listener who was into Serial long before you were, I promptly downloaded the rest of the half dozen episodes that have been broadcast so far.

I  think Mystery Show definitely owes something to Serial, in that it’s a species of investigative journalism with a brilliant female presenter and clever editing. But whereas Serial tackled the life-and-death case of a possible, probable miscarriage of justice, Mystery Show tackles puzzles on a much smaller scale. The one rule is, these mysteries can’t be the kind of things you can solve with a Google search.

And therein lies its charm. Episode one features a woman who swears she once joined a video rental store, borrowed a video, and then, the very next day, when she went to return the film, the store was gone. Episode 2 tackles the mystery of a book Britney Spears was photographed carrying (apparently she is frequently photographed clutching reading material). Episode 3 is about a fancy belt buckle that some guy found in the street. That’s my favourite so far (made me cry). Also: the how tall is Jake Gyllenhaal episode is laugh-out-loud funny.

Presenter Starlee Kine is brilliant: very witty, with a savant-like gift for getting people to open up to her. The subject matter is light enough to be endlessly amusing, and the mysteries are trivial, everyday, and yet somehow deeply fascinating. It’s not studio bound, but somehow manages to get out and about, into the country, and Kine seems to encounter interesting people everywhere she goes. Every interview gives a little boost to your faith in humanity. It’s heady stuff: this podcast spreads happiness

I’ve culled a few podcasts from my list lately (my commute being so much shorter now), but this one makes the grade. It’s refreshingly different, too, coming from a different stable (not Radiotopia, not Incomparable, not 5by5 etc.). Starlee Kine is already a podcasting star, and I particularly thank her for introducing me to the guy who runs an artisanal pencil sharpening business.