Welcome back for part 2, this ep takes a dive into a few reality tv star crimes you might remember making some big headlines. The Real Housewives series love to bring the drama and there is no shortage of scandals to share and discuss with so many cities to choose from.

First up is Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss, who filed a lawsuit against fellow castmate Kim Zolciak over a song they worked on together "Tardy for the Party", ever heard of it?? 

Then we take a look at Real Housewives of New Jersey couple Teresa and Joe Giudice, who made many headlines after being found guilty of a long list of charges including many, many counts of fraud. Who knew there were so many ways to commit fraud? 

People love reality tv and it seems like there is no shortage of shows to watch when you need your fix of drama and wtf moments, let us know what your go to is.

This eps spotlight is Bite-Sized Crime!

Until next time, keep it cryptic!

223: Real Housewives in Real Trouble 

Happy Thanksgiving! For turkey time, here in Canada that is, we cooked up some lighter fare for your enjoyment! After all, what's a holiday without some drama? Gonna get spicy and juicy up in here, so let's dig in!

For Part 1, Kelsey serves up some petty crimes from a couple of beloved celebrities that did not get cancelled, don't worry. We update you on our lives a bit, sideline a little into weird laundry habits, and it's on to the arrests! 

Winona Ryder rose to fame at an early age and was often hounded by the paparazzi, so imagine their joy when she was caught using a five-finger discount in 2001. Somehow this got seemingly more headlines than Matthew McConnaughy drumming sans pantalones by police responding to a complaint? I think we have a complaint about that! 

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we cover some real housewives with real arrest records...

Darkcast Promo: Murder Shelf Book Club

222: TV Stars vs True Crime Part 1

Hello lovely listeners, thank you so much for being patient with your podcasters! We're sorry we were delayed dropping you this epsiode and we appreciate those that have reached out when we are late, it shows us you care lol. So on to the super-sized show!

 Kelsey kicks us off with some Grand Central Station lore and history before we get into the ghosts. We ride the rails from times with old trains named things like The Wolverine and the Fast Mail, to modern day and making way for Madison Square Gardens. Plus a Ghost Train!

After some song sidetracks and the trains to Hell departs, it's to to chug our way up the track to Canada! Alanna cover some haunted Ottawa spots, like the Friday's Roast Beef House and a  haunted school. Could a custodian spirit be watching over the place after death? Let us know what you think!

Also so many song snippets got stuck in our heads sorry if we got you singing, but we hope you have as much fun listening as we did recording! Keep it Cryptic!

Darkcast Promo of the week: Murder Unscripted





221: Haunted AF Historic Places

So sorry we've been away lovely listeners!  back in the saddle again eh?? 

We love a heist tale over here at C+C Headquarters, and so we plucked a few choice stories  to tell that tickled our fancy. 

What's an art heist without an artist, we may say? Well, Kelsey brings the artistic talent in the case  of the Graff Diamonds robbery. the disguises leveled up with the help of a makeup magician, so it doesn't fall off like a bad mustache.

After a quick caper into a chicken shack, it's on the Mona Lisa's missing case, the one that made her famous!  and likely increased security on Museums everywhere, Plus a mini pirate theft, to satisfyt the swashbuckling swelter of late summer! 

Keep It Cryptic!

Darkcast Promo of the week Stop1 who Does That?

220: Astonishing Art Heists and KFC Capers

Other title option we almost went with-the One With All The Curses! Grab your lucky charms as we chat mysterious manuscripts and ciphers, a cursed play, theatre superstitions and the cursed grave of the Bard himself! It's cursin' time!

Kelsey covers a couple of cryptic texts like the one which tends to try and kill you if you try to print it, and the famously unintelligible Voynich Manuscript. The manuscript with an unknown language among other mysteries. 

Shakespeare's Macbeth is also known as the Scottish Play- too cursed to even say aloud! Bu then there's other superstitions around the stage and the author's grave, and after all isn't all the world a stage? 

Maybe some things are better left unknown, a perfect segue to Keep it Cryptic! Bye!

Darkcast Network Promo: Murder in the PNW

219: The Cursed Episode

Hello cryptic friends! We hope you are enjoying the summer and finding ways to stay cool during these crazy heat waves. This week Kelsey covers an almost unheard of case, the murder of Ricky McCroskey, where evidence collected by honeybees ends up being the break in the case that investigators need. Then find out how bees are being used  to help future forensic students at body farms. 

Alanna shares the story of Abraham Shakespeare, a kind and generous man who spent his last few dollars on a lottery ticket that ended up changing his life. Things take a dark turn a few years later when he dissapears after a family member receives a strange phone call. Find out who is to blame, and why does the motive so often come down to money?

Tune in and hear about our latest movie recs, car troubles, cat tangents and what we have been up to lately. Happy listening and catch up with you all next time!



Darkcast Network spotlight this week is Stop, Who Does That? 



218: Unusual Suspects & Unusual Detectives

Jambo Cryptic Crew, we missed you! Sorry there was no new show last week, we were dealing with things and thank you for your patience while we took that time. With much love but no further ado, let's talk folklore from Africa! 

The intro chat has some smattering of summer wedding tea, a peek into the Patreon tech problems like almost losing half of one host's audio, plus the bonus episode's topic of mystical places like lightning-prone lakes and ley lines so check that out now! Stories start around minute 19 so that no one has to add that in the comments! lol

Kelsey hits us with some Kenyan customs and rich cultural background,  cities and craftworks, even a show and tell of her own collection! The Show part will be on our site and socials. Storytime #1 : How Zebras got their Striped Skin

Second segment starts out commenting on Kelsey's Paws shirt, sorry but it stayed in so there. Then we can't help but talk about food in general, as most podcasters are fond of doing, why are we always starving on mic?? Food does feature in the folklore of course, so we chat about that to kick things off. Then on to two quick stories, The Leopard Famine and The Midnight Goat  Thief. Just what the hell is up with those hares, anyhow?

Thank you so much for listening, supporting, and most of all, make sure to Keep it Cryptic!

Darkcast Promos: Pod of Terror and Book of the Dead





217: African Folktales: Animals, Food + Stories

We are back and not even technical difficulties could keep us away! Buckle up for a fun tangent filled ep, featuring interruptions by Gordo, many movie and tv show discussions as well as out usual shenanigans. Kelsey kicks things off with a listicle featuring many short tales of revenge and pranks, you may even find some inspiration. 

Next up Alanna takes a deep dive into the tale of the Bottle Conjuror, where a once in a lifetime performance promising to amaze, turns out to be an elaborate hoax that leaves the public baffled for decades. Closing out with the Riot That Never Was, a radio broadcast that caused a huge reaction and shocked a nation. 

We hope you enjoy this lighthearted ep, let us know what your favourite story was, Did you know that smelly usb sticks existed? Let us know! Until next time keep it cryptic!

Darkcast spotlight Psychology of the Strange

If you like the ep thumbnail check out redbubble.com/people/thomassciacca/shop they have tons of cool prints available!

216. Petty Pranks & Phony Performances

EDIT: the audio was fixed from first publish, sorry! way too long lol

We are back, baby! Back and not taking a break for a bit so buckle up, it's monster hunting time!  

If Bigfoot is the best at hide-and-seek, who or what else is out there, unseen and secreted away, underground, in a cave, out of sight? Tons of things, it turns out!

Intro chat includes horror movies portraying podcasters, why passkeys/passwords are the worst and technology sucks, and other random thoughts, then we dive into Greek Myth! Ever heard of the Minotaur? And are mazes like labyrinths, could you have a corn labyrinth??

Next it's on to some Norse lore, and the landvaettir land spirits that live in Iceland mostly. They guard the land and live in it too. To top it off, the Tatzelwurm! this mountain dragon dude has many names but only 2 little legs and big eyes! Like a Toothless, he kinda sounds cute, no? You can catch a peek if you are in the Alps, so bring your skis to see this mystical cryptid! 

Thanks for listening and tune in next time for true crime-pranks and petty hoaxes!

Darkcast Promo of the Week: Conspiring to Argue

215: Shh! Secret Creatures

Welcome back for part 2 of our Peruvian true crime episode, this weeks segment features a complex case involving the deaths of 2 people, each of their stories cannot be told without the other.

Sebastian Woodroffe had spent much of his life searching for spiritualism before he found deep connection with Indigenous culture and their plant based medicines. He spent years watching Indigenous healers and learning more about himself by ingesting ayahuasca, he now hoped to help his family members as well.

Maestro Olivia Arevalo Lomas was loved by her community, a highly respected and recognized shaman in the Peruvian Amazon, her family hosted many ayahuasca retreats in Peru and had been helping Sebastian on his journey.

Things take a drastic turn after their relationship turns sour and a public confrontation leads to both of their deaths. Follow along as we discuss what happens when mob mentality takes over, and what does it truly mean to get justice for the murder of a loved one?

The world is a very complex place, not everything, and especially not true crime, is always black or white, or as simple as good guy and bad guy. As we said in the ep, our hearts are with both of the victims families.

Thanks for listening, we love you all and please take care of yourselves. Until next time keep it cryptic!

214: Double Murder in Peru

Alanna Peters (@castlesandcryptids) · Zencastr

Alanna Peters (@castlesandcryptids)

Welcome to Castles & Cryptids,  a paranormal podcast hosted by a couple of Canadian chickies! Follow Alanna and Kelsey  down the rabbit hole as we explore lore and legends, murder and mysteries, the unsolved and the unexplained.  Where the castles are haunted and the cryptids are cryptic AF! 