For the ultimate true crime fan, Beyond Suspicion examines how the worst criminals are often hiding in plain sight. Award winning broadcaster Yinka Bokinni, uncovers some of the world’s most chilling cases to understand how some people use their every-day personas and jobs to get away with evil. With the help of criminologists, psychologists and legal experts we ask, can people like this ever be stopped before they begin? From police officers, to surgeons, to teachers, no one is Beyond Suspicion.
Disclaimer
This series contains content that may be disturbing to some listeners, including references to grooming, child sexual abuse, sexual assault including rape, and murder. Listener discretion is advised. For support, please seek professional help and please head below for a list of recommended organisations that can provide support.
The Football Coach
Barry Bennell was a respected football coach and scout with a long career spanning decades at prominent clubs in England. He worked closely with aspiring young athletes which allowed him to manipulate and groom both children and their families under the guise of mentorship, leveraging the culture of silence and hero-worship in youth football.
The Surgeon
Ian Paterson, a once-revered breast surgeon working in both the NHS and private hospitals in the Midlands in the UK, used his position of trust and authority to prey on vulnerable patients, exploiting their fear of cancer for personal gain. Over a 14-year period from 1997 to 2011, Paterson misled hundreds of patients into undergoing unnecessary surgeries, causing physical and emotional harm to at least 1,000 individuals.
The Intelligence Analyst
Natalie Mottram, a 24-year-old intelligence analyst at the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit in the UK with no prior misconduct, exploited her trusted position to leak sensitive information and potentially putting a highly complex cybersecurity operation at risk.
The News Anchor
Huw Edwards was a celebrated figure, in the esteemed world of British broadcasting revered for his professionalism and integrity as the face of BBC News. Yet, behind this polished veneer lay a disturbing reality. Edwards became embroiled in a scandal that would shatter his reputation. Convicted for possessing indecent images of children, he exploited the very platforms that once elevated him, engaging in harmful online interactions that betrayed his public persona.
The School Teacher
Carla Hughes was an accomplished, well-respected teacher and single mother in the US and was seen as a nurturing mentor by her students and colleagues. Her exceptional talent and dedication to her work created an image that made it nearly unimaginable for those around her to believe she could kill her lover's pregnant wife in cold blood.
The Police Officer
Wayne Couzens, a seemingly dedicated police officer with an established career and the trust of his colleagues, effectively concealed his heinous criminal actions behind the façade of his official position. The murder of Sarah Everard in London dominated our screens for months and ultimately brought into question the public's trust of the people who are meant to protect us.
The Carer
Ben Field was a 28-year-old church warden who was jailed for life for murdering a university lecturer in a sleepy English village - following a sustained campaign of physical and mental abuse. He was convicted of killing Peter Farquhar, a 60-year-old retired teacher he both cared for and had a romantic relationship with - in order to inherit his house and money.
Very good look at some global true crime cases, told in the style of a podcast. I just would have liked more of a deep dive. Journalist/ narrator was great!
This is more of a show/podcast style than a book as the narrator/presenter interviews quite a few people. Very interesting and some names that I hadn’t even heard of. I wish there had been a bit of a psychological insight side to it but it was a good little listen.
Shocking… no, reality unknown to the public Yes. After all of these crimes why is there not a more focused supported study of the human animal, then decisions made to adjust behaviours to fit a more ____safe___ society, world? Example changing words from SLAVERY to HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CHILD RAPE, MOLESTING to GROOMING.
Perhaps people like the drama, the fear, deceit, manipulation on and on words that are easily set to be studied and corrected….adjusted.
For the ultimate true crime fan, Beyond Suspicion examines how the worst criminals are often hiding in plain sight. Award winning broadcaster Yinka Bokinni, uncovers some of the world’s most chilling cases to understand how some people use their every-day personas and jobs to get away with evil. With the help of criminologists, psychologists and legal experts we ask, can people like this ever be stopped before they begin? From police officers, to surgeons, to teachers, no one is Beyond Suspicion.
Disclaimer
This series contains content that may be disturbing to some listeners, including references to grooming, child sexual abuse, sexual assault including rape, and murder. Listener discretion is advised. For support, please seek professional help and please head below for a list of recommended organisations that can provide support.
The Football Coach
Barry Bennell was a respected football coach and scout with a long career spanning decades at prominent clubs in England. He worked closely with aspiring young athletes which allowed him to manipulate and groom both children and their families under the guise of mentorship, leveraging the culture of silence and hero-worship in youth football.
The Surgeon
Ian Paterson, a once-revered breast surgeon working in both the NHS and private hospitals in the Midlands in the UK, used his position of trust and authority to prey on vulnerable patients, exploiting their fear of cancer for personal gain. Over a 14-year period from 1997 to 2011, Paterson misled hundreds of patients into undergoing unnecessary surgeries, causing physical and emotional harm to at least 1,000 individuals.
The Intelligence Analyst
Natalie Mottram, a 24-year-old intelligence analyst at the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit in the UK with no prior misconduct, exploited her trusted position to leak sensitive information and potentially putting a highly complex cybersecurity operation at risk.
The News Anchor
Huw Edwards was a celebrated figure, in the esteemed world of British broadcasting revered for his professionalism and integrity as the face of BBC News. Yet, behind this polished veneer lay a disturbing reality. Edwards became embroiled in a scandal that would shatter his reputation. Convicted for possessing indecent images of children, he exploited the very platforms that once elevated him, engaging in harmful online interactions that betrayed his public persona.
The School Teacher
Carla Hughes was an accomplished, well-respected teacher and single mother in the US and was seen as a nurturing mentor by her students and colleagues. Her exceptional talent and dedication to her work created an image that made it nearly unimaginable for those around her to believe she could kill her lover's pregnant wife in cold blood.
The Police Officer
Wayne Couzens, a seemingly dedicated police officer with an established career and the trust of his colleagues, effectively concealed his heinous criminal actions behind the façade of his official position. The murder of Sarah Everard in London dominated our screens for months and ultimately brought into question the public's trust of the people who are meant to protect us.
The Carer
Ben Field was a 28-year-old church warden who was jailed for life for murdering a university lecturer in a sleepy English village - following a sustained campaign of physical and mental abuse. He was convicted of killing Peter Farquhar, a 60-year-old retired teacher he both cared for and had a romantic relationship with - in order to inherit his house and money.
My comments:
I have heard a lot of programs on some of these cases however it was nice to hear fresh insites into some of them, a couple of the cases such as Ben field and the football coach i'd never heard of so was nice to have some new cases i'd not heard of before. I really like the way this was done with each epesode having two experts to talk about the case with the presenter. I've never heard anything with this presenter before either or at least don't remember doing so however she did it rreally well. I am a huge fan of true crime and really enjoy learning experts insites.
The stories in the Beyond Suspicion audiobook are genuinely disturbing, and narrator Bokinni does an excellent job of providing just enough details to grasp the terrible crimes committed. I also appreciated the inclusion of many different criminology professionals whose expert opinions provided crucial background that went far beyond the basic facts of the case. Yet, despite the great questions and the even more informative responses, the interview portions of the production were flawed. My main issue was that Bokinni seemed to cut the interviewees off too early, quickly switching to a new question before they could fully develop their thoughts. It just seemed like there was a disconnect, and it might be that the conversations might have been edited so much that they didn’t feel the most natural. I understand wanting bite-sized cases, but in my opinion, the discussions were just too short. Throughout my listening, I kept wondering why the presenter kept moving the interviews along forcefully. All in all, while this flaw was very noticeable, the material and structure make this a compelling and informative listen. I recommend this to true crime fans and, of course, a content warning for its disturbing subject matter.
This audio book is currently free on Amazon where Yinka Bokinni examines true crime and where and how these individuals have gone undetected for such time. This was a chilling and disturbing read the talked about; grooming, murder, rape, narcissism, manipulation, corruption and individuals using their power and authority to conduct their plan of action.
However, it was such a well constructed audiobook where Bokinni is joined by Psychologist, Criminologist & Legal experts to explain these crimes and why they took time to be exposed and sentenced. The audio is produced based on 7 True Crimes which of some I was aware of and others not.
I was gripped from start to finish and thought the overall commentary and objective of the audiobook was well achieved. 4⭐️ I do recommend for those who like real audio and true crime.
Beyond Suspicion is a quick yet gripping read that left me both fascinated and horrified. Yinka Bokinni brings together criminologists, psychologists and legal experts to explore how some of the world’s most chilling offenders, who hide in plain sight. The concept is strong and the cases chosen are genuinely unsettling, shining a light on how everyday roles; police officers, surgeons, teachers, who mask their evil intentions.
While I really enjoyed it, the book felt like it lacked a little something. Because it's such a fast read, there isn't always enough time to dive deeply into each case or fully unpack the motives, patterns, and warning signs. Still, it's a solid and absorbing true crime pick, especially for genre fans who want a disturbing look at how the worst criminals blend into ordinary life.
Beyond Suspicion by Yinka Bokinni is a short but powerful listen. It feels more like a high-quality podcast than a traditional audiobook, which makes it incredibly engaging and easy to get immersed in from start to finish.
What stood out to me was the careful balance between detail and sensitivity. The frequent content warnings about murder and graphic elements give the listener a sense of being cared for, rather than being thrown headfirst into shocking material. That attention to the audience’s experience elevates the storytelling and shows respect for the true crime subject matter.
Concise, well-delivered, and packed with information — this is a must for true crime buffs, though perhaps not for the faint of heart.
Podcast style audiobook. The author discusses several interesting cases of people who are well known, respected, and loved in their communities, but committed horrific crimes. After each case that she explains, she interviews experts in applicable fields to get a deeper perspective. Overall, very interesting. There is not a very deep dive into each case, just enough information to make an interesting.
Some really intriguing and chilling cases!! Some people are so incredibly concerning.
I only gave this 3*’s bc it’s just not my usual thing, I’ll watch a crime documentary any day but an audiobook style isn’t my usual go to. I put this on for a quick listen while working and it did the job perfectly.
I enjoyed this very quick (in my opinion too quick) review of some times where horrible crimes were perpetrated by people "beyond suspicion." I enjoyed the experts brought in on each case and found this fascinating to listen to.
this was a short series of podcast style episodes each one focusing on a crime by someone who normally would be above suspicion in everyday life. this series focused on quite well known cases and did not spend a lot of time digging deeper into the cases. just an average true crime series.
A very interesting look into people who committed heinous crimes, when being in positions of power so were ‘beyond suspicion’ as they carried out the crimes.
Reads more like a podcast than a book but it’s great and I would recommend to true crime fans!
I liked that this book covered cases I’d never heard of before, but I wish it went a little deeper. It felt like the true crime parts were just setups to get to the interviews, which was kind of a missed opportunity. Still, I enjoyed it overall and would recommend it just don’t expect a deep dive.
A fantastic look into a handful of true crime cases in the UK done in a very respectable way which gives you enough information without becoming morbid fascination