The Trial of Leopold & Loeb: Dickie & Babe

by Ben Devlin

In the summer of 1924, two brilliant young men set out to commit what they believed would be the perfect crime. The murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks shocked Chicago and culminated in one of the most famous courtroom dramas of the twentieth century.

The Trial of Leopold & Loeb presents this landmark case in dramatic form, drawing directly on trial transcripts, witness testimony, and contemporary reporting. Structured as a courtroom drama, the story unfolds through dialogue and scene, allowing the voices of lawyers, witnesses, experts, and defendants to carry the narrative.

This book is published in parallel with a full-cast audiobook production, created from the same dramatic script. Readers may encounter the trial on the page or experience it as a performed work, preserving the rhythm, tension, and moral complexity of the original proceedings.

More than a true-crime account, this is a study of ambition, cruelty, privilege, and persuasion — and of the courtroom itself as a stage on which justice, psychology, and public spectacle collide.

Genres: True Crime, History

78 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 20, 2026

Reviews

[Tamara Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Crime Classic Ltd for providing an ALC of The Trial of Leopold and Loeb: Dickie & Babe by Ben Devlin, narrated by a full cast.

This is a great immersive listening experience. It will take you into the court room as the true crime unfolds. Absolutely awesome. The full cast brought this true crime to life. Their performance was excellent. I love true crime stories. I highly recommend this audible performance.

Expected release date March 13 2026.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this new collection of true crime audiobooks, I immediately knew it would be so fun to listen to them. I recently got into true crime and the thing was that I didn’t understand the genre before consuming it myself. I find it a very misunderstood genre in general. I’m genuinely obsessed with the trial side in all these true crime cases and the fact that these audiobooks have the trial as the centre of the story makes them perfect for me. Also, out of the list of cases that will be covered in 2026, I only knew one name and just from hearing others referring to that person. I’ve definitely followed more recent cases so it’s great to have a good source for older cases that I was not aware of. Or I thought I wasn’t aware of them. I might be surprised when I listen to all of them because they’re very influential.

Seeing that this case of Leopold and Loeb inspired “The Secret History” by Donna Tart shocked me. Because whenever I hear about that book I only see the words "historical fiction” and “dark academia” mentioned. And while I can enjoy those genres, they’re not my favourites. But no one told me the actual plot of the book or that it was based on a real story. Knowing that makes me want to read the book now when I wasn’t too interested in it before. Now I want to check everything related to this case: books, movies, …all thanks to this audiobook.

As I said, I wasn’t familiar with this crime but I feel even those who are can enjoy this production. Having a full cast in any audiobook just elevates it so much. It makes following the narration so easy and so engaging too. Narrators are voice actors but they don’t always narrate books while acting them out loud. This audiobook is like a graphic audio. It’s like listening to a TV show without watching it. The production behind it has to be praised and it makes me so excited to listen to the rest of the series because I know the quality will be great.
Honestly, my only complaint would be that the audiobook was short. But that’s because I could have listened to 20 hours of trial transcripts and how the media reported this crime and love every second of it. Obviously, because it’s such a high profile case, I am able to do more research about it now. But yes, it could have been longer and I wouldn’t have complained. But I do understand why making it into a shorter format can be more appealing to a wider audience. It still told all the main details and I feel I understand what happened really well. But there are so many interesting themes that make this case so shocking that so much could be told and explored.

I also find it so smart to make these series now when true crime is so popular. There is a lot of content out there but not all of it is good. So it’s great to have a series of audiobooks like this one to fill a gap in the market. Very much looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series when those audiobooks come out. And I’ll be recommending them to a lot of people who I’ve gotten into true crime podcasts and such because I know they’ll love this as much as I did.

Thank you to Classic Crime Ltd and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Pudsey Recommends · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t normally read true crime, but I was immediately curious about this one because it’s the true story that inspired Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. As soon as I read that, I had to request the ALC.

An extraordinary audio production that completely immersed me in the trial. It’s nothing like any other audiobook I’ve experienced. This is a full-cast production written as a dramatic narrative rather than a conventional narration.

The sound design enhances the atmosphere without overwhelming it, the direction is taut, and the performances are pitch-perfect. Running at 1h31mins, it does feel more like a play than a traditional audiobook. It is fully performed, not simply read, and it incorporates the original courtroom transcripts, which add a powerful sense of authenticity.

In 1924, Leopold and Loeb, two wealthy University of Chicago students, kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks in Chicago. Believing themselves intellectually superior, they attempted to commit the “perfect crime.” The trial is steeped in cultural anxiety about homosexuality and shifting ideas about crime and responsibility. I hadn’t realized just how deeply the case has echoed through literature and culture for a century, influencing writers from Patrick Hamilton to Donna Tartt, as well as filmmakers like Hitchcock. Its enduring fascination lies not only in what happened, but in the unsettling questions it continues to raise.

The cast includes stage actors with backgrounds at the Royal Shakespeare Company and other leading theatre companies, and the quality shows. The production brings language, character, and voice vividly to the foreground.

The publisher promises “an intimate listening experience, designed to draw the listener in gradually, with the narrative momentum and psychological pull of a classic thriller,” and it absolutely delivers. I was completely wowed. I genuinely felt as though I were sitting in that courtroom.

This is Book 1 in the Trials of the Century series, releasing March 13, 2026. I understand this will be an ongoing series exploring landmark court cases and their cultural afterlives, with monthly releases throughout the year, which now has me very intrigued.

I loved The Secret History, and I can clearly see how this trial might have inspired Donna Tartt. Now I need to go and reread it.

Huge thanks to Classic Crime Ltd | Trials of the Century Audiobooks and NetGalley for the ALC. #pudseyrecommends

[Read_with_Beans · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley and Crime Classic Ltd for providing an ALC of The Trial of Leopold and Loeb: Dickie & Babe by Ben Devlin, narrated by a full cast.

I consider myself a true crime junkie, but not a historian, and maybe that is why I was unfamiliar with this case. I am so glad I was given an opportunity to listen to this ALC and learn about the case that inspired Donna Tartt’s Secret History and many other authors and filmmakers. Not only was this case incredibly well researched, but the ALC was done with all the theatrics and movie magic that will leave you wishing there were more cases to listen to NOW.

With that said, this was not perfect; it was too authentic… let me explain. The “recorded” police interviews with the suspects at the very beginning of the ALC were incredibly difficult to hear and understand. While I respect the production value and the effort to make it sound authentic, it just made it nearly impossible to hear/understand what they were saying. Another problem I found with the ALC being too authentic was the trial itself. The attorneys were loud and clear as if they were wearing the recording device on their lapel, which meant that when the individuals on the stand, they sounded as if they were off in the distance. Again, this is incredibly authentic as it would sound like that in a courtroom, but for listening enjoyment, I found it frustrating. I would have to increase the volume to hear the testimony and then either turn the volume back down for the attorneys or have my eardrums blown out. I just wish they had tweaked it so the distant sound was still there, but the volume was more even.

I would highly recommend this audiobook and will personally be listening to every true crime trial or story Crime Classic Ltd puts out into the world.

[Leslie Oberhaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Trial of Leopold and Loeb: Dickie & Babe. In the tradition of popular radio dramas popular in the U.S. in the 1920-1940s (and still produced in the UK and elsewhere), it is written as a narrative drama and is performed by stage actors, but it provides aspects of a true crime podcast experience or the reading of a thriller novel as well.

The murder of Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb in 1924 is a famous, harrowing case often referred as "the crime of the century" and the resulting trial left a mark all its own. Clarence Darrow gave an eight-hour summation in his defense of the pair, arguing passionately against the death penalty. This plus the shocking details of the crime created a media spectacle.

This audiobook production focuses on the trial, with reenactments of key portions, but these scenes are tied together with narration that highlights the legal, social, and psychological questions brought about by the crime. In this way listening was like listening to a good true crime podcast (which I do often). The excellent, expressive performances of the actors and the engaging narration provide a literary feel, making the experience rather like listening to a thriller novel audiobook at the same time.

The Trial of Leopold and Loeb is the first in the planned Trials of the Century audiobook series and I will look forward to listening to the others. Perfect for true crime fans and thriller or mystery readers - I highly recommend. These would make an excellent introduction to the cases for anyone new to the genre or the study of crime as well, with a short listening time (at least for this first book).

Thank you to Classic Crime Ltd and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen early and help spread the word!

[Erik Rebain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Trial of Leopold and Loeb is a well produced audio drama, styled like a radio play. There is a small amount of explanation and summary at the beginning and/or end of each chapter, but as indicated in the title, a dramatization of the 1924 Leopold-Loeb hearing itself takes up most of this runtime. It essentially functions as a courtroom drama, and the ways that the state and defense clashed. For instance, no time is given to explaining the investigation of the crime, or the dozens of witnesses who spoke about that aspect of the case, but much time is spent on the lawyer's opening and closing arguments, as well as the disagreements about whether the defense psychiatrists should be allowed to testify. Many questions about the culpability and personality of the murderers are raised and discussed, and the audience is left to come to their own conclusions.

The voice actors do their jobs well, and there are well used sound effects and murmurs from the courtroom crowd throughout to add to the sense of drama. As a short audio drama, this piece would be well suited to someone who has some interest in this specific case or in legal cases/courtroom dramas generally.

As someone who has researched this case I really loved that when discussing newspaper articles as sources, they were well cited. I've never heard that before in an audio work and was very excited to hear it done here. I did notice a few inaccuracies, though on the whole this was taken from the case transcripts and newspaper reports, and is a very accurate, though obviously truncated and summarized, recounting.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst I absolutely love the whole idea of a good true crime read - I somehow never pick up a physical book nor do I gravitate towards podcasts (of any kind really) - so I actually loved getting to read this new release in audio form.

 

This was a particularly harrowing case due to the fact it was dealing with a child victim and also because it was a pretty cut and dry investigation due to all evidence (including confessions) pointing to Dickie and Loeb.

 

But here we see the evidence dissected to determine whether the judge should sentence the death penalty or a prison stay.

 

I thought this was really well presented and I liked that the chapters were split up into sections to make this easy to pause and come back to (if needed) - although I did just listen to this in one sitting due to it's length of just over and hour and a half.

 

The narrators and cast were brilliant at recreating the authentic era of the case and I honestly felt as though I was there in the courtroom with them all.

Very well done and made for an engaging read.

 

This was the first book in the Trials Of The Century series and I believe that there are a number of audio releases due throughout the year.

 

I'm really excited to continue the series and think these would make the perfect audio books to digest over lunchtime or, like I did with this one, to make the housework a much more enjoyable task!

 

 

 

 

 
 

[Acantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book and it was fantastic, really felt like an audio drama with different people voicing the different characters. They were all really good, it really felt as if they were trying to act the characters rather than merely speaking the words aloud, there was passion, anger - and of course, the complete lack. They were very compelling.

It was great at getting into the court room, and this felt more like a battle between the two lawyers than anything else, these two great personalities in 1920's Chicago. It was really good at giving a flavour of the era, of the world post WW1 and even briefly touched on the battle about capital punishment.

I just wish there had been more about the crime itself, we heard from some expert witnesses and then the summing up from both sides, but very little about the crime, its background and everything leading up to and after that moment. I know part of that is because they pled guilty and so there wasn't a need during the trial to delve too deeply into what happened, but it feels like in this book, that kind of background would have been very helpful. This is a case that inspired so much fiction, plays, films, books, and we barely scratched the surface of both what came before and how Leopold and Loeb dealt with life after.

A good way to spent 90 or so minutes, entertaining but could do with some more depth.

~Thank you to NetGalley to the ARC in return for an honest review~

[books.bubbles.beach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Trial of Leopold and Loeb: Dickie & Babe by Ben Devlin.

Not your normal narration of a story, but an innovative and immersive way of listening to a story.

This book is the first in the Trials of the Century series where a cast of stage and screen actors bring the story to life, complete with background sounds and effects, using the original court records.

Set in Chicago in 1924 it follows the sensational trial of two wealthy students, Dickie and Loeb, who kidnapped and murdered 14 year old Bobby Franks for the thrill of committing the 'perfect crime'.  Many books and movies were said to be inspired by what happened here.  Google to find all the titles.

Ben Devlin is the writer and director of this story (one of the many things he has done is being part of the original team that shaped the Graham Norton show when it first launched as well as being a former court reporter at London's Old Bailey).

Thank you to Ben @trialsofthecentury, and @netgalley for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this book.  It will be released on 13 March 2026.

#TrialsOfTheCentury #NetGalley #booktrovert #lovereading

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This high quality realistic audio brought this interesting trial to life in a very realistic way by re-acting the trial using a variety of voices. Having read a previous book about this case I was hooked from the get go. I found you had to concentrate as the audio was too realistic in places as it gave the impression you were in court. This was a very quick listen and although I had previous knowledge of this case this is a good way for anyone to learn about it and bring it to life without too much emphasis on the theories behind what they did etc. It is a solid quick listen that would appeal to all true crime buffs who may be looking for something different . This is a great approach that really works with this particular case I could see this working as a series of different cases or different aspects of this case. The only thing that could be off putting is the sound as i say too realistic but otherwise a solid 4 star listen. Thanks to netgallery, publisher, author and narrator and cast members. Looking forward to more .

[Amanda Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've watched documentaries and listened to podcasts about Leopold and Loeb over the years, so was interested in this book, but wasn't expecting anything too new. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to he wrong.

While the information wasn't new, the presentation was fresh and engrossing. I believe this is coming out in print slightly before the audiobook, but wait for the audio version. The production was fantastic; essentially a graphic audio of portions of the trial itself. All of the narrators and voice actors involved were fantastic.

This is definitely a must listen for any true crime aficionado. It isn't a super deep dive, but it's so well done and a less than 2 hour listen. It's advertised as the first in a series of Trials of the Century audiobooks. I'm really looking forward to what comes out next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Classic Crime Ltd for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into the Dickie & Babe audiobook not really knowing what to expect, but as someone who loves crime documentaries and podcasts, I was hooked from the very beginning. The narration was engaging and brought the story to life, making it feel like I was listening to a gripping true-crime series rather than just an audiobook.

The pacing was perfect, keeping the tension high throughout, and I found myself wanting to listen “just one more chapter” over and over. The details and storytelling were vivid, and the narrator really captured the drama and intrigue of the events.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime documentaries, podcasts, or true-crime storytelling. I’m already looking forward to the next crime audiobook to be released!

Thank you to NetGalley and Trials of the Century Audiobooks, Classic Crime Ltd for the ARC

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Trial of Leopold and Loeb: Dickie & Babe by Ben Devlin is Book 1 of Trials of the Century series. This had a cast of full cast of narrators.

This was a recreation of the trial of Leopold and Loeb. It was very interesting hearing the court trial, especially knowing that Clarence Darrow was the defense attorney. It was very easy to listen to and really felt like you were listening to a radio broadcast of the trial. I had forgotten some of the details and I can just imagine how shocking the details were at the time. The fact that they whispered some of the sensitive information in the trial was kind of kind of humorous. I enjoyed listening to this and look forward to more of their releases.

Thank you to the author, Classic Crime Ltd | Trials of the Century Audiobooks, and NetGalley for the Advanced Listener Copy (ALC) of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing idea - this audiobook, which recreates the dialogue that took place during the Trial of Leopold and Loeb: Dickie & Babe, by Ben Devlin.

I think as a concept, this was quite intelligent, especially as trials represent a culmination of confession, intrigue and scandal which can captivate us.

I think I would have enjoyed a little further information about the psychology behind the two men. I was left feeling that they were simply very antisocial types who were academically intelligent, emotionally immature.

I'd encourage this audiobook to be extended, especially the introduction and epilogue.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all thank you NetGalley, Classic Crime Ltd and Ben Devlin for allowing me access to this advanced copy of The Trial of Leopold and Loeb: Dickie & Babe in audiobook.

As a fan of true crime I am always fascinated by the subject, especially older crimes and their trials.
This was a dramatized retelling which was superbly narrated/acted out.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves true crime or historical crime.

[Julie Friar · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book in the Trials of the Century series. This audiobook tells us about the trial of Leopold and Leon, known as Dickie and Babe. They killed a young boy then tried to cover up their crime. This audiobook is a performance of the trial not just a narration. Informative, gripping and very enjoyable.

Very well written and performed audiobook. Excellent performances of the characters who bring this trial to life. Well worth a listen and look forward to more.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this true-crime audio drama. It was gripping and full of fascinating details, and all the performances were excellent. The music added to the atmosphere and enhanced the overall experience. If anything, I would have loved it to be a bit longer. I’m definitely looking forward to more instalments in this series.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Although it was interesting, it fell a bit flat, which I thought it was a shame. The audiobook dramatisation was great, albeit almost too dramatic at times. I guess crimes like the one describe were a lot more shocking 100 years ago and I’m desensitised? 🫠

Thank you Net Galley and Classic Crime Ltd for this advance copy of the audiobook!

[Ashley Blough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Trial of Leopold & Loeb: Dickie & Babe. The audiobook was engaging, well‑paced, and totally different from what I usually listen to, in the best way. Ben Devlin brought the case to life, and now I’m excited to dive into more books from the Trials of the Century collection.

[Collette Mcgaahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting but I was fascinated from the start. What an awful crime and how interesting the way the two lawyers went about their attacks. It made me start researching the case only to find that the whole terrible event was every bit as dreadful as it seemed.

[Linda Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not a normal audiobook narration. It’s innovative, styled like a radio play with a full cast of characters. It brought the shocking case to life, maybe too much so for me. I found it a little disjointed too. Certainly a horrific true crime story vividly portrayed.

[Mrs D Woodhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this audio book recently. I really enjoyed the narration and facts and would definitely recommend. Well put together and look forward to listening to others in the series