How an IRA spy named ‘Stakeknife’ got away with playing both sides | Podcasts

It’s international drug rings, trivia quizzes and an IRA double agent this week – at least two of which are genuinely thrilling listening (read on to find out which will set the adrenaline pumping).

Late-night podcast listeners should fear not, though: far be it from this week’s newsletter to make your pulse race to the extent that it disturbs snoozy time. We’ve also got a rundown of the five best shows to listen to in order to switch off at the end of a hard day. You’re welcome. Sweet dreams!

Alexi Duggins
Deputy TV editor

Picks of the week

The Optimist Project with Yara Shahidi
Widely available, episodes weekly
Yara Shahidi is the award-winning actor of comedies Black-ish and Grown-ish, but she reckons she could factor optimism into her life more – so she’s decided to make a podcast in which she learns how to do just that. Shahidi speaks to the likes of singer, actor and “professional self-affirmation writer” Janelle Monáe and Yale’s happiness expert Dr Laurie Santos for mood-boosting chats, and invites you to join in with her optimism project. Hollie Richardson

Stakeknife
BBC Sounds, episodes weekly
How was Freddie Scappaticci (codename: Stakeknife) allowed to lead a double life for so long? Mark Horgan investigates the complicated case of the man who tracked down IRA informers, but acted as a double agent – starting with his fury at the release of a story that named him, and his subsequent time in hiding. Hannah Verdier

Operation Seal Bay
BBC Sounds, episodes weekly
“This is the story of how a small Welsh community and a local police force came together to take on an international drugs ring.” The opening summary of this new series is certainly a compelling sell. It looks at a Danish millionaire’s attempt to run cannabis out of a Pembrokeshire fishing village in evocative and charming style. Alexi Duggins

SmartLess Presents ClueLess
Widely available, episodes biweekly
Excellent, ginormous show SmartLess presents a quizzing-based spin-off in which host Sean Hayes is joined by famous pals to answer trivia questions. It’s an odd listen – a bit like eavesdropping on a pub quiz team – which happens a bit too fast for playalong potential. But the banter, with SmartLess co-hosts Will Arnett and Jason Bateman for the first episode, is fun. AD

Lords of Death
Widely available, episodes weekly
This true-crime podcast is billed as revisiting the murder of Cindy Cozad, an Ohio sex worker, in the 1990s. But if you’re braced for grisly descriptions you can relax, because host Thrasher Banks unravels a personal, poignant story involving his own mother, who crossed paths with murderous gang the Lords of Death. HV

There’s a podcast for that

This week, Ammar Kalia chooses five of the best podcasts to switch off to, from a comedian’s sleepy show to Jessie and Lennie Ware’s peaceful podcast

Drifting Off with Joe Pera
There is nothing as soothing as listening to a relaxing voice to help you switch off from your inner monologue and life’s stresses. While series like Sleep With Me use a calming baritone to tell bedtime stories that get progressively more uninteresting in an effort to help you into the land of nod, it’s comic Joe Pera’s podcast Drifting Off that harnesses his pacifying voice to create something more unique. Blending ASMR, comedy and a distinctly meandering form of storytelling, Pera softly mumbles through the mundane, telling anecdotes about the books he’s recently read or chatting to guests on the phone while composer Ryan Dann accompanies with immersive soundscapes. Perfect to tune in and tune out to.

Phoebe Reads a Mystery
If you want to switch off but still stay awake, there are a number of niche shows perfectly designed to hold your attention and keep you listening, but loosely enough so that you don’t become fixated. The popular Nothing Much Happens is one such series, where host Kathryn Nicolai tells stories that walk the line between intrigue and uneventfulness, while Phoebe Judge’s Phoebe Reads a Mystery takes the premise in a more sedate but no less engaging direction. A beautifully simple show, each episode sees Judge read a chapter from a mystery novel, pacing out her own audiobook narration to relay charming tales.

Table Manners
Sometimes the best setting to switch off to is being among the chatter of others. There is no shortage of talking heads in the podcast world, willing to chat away for hours about all manner of topics, but the real appeal of a soothing chatshow lies in the talk being interesting enough that it avoids becoming obtrusive and frustrating. Singer Jessie Ware and her mother Lennie’s immensely popular series Table Manners does just that, inviting a new celeb guest home each episode and nattering away over a home cooked meal. An ideal listen for those who like to relax to the sound of laughter.

Soul Music
BBC Radio 4’s long-running audio montage series is a choice option for unwinding to the sounds of some of modern music’s most enduring songs. Taking a song with a formidable legacy as its focus for each episode, we hear clips of the track in question interspersed with expert commentary on its significance and the story of its making, ultimately producing 30-minute forays into musicology, songwriting and instrumental joy. Highlights include a deep dive into Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, the jazz history of George Gershwin’s Someone to Watch Over Me and the poignant legacy of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come.

Untangle
Unwinding doesn’t necessarily have to mean being unable to learn something new. Mental health series Untangle provides fascinating insights into meditation methods, ways to emotionally regulate and expert analysis on wellbeing trends, coupled with weekly guided meditation episodes, to produce a listening experience that artfully combines ways to relax with food for thought on your own developing process and practice. Start with a guided Meditation Monday episode before delving into expert discussions about new research on stress reduction, ways to add better focus into your life when you’re not unwinding, and the impact of different sounds on your mental state.

Why not try …

• Writer-influencer trio Beth McColl, Ruchira Sharma and Oenone Forbat’s guide to the week in the “online zeitgeist”, Everything Is Content.

• The Life of Bryony, a shame-free podcast that “dives headfirst into life’s messier bits” from confessional writer Bryony Gordon

• How to Buy a Football Club, a BBC Sounds look into the rise and rise of Manchester City … and the potential fall.