It’s that mad time of year again when reading inevitably ends up on the back burner. I think I’ve found a way around it, though, and it comes in the shape of addictive serial podcast SERIAL.

The American National Public Radio produced series (there are weekly instalments, but make sure you start with episode one) is an investigation into the 1999 murder of an Asian high school girl in Baltimore and the conviction of her muslim ex-boyfriend by radio producer Sarah Koenig.

Koenig casts serious doubts on the safety of the conviction, rushed through in a post-9/11 climate of distrust of muslims. Well-written and passionately narrated by the journalist herself, SERIAL quickly sucks you in while you wrap those Christmas presents or while stuck in that traffic jam. So far, more than 20 million people have downloaded it; soon you’ll be the only one who hasn’t…

Download it here or get it from the Podcast App (in the App store) on your IPhone or IPad.