West Cork

Audible Originals

[Contains Mature Themes] This much we do know: Sophie Toscan du Plantier was murdered days before Christmas in 1996, her broken body discovered at the edge of her property near the town of Schull in West Cork, Ireland. The rest remains a mystery.

Gripping, yet ever elusive, join the real-life hunt for answers in the year's first not-to-be-missed, true-crime series. Investigative journalist, Sam Bungey, and documentarian, Jennifer Forde, guide listeners through the brutal, unsolved murder and the tangled web of its investigation, while introducing an intricate cast of characters, a provocative prime suspect, and a recovering community whose story begs to be heard.

When you add West Cork to your library you will receive all 13 episodes, each with a runtime of approximately 30 minutes.

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Our Editor's Take

West Cork is a true crime podcast about the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. The hosts of the show are Sam Bungey and Jennifer Forde. Bungey is a journalist who has published work in The Guardian and The Dublin Review. Forde works as a producer for podcasts and documentaries. Forde and Bungey founded the podcast production company Yarn to make this program.

Toormore is a tiny village tucked in a bay in southern Ireland. Sophie owns a vacation home there. West Cork reveals that days before Christmas in 1996, a neighbor finds her body in the lane near her house. It looks like she tried, but failed, to escape her assailant, who killed her by bashing her head.

The news of the murder horrifies the locals. Who among them could have committed such a crime? As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that the murderer lives in town. The Gardaí, or Irish police, have a prime suspect, and his name is Ian Bailey. The podcast provides insightful context into his profile. An outsider like Sophie, Ian moved to the region with his partner in 1992. A tactless, brash figure, locals dislike him because he hits his partner.

There is a suspect but no arrest because of lack of evidence. Ian's new status as chief suspect seems to embolden him. Residents of Toormore have to live side by side with a man who they think is the killer, fostering an atmosphere of fear and distrust.

The obstacles to the search for justice seem insurmountable. Ian is a litigious and clever character whose actions confuse the investigation. West Cork Gardaí are not used to handling murder and make mistakes. One key witness is reluctant to come forward.

West Cork shows that a crime can have a ripple effect. While Sophie was the one murdered, she was far from the only victim. The whole town was at the mercy of one man. Forde and Bungey tell the story of the Irish village with thoughtfulness and care.

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Ep. 1: Blow-Ins

Ep. 1: Blow-Ins

[Contains Mature Themes] West Cork, Ireland is an outpost at the edge of Europe. Rugged, windswept, and coastal, it was a region of farmers and fisherman until the 1960s, when it was discovered by the “blow-ins”—artists, urban runaways, and people who drove until the road ran out. It was a haven for those wanting to turn their backs on their old lives and start over. But then there was a murder in West Cork, and everything changed overnight.

Épisodes

Ep. 1: Blow-Ins

Ep. 1: Blow-Ins

[Contains Mature Themes] West Cork, Ireland is an outpost at the edge of Europe. Rugged, windswept, and coastal, it was a region of farmers and fisherman until the 1960s, when it was discovered by the “blow-ins”—artists, urban runaways, and people who drove until the road ran out. It was a haven for those wanting to turn their backs on their old lives and start over. But then there was a murder in West Cork, and everything changed overnight.

Ep. 2: The Back of Beyond

Ep. 2: The Back of Beyond

[Contains Mature Themes] A body is found at the end of a path leading to three houses. The police, known in Ireland as “the Guards,” have little experience with serious crime in West Cork, and the victim - a French woman with a holiday home in the area - is a mysterious figure to locals. That night, as news of the murder makes its way through the community, everyone begins to question if they were ever truly safe.

Ep. 3: Sophie Bouniol

Ep. 3: Sophie Bouniol

[Contains Mature Themes] Born Sophie Bouniol, the well-connected French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier was 39 when she was murdered. In a place where no one could remember the last time a murder occurred, locals speculated that the killer must be an outsider. Rumors about Sophie and her love life, fueled by tabloids, flourished. But her quieter, more bookish side was reflected in the simple, white house she kept in West Cork, and known to those who loved her most.

Ep. 4: Killer Among Us

Ep. 4: Killer Among Us

[Contains Mature Themes] In the weeks following the murder, the picturesque vacation town of Schull (pronounced “skull”) near Sophie’s home becomes a very different place to live. With no answers, and the investigation focusing on locals, the townspeople start watching their neighbors more closely. And the Guards begin receiving anonymous calls about a strange man in town.

Ep. 5: A Good Suspect

Ep. 5: A Good Suspect

[Contains Mature Themes] The Guards have a suspect - a man who has spent the last 20 years trying to convince Ireland that he is not a murderer. We begin on the first day of the investigation, tracing the suspect’s behavior over the six weeks following the murder up until the day of his arrest. What was he up to, and how did he become the central figure in one of Ireland’s most notorious murder cases?

Ep. 6: The Englishman

Ep. 6: The Englishman

[Contains Mature Themes] A blow-in from Manchester, England, the suspect has been grating on locals ever since he first arrived in West Cork. He has been accused of inserting himself into the investigation and delighting in his notoriety, at the expense of determining what actually happened to Sophie. Though he is often perceived as arrogant and tactless, his history and personal diaries reveal not only deep insecurities, but a man increasingly desperate to save himself.

Ep. 7: The Arrest

Ep. 7: The Arrest

[Contains Mature Themes] On February 10, 1997, the Guards make an arrest in a well-orchestrated plan to ensnare their suspect. There’s an interrogation, a question of coercion, and an alibi that doesn’t quite hold up - but no confession. The charge doesn’t stick and someone close to the suspect appears to waver on his guilt.

Ep. 8: The Game Is On

Ep. 8: The Game Is On

[Contains Mature Themes] A game of cat and mouse ensues in which the Guards need more evidence and worry they’re being outsmarted by the prime suspect. The “Bandon Tapes,” secret audio recordings of the Guards, reveal the lengths they’re willing to go to convict their suspect - including planting spies wearing wires and other dubious tactics - to little success.

Ep. 9: The Moonshine Effect

Ep. 9: The Moonshine Effect

[Contains Mature Themes] After the arrest is made public, the community is terrified and convinced a murderer lives next door. Still, the suspect remains in West Cork. And it seems everyone has a theory - a story about the suspect’s strangeness - ranging from the plausible to the absurd: that he is a sexual predator; that he wanders the countryside alone, howling, driven to madness by the full moon. But as it turns out, some of the craziest rumors were coming from the unlikeliest of sources - the suspect himself.

Ep. 10: Shanghaied

Ep. 10: Shanghaied

[Contains Mature Themes] Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s murder is big news in Ireland - so big that the suspect takes the newspapers to court for defamation, intending to clear his name with the public. But it backfires spectacularly when the newspapers round up angry locals to testify, air secret diaries, and reveal the suspect’s long history as a domestic abuser.

Ep. 11: Enemy #1

Ep. 11: Enemy #1

[Contains Mature Themes] After the defamation trial, no one understands why the suspect is still a free man. But the case against him is quickly unraveling - there’s a new, seasoned lawyer, trouble with a key witness’ story, and questions about the legitimacy of the Guards’ investigation.

Ep. 12: Loose Ends

Ep. 12: Loose Ends

[Contains Mature Themes] If the Guards’ prime suspect didn’t kill Sophie, who did? Theories abound: a “French connection,” a murderous horse, a misidentified man in a long black coat. There are promising leads that seem to have gone unpursued by the police, and the distinct impression that the case wasn’t nearly as strong as it originally seemed.

Ep. 13: An Intimate Conviction

Ep. 13: An Intimate Conviction

[Contains Mature Themes] While the case reaches a stalemate in Ireland, a parallel investigation in France - spearheaded by Sophie’s family - moves forward. The suspect finds himself confronted with new charges and the community grapples with the case. Sophie’s son - just 15 when his mother was murdered - visits his mother’s favorite pub in West Cork and shares a pint with the last known person who saw her alive.

West Cork Aftershow: Bonus Episode

West Cork Aftershow: Bonus Episode

Finished listening to the story of Sophie Toscan du Plantier's mysterious murder? Hear the latest from Executive Producer, Jesse Baker, and Producers Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey as they discuss all the burning questions of the Audible Original, West Cork: what it was like to spend a year of their lives with a suspected murderer, how the investigation was bungled, and where does the case stand now? This is a must listen for fans of the hit Audible Original series.