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.

Imagine being in the room when Clarence Darrow defended two young men to secure them a sentence of life in prison instead of the death penalty. This case, a Crime of the Century, is condensed, and the highlights are re-enacted in this audiobook using a narrator and a cast of characters. It's a terrific way to brush up on history! The production is excellent and contemporary: Things that were not (and could not be) freely discussed in a public courtroom are discussed herein. The story is noted as "the true story that inspired Donna Tartt's novel, "The Secret History."
I understand this is the first of a new series of true crime audio recordings. I look forward to listening to more "TrialsoftheCentury" recreations.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @ClassicCrimeLtd, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: 23 March 2026.

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.

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and that’s saying something because audiobooks are not my first choice however the subject matter really drew me in. The Trial of Leopold and Loeb: Dickie & Babe feels more like listening to a play than a traditional book, which made it incredibly easy to follow. Using court transcripts brings the story to life in such a gripping, immersive way and the narrator does a fantastic job of keeping everything flowing smoothly. Knowing it’s based on a true story makes it even more compelling. A definite must-listen for any true crime fan.