The Silver Linings Handbook

Each October, one of my favorite things to do is sit down with author Brett Talley to explore the unexplained. In our best of series on this Halloween, I am sharing the first two episodes in our annual tradition. Links to the other episodes are below. For the first episodes I had not yet met Hannah Hill, but her amazing artwork on the later episodes is worth a link all on it's own.
Happy Halloween! Today, Part 2 of our conversation with Author Brett Talley of the Prosecutors Podcast, we discuss our fascination with mysteries and conspiracies, why it would suck if the world was dull and how horror helps us process the real terror out there.
We discuss some of our favorite real-life mysteries, like the Dyatlov Pass incident, the Khaber Daban incident, what happened to the Mary Celeste ship and others.
We also discuss how the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit uses statistics to solve crimes and, how, if all true crime was about probabilities, life would be a little less interesting. We also make a plug for the podcast of our friend, former FBI Criminal Profiler Julia Cowley, The Consult, which launches with new episodes tomorrow.
Here’s a link to the Prosecutors Podcast and Brett’s author page on Amazon.com.
2023: Exploring the Unexplained
41. Exploring the Unexplained: Looking at the World Through the Lens of Horror and the Paranormal with Author Brett Talley (Part 1 of 2) - Silver Linings Handbook
2024: Why We Love Mysteries
93. Why We Love Mysteries with Brett Talley, Part 1 of 2 - Silver Linings Handbook
94. Why We Love Mysteries, Part 2 of 2 - Silver Linings Handbook
2025: The Monsters We Create
173. The Monsters We Create with Brett Talley, Part 1 - Silver Linings Handbook
174. The Monsters We Create with Brett Talley, Part 2 - Silver Linings Handbook
2026: The Architecture of Dread
220. The Architecture of Dread with Brett Talley, Part 1 - Silver Linings Handbook
221. The Architecture of Dread with Brett Talley, Part 1 - Silver Linings Handbook

Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
Jayson’s Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at:
The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Each October, one of my favorite things to do is sit down with author Brett Talley to explore the unexplained. In our best of series on this Halloween, I am sharing the first two episodes in our annual tradition. Links to the other episodes are below. For the first episodes I had not yet met Hannah Hill, but her amazing artwork on the later episodes is worth a link all on it's own.
Today, in the first of two episodes with Author Brett Talley, the co-host of the Prosecutors Podcast, we discuss the importance of interconnectivity and communities, and how fiction, horror, the paranormal, science fiction, urban legends and forklore helps entertain us and manage and understand reality.
2023: Exploring the Unexplained
42. Exploring the Unexplained: Looking at the World Through the Lens of Horror the Paranormal with Author Brett Talley (Part 2 of 2) - Silver Linings Handbook
2024: Why We Love Mysteries
93. Why We Love Mysteries with Brett Talley, Part 1 of 2 - Silver Linings Handbook
94. Why We Love Mysteries, Part 2 of 2 - Silver Linings Handbook
2025: The Monsters We Create
173. The Monsters We Create with Brett Talley, Part 1 - Silver Linings Handbook
174. The Monsters We Create with Brett Talley, Part 2 - Silver Linings Handbook
2026: The Architecture of Dread
220. The Architecture of Dread with Brett Talley, Part 1 - Silver Linings Handbook
221. The Architecture of Dread with Brett Talley, Part 1 - Silver Linings Handbook

Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
Jayson’s Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at:
The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Julia Cowley, a retired FBI profiler and the host of The Consult podcast, and I set out to discuss the University of Idaho murders and the killer of four college students, Bryan Kohberger. But something strange happened when we began discussing the survivors who were in the house.
It was during a week when a beloved podcaster, friend, and researcher for this podcast died. In this emotionally charged bonus, we explore grief, trauma, and the importance of kindness within the true crime community and in life. Our conversation touches on how loss, children and age have changed the way we view true crime stories.
NOTE: In July 2025, those roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, broke their silence at Kohberger’s sentencing in the murders of 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, and 21-year-olds Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen. Use the links above to hear from them in their own words.
Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, someone entered a house just off the University of Idaho campus in a brazen home invasion that left four University of Idaho students — Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves — dead. Julia Cowley, a retired FBI profiler and host of The Consult podcast, joins me to continue on conversation about what we can learn from the behavior of the real-life nightmare that is the suspect, Bryan Kohberger.
Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, some entered a house just off the University of Idaho campus and stabbed four students to death. Months later, a suspect was identified. This year, he pled guilty to the charges without giving any hint why he committed the crimes or what made the victims desirable targets. Julia Cowley, a retired FBI profiler and host of The Consult podcast, joins me to discuss what we can learn from the behavior of the real-life nightmare that is the suspect, Bryan Kohberger.
Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com
Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:
https://silverliningshandbook.com
Check out our Patreon to support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook
Join our Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623
Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:
https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store
Visit The True Crime Times Substack at:
https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com
The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.
See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.