The Plot

In 1864, a 41-year-old woman named Mary Surratt was running a boarding house in Washington, D.C. Soon, one of the most famous actors in the country began visiting her – his name was John Wilkes Booth.

Episode 353 of the Criminal podcast, hosted by Vox Media Podcast Network, titled "The Plot" was published on February 20, 2026 and runs 42 minutes.

February 20, 2026 ·42m · Criminal

Summary

In 1864, a 41-year-old woman named Mary Surratt was running a boarding house in Washington, D.C. One of the most famous actors in the country began visiting her – which led to her becoming known as the woman who “kept the nest that hatched the egg." Kate Clifford Larson’s book is The Assassin’s Accomplice. Join our newsletter by 2/28/26 to be entered to win a free year of Criminal Plus: ⁠thisiscriminal.com/newsletter⁠. (Additional rules apply.) Say hello on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts. Sign up for Criminal Plus to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more. We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery. Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop. Episode transcripts are posted on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Description