Catherine Townsend

Catherine Townsend is a journalist, private investigator, and podcaster. She is the host of the iHeartMedia podcast Hell and Gone, and Red Collar. Her work has appeared in publications including The Atlantic, Elle, New York, GQ, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, the Daily Mail, the New York Post, Cosmopolitan and The Huffington Post.

After beginning her career as a staff writer for New York magazine, Catherine moved to London to create The Independent’s very popular “Sleeping Around” dating column.

While in the UK she interviewed everyone from the Prime Minster to a Playboy bunny, and wrote bestselling books Sleeping Around and Breaking the Rules (John Murray/Hodder). Catherine has also conceptualized and produced numerous TV and web projects.

But her greatest passion has always been solving mysteries. So in 2010 she channeled her inner Nancy Drew and signed up for detective school, where she was immediately thrown into the field with former FBI agents, police officers and other PIs. Over the next three years Catherine completed well over the 6000 hours required to become a licensed private investigator in California.