Tortoise Investigates
By The Observer
On 6th October 1987, a newborn baby is found on the verge of a remote country lane in Suffolk. Police comb the area for clues and appeal for witnesses, but the mother is never found. The baby, Jess, is adopted. Journalist Lucy Greenwell has never forgotten the day when Jess was discovered. She was a child and lived nearby. For decades Lucy has wondered; what happened to Jess, and what could have driven a mother to leave her child in such an isolated place? When Lucy tracks Jess down, she finds a woman already deep in her own search for the truth, and a story far more tangled than either of them expected. What unfolds is a tale of long-held secrets and unintended consequences that spirals out of Jess’s control.
Foundling is a six-part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer
To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 for 50% off an annual digital subscription.
You'll get access to:
- This series and all our podcasts before anyone else
- Ad-free listening
- A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week
- Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword
- Recipes for every occasion
- Free tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online
Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for access to this series and ad-free listening to Observer podcasts.
Reporter - Lucy Greenwell
Producer - Katie Gunning
Original theme music - Tom Kinsella
Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop
Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp
Narrative editor - Gary Marshall
Editor - Jasper Corbett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episode
-
Under one roof | Foundling Ep 2
Jess does a DNA test. And she and Lucy travel to visit a house where Jess’s birth mother once lived, and try and work out how nobody noticed a thing.Foundling is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer -
On the verge | Foundling Ep 1
Journalist Lucy Greenwell goes in search of Jess following rumours and unanswered questions about where she was born and who gave birth to her. Foundling is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer -
Introducing... Foundling
On 6th October 1987, a newborn baby is found on the verge of a remote country lane in Suffolk. Police comb the area for clues and appeal for witnesses, but the mother is never found. The baby, Jess, is adopted. Journalist Lucy Greenwell has never … -
The Missing Book | The Walkers Ep7
The Salt Path was the supposed bestseller debut book by Raynor Winn, selling millions worldwide. So when two more sequels came along with increasingly bold claims on reversing a terminal illness, why did the publisher Penguin not question… -
The Letters | The Walkers Ep6
At a motorway service station, Chloe meets someone close to Raynor Winn who’s nervous about coming forward. It turns out she’s another character from The Salt Path…and she’s Raynor Winn’s niece. And she’s not turned up empty handed… -
The French Quarter | The Walkers Ep5
In the aftermath of her initial investigation, Chloe hears from a close family member of Moth’s. The story is one of deep divides…and another theft. But it takes her one step closer to understanding who Moth and Raynor Winn really are. -
The Miracle | The Walkers Ep4
Moth is suffering from a rare and terminal illness: corticobasal degeneration. Life expectancy rarely extends beyond eight years. But almost two decades after his diagnosis, Moth is still defying the odds. Has he discovered the secret to a medical… -
Cider at Haye | The Walkers Ep3
When the television cameras come to a heritage cider farm in Devon, Moth and Raynor Winn take centre stage. Within weeks, they vanished. The farm’s owner, their friend, is left to piece together the disparity between what he’d witnessed…and what R… -
On the path | The Walkers Ep2
With question marks now raised over how The Salt Path began, Chloe Hadjimatheou starts to track down other characters from the book. Did Raynor Winn and Moth ever walk the path the way they claimed?Subscribe to Observer+ on App… -
The Missing Money | The Walkers Ep1
In a small town in north Wales, an alleged theft at a local estate agents plants the seeds for a global blockbuster.Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 13th January.