FRIDAY SCHEDULE, NOV 6

Let your “Hostess City” unlock and reveal some surprises and long kept secrets.

trolley tour / History, Mystery & Wisteria Historic District Overview

Tour tickets $75

Fri 10am-12pm

Pickup at The Alida

The Alida lobby

Fri 12-5pm

FESTIVAL CHECK-IN + REGISTRATION

Registration opens at noon and stays open through the afternoon. Arriving Saturday? Check-in reopens Saturday morning. This is for the festival not the hotel room check-in.

Sign up here for Saturday’s Mock Crime Scene time slot.

Franklin Room, The Alida

Fri 1-1:50pm

FICTION / bloodlines & lies

Featuring Tara Goedjen, Emily Carpenter and Melissa Anderson Sweazy. Every family has hidden sins. What happens when pulling at a single thread of memory unravels decades of deception? Our panelists explore domestic suspense, dark inheritances, and the deadly cost of breaking the family silence.

TRUE CRIME / Buried Secrets: How the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Was Finally Caught

Fri 2-2:50pm

Franklin Room, The Alida

Featuring Barbara Butcher, Joe Giacalione and Joseph Scott Morgan. For more than a decade, the Gilgo Beach murders remained one of Long Island’s most haunting mysteries. Then a renewed investigation and new DNA techniques led to Rex Heuermann’s arrest and, in 2026, his guilty plea. Our panel breaks down how investigators finally cracked the case.

Franklin Room, The Alida

Fri 3-3:50pm

FICTION / what haunts us the most

Featuring Heather Graham, Emma C. Wells and Hallie Shepherd. We don't avoid the dark, we go looking for it. Three authors on fear, the unknown, and the stories that won't let us look away.

Franklin Room, The Alida

Fri 4-4:50pm

TRUE CRIME / THE ART OF FBI INTERROGATION

Retired FBI agent Scott Duffey will pull back the curtain and take you through the basic steps of preparing for and entering THE FBI INTERVIEW ROOM.  Learn what it takes to prepare and execute a plan to get someone to confess to a crime.

Williamson Room, The Alida
Tickets $25

Fri 4-5pm

FICTION DISCUSSION / Breaking In: From Manuscript to First Novel

Not long ago, these debut novelists, Melissa Anderson Sweazy, Hallie Shepherd and Tara Goedjen, were exactly where many aspiring writers are now. In this discussion, they share how they found their agents, landed publishers and made it to their first book launch, including what they wish someone had told them sooner. Bring your questions about querying, agents and getting published.

Sip, mingle, and meet the minds behind the mysteries. Try a complimentary “Murder on the Rocks” sponsored by Tito’s Handcrafted Vodka and get your books signed by your favorite authors and true crime talent. Discounted food and drinks available for purchase. 

FICTION + TRUE CRIME‍ / WHODUNIT HAPPY HOUR & BOOK SIGNING

Rocks on the Roof Bar,
Hotel Orielle, no ticket required

Fri 5pm

TRUE CRIME / WINE & CRIME

Harper’s Gallery, The Alida
Ticket $125 includes dinner & drinks

Fri 7-9pm

Hosted by renowned true crime expert and Georgia native Sheryl McCollum, tonight you won't just hear about a cold case – you’ll step inside it. As Sheryl leads you through the evidence of a real unsolved mystery, you'll follow the clues, examine the evidence, and listen carefully to the story. As dinner is served and the wine flows, you can discuss your theory with your very own forensic expert. Yup, that’s right, seated at every table – a certified, bonafide true crime authority. The case may be cold, but our traditional Southern dinner will be HOT. Think Cornbread with Honey Butter, Southern Fried Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese, Southern Veggies & Croissant Beignets for dessert. Bring your appetite. Bring your instincts.