FRIDAY SCHEDULE, NOV 6
ALL EVENTS are AT THE ALIDA EXCEPT WHODUNIT HAPPY HOUR, 5PM
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 a time slot at Saturday’s 9am-4pm Mock Crime Scene Forensic Challenge.
Franklin Room, The Alida
Fri 1-1:50pm
FICTION / bloodlines & lies
Featuring Tara Goedjen, Emily Carpenter and Melissa Anderson Sweazy, and moderated by author Jen Marie Wiggins. 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 Giacalone 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 Emma C. Wells and Hallie Shepherd, and moderated by bookstagrammer Michael Norris @IHeartAGoodThriller. We don't avoid the dark, we go looking for it. Our panelists talk about fear, the unknown, and the stories that won't let us look away.
TRUE CRIME / THE ART OF FBI INTERROGATION
Fri 4-4:50pm
Franklin Room, The Alida
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.
FICTION DISCUSSION / Breaking In: From Manuscript to First Novel
Williamson Room, The Alida
Tickets $25
Fri 4-5pm
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.
FICTION + TRUE CRIME / WHODUNIT HAPPY HOUR & BOOK SIGNING
Rocks on the Roof Bar,
Hotel Orielle, open to the public
Fri 5pm
Sip, mingle, and meet the minds behind the mysteries. Try our signature cocktail “Murder on the Rocks” sponsored by Tito’s Handcrafted Vodka and get your books signed by your favorite authors and true crime talent. Beer sponsored by Service Brewing Co. Discounted food and drinks available for purchase.
TRUE CRIME / WINE & CRIME
Harper’s Gallery, The Alida
Ticket $125 includes dinner & wine
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, bona fide 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.