The Architecture of a Great Mystery

Presented by: Sandra Balzo | Sarah Ward | Sharan Newman | Wallace Stroby

What separates a good mystery from one readers cannot put down? In this craft-focused conversation, authors break down the essential elements of character, plot, and narrative voice. They share how these pieces work together to create momentum, tension, and emotional impact, drawing from their own novels to reveal what truly makes a mystery unforgettable.

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Recreating Daily Life in Historical Mysteries

Authors, Historical Fiction, Worldbuilding

Charles Finch, Eleanor Kuhns, Emily Brightwell, Laura Brennan, S. K. Rizzolo, and Susanna Calkins discuss the pleasures and pitfalls of writing mysteries set centuries ago. Topics include recreating daily life, capturing period voice, and making historical settings...

Less-Than-Lethal Weapons: What Happens When Police Don’t Use Deadly Force

Law, Law Enforcement, Research, True Crime, Weapons

What really happens when officers reach for alternatives to deadly force? In this session, a Boston University professor explains how less-than-lethal weapons actually work, when they are used, and the legal and situational limits that govern their deployment. Writers...

Stiff Upper Lip: British Investigations are Murder

Authors, Mystery

In this lively conversation, an all-female panel shares why British settings are so irresistible for crime fiction. They explore tone, tradition, social nuance, and the quiet tensions simmering beneath that famous stiff upper lip.

The Architecture of a Great Mystery

Recreating Daily Life in Historical Mysteries

Less-Than-Lethal Weapons: What Happens When Police Don’t Use Deadly Force

Stiff Upper Lip: British Investigations are Murder

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