Behind every great detective story is a world of detail—procedures followed, mistakes made, truths uncovered. In this panel, three insiders explore how real-life law enforcement experience shapes the crime fiction we read. Argentinian forensic scientist and novelist Gastón Intelisano brings the lab to the page in his Santiago Soler mysteries. Des Ryan, a retired Toronto police detective turned author, offers gritty procedural realism drawn from his years on the force. And Ed Adach, a forensic detective that investigated homicides and police trainer, now advises writers on how to build authentic characters and scenarios. Together, they dissect how crime fiction can both reflect and challenge the realities of policing – and why getting it right matters.
Moderated by Gregg Hurwitz.
Santiago Soler, head of the Crime Scene Unit of the Institute of Forensic Sciences of the City of Mar del Plata, must attend a new crime scene in the middle of the morning, less than twenty-four hours after investigating the discovery of the body of an unidentified woman. The body of the second woman is found half-naked and in a sector of the "Rock Pass" full of strange symbols that surround her.
Early on a Monday morning, a group of first responders are standing around a burned-out car by the waterfront. They're waiting for the detectives to arrive to show them what they've found.
Detective Ed Adach has been with the Toronto Police Service for 43 years. 10 years as a downtown street copper, and the last 33 years as a forensic detective. He has investigated hundreds of homicides.
Gastón Intelisano was born in Buenos Aires in 1978. He holds a degree in criminalist, is a forensic radiologist, a judicial expert, and an autopsy technician.
Desmond P. Ryan’s thirty-year career as a Toronto Police detective informs his crime fiction, blending real-life policing experience with a deep understanding of human nature.
Sat, June 28, 2025
A book signing will follow this event
Emmanuel College, Room 119
75 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto, ON
