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Puzzle Me This: Max Nightingale & Bianca Marais

Bianca Marais and Jonathan Whitelaw
Join the authors for a discussion on discuss puzzle-making and plot twists and the art of the whodunit
Conversation
Festival Pass Required
Prices vary

About

Are you the kind of reader who can’t resist solving the mystery before the final page? Then this is the event for you. From cryptic riddles to choose-your-own-adventure clues, Max Nightingale (a.k.a Jonathan Whitelaw) and Bianca Marais reinvent the crime novel by handing the magnifying glass to the reader. In Murder in Tinseltown, Nightingale invites readers into a glittering, deadly Hollywood noir – you’ll need your sharpest instincts (and maybe a fedora) to catch a killer. In A Most Puzzling Murder, Marais whisks you off to a stormy island mansion and spins a gothic mystery full of strange visions, secret passageways, and ciphers waiting to be cracked. Together, they’ll discuss puzzle-making and plot twists, the how of the whodunit, and how readers make the best detectives.

Moderated by Trevor Campbell.

How do you solve a murder that hasn't happened yet? Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she's content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian.
cover of A Most Puzzling Murder

Can your sleuthing skills help identify the murderer of a Hollywood starlet?

Los Angeles, 1958. The biggest, brightest and best names in Hollywood have gathered at the Royale Premiere Hotel on the eve of the biggest awards show of the year. Things take a devilish turn when leading lady Blanche Aikerman is found murdered in her room. With a list of suspects as long as Aikerman’s accolades and credits, YOU are thrust into the action and must fully immerse yourself in the role of an LAPD homicide detective on the scene to hunt, capture and correctly charge the culprit. Blending all the fun and appeal of the traditional hard-boiled detective story with a classic choose-your-own-story model, the book throws you right into the thick of the action.
cover of Murder in Tinseltown: A Choose-Your-Own-Story Mystery

Image of Bianca Marais
Bianca Marais is the bestselling author of The Witches of Moonshyne Manor, Hum If You Don't Know the Words and If You Want to Make God Laugh. She’s an award-winning creative writing instructor, and the founder and cohost of the popular podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, which is aimed at helping emerging writers become published.

Image of Jonathan Whitelaw
Jonathan Whitelaw is a writer, award-winning journalist and broadcaster. After working on the frontline of Scottish politics, he moved into journalism, covering everything from sports to music to radioactive waste – and everything in between.

Dates & Times

Sat, June 28, 2025
1:00pm
2:00pm
A book signing will follow this event

Passes

3-Day Pass
Regular
$75 + $9.75 HST
Under 25
$45 + $5.85 HST
Saturday Pass
Regular
$35 + $4.55 HST
Under 25
$20 + $2.60 HST

Venue

Alumni Hall, Victoria College
91 Charles St W, Toronto, ON

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