Kick off the MOTIVE weekend with a deep dive into the genre with none other than the master of mystery, Walter Mosley! Renowned for creating the iconic Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, LA’s coolest detective, Mosley has topped bestseller lists, garnered many accolades and even landed a spot in the New York State Writers Hall of Fame. […]
Read more »
Linwood Barclay, international master of mystery, returns to the MOTIVE stage this year with I Will Ruin You. In this heart-pounding story, a teacher’s heroic response to a life-or-death event at school makes him the target of a dangerous blackmailer. Richard is hailed as a hero by members of the town, but his situation rapidly […]
In Hannah Mary McKinnon’s The Revenge List, Frankie finds herself in an anger management class and is made to write a “forgiveness list,” but when the list goes missing the people she’s named start getting hurt in freak accidents, each deadlier than the last. In Jonathan Whitelaw’s The Village Hall Vendetta, a journalist and his […]
Moderated by Jass Aujla (author of Next Of Twin), and joined by panelists Alie & Hejsa Christensen (authors of Stealing John Hancock) and Michael & Zack Urlocker (authors of The Man from Mittelwerk) will have an intimate conversation about co-author relationships and discuss the beauty and challenges of writing as part of a team.
A missing child. Conspiracy theories. A race against time. These are topics that both Rick Mofina’s Someone Saw Something and Abir Mukherjee’s Hunted deal with. In Someone Saw Something, a child goes missing in Central Park, leading to a twisty thriller that unravels family secrets. In the action-packed thriller Hunted, two parents are thrown together […]
Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail crime fiction reviewer, and Otto Penzler, publisher and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop (New York City), bring their expertise to the MOTIVE stage for an illuminating conversation on crime writing through the ages. From Wilkie Collins to modern thrillers, Cannon and Penzler offer their reflections on the development of […]
Vacations don’t always go as planned. In Catherine Mack’s witty and suspenseful novel, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, fictional author Eleanor Dash embarks on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery. Roz Nay’s thriller, The Offing, is set in the beautiful and dangerous waters around Australia where two young […]
Step into the world of theatre and intrigue with Kate Hilton and Elizabeth Renzetti as they bring the fictional town of Port Ellis to life in their latest book, Bury the Lead. While the sweet and cosy cottage town is best known for its butter tarts, something scandalous is going on as the lead actor […]
Get ready for a thrilling retrospective of Murdoch Mysteries with author Maureen Jennings, the mastermind behind the beloved book series. Joined by special guest Arwen Humphreys, known for playing the beloved Margaret Brackenreid in the show, Jennings will take us on the journey from idea to screen, sharing anecdotes and insights into the creation of Detective […]
Canadian thriller writers Ian Hamilton and Steve Urszenyi take to the stage to dive into their new books and share an author’s perspective on what makes the thriller genre so endlessly appealing. In Hamilton’s The Fury of Beijing, the heart-thumping final book in the Ava Lee series, the protagonist embarks on a quest for revenge […]
Join us for a film screening of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (1945), preceded by a special introduction by long-time editor of mystery fiction, Otto Penzler and author Jeffrey Round. Reel in the full story on the lasting impact Christie has had on the crime writing world and how her work continues to […]
Never underestimate a strong female protagonist on the hunt for justice. Set in 1930s Toronto, Maureen Jennings’ March Roars sees private investigator Charlotte Frayne embark on a mission to solve a great injustice. In The Jazz Club Spy by Roberta Rich, a cigarette girl in 1930s New York City moonlights as a spy and must […]
Join authors Conor Kerr and Kellye Garrett for a thought-provoking conversation about their books and the challenges their protagonists face as they navigate systems that marginalize and exclude them. In Prairie Edge, Kerr crafts a thrilling tale of Métis cousins embarking on a daring mission to liberate bison, exploring the complexities of activism and generational […]
All detectives have their quirks, and the protagonists in Leonie Swann‘s and Antti Tuomainen‘s gripping comic mysteries just happen to be some of the quirkiest. The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp (translated by Amy Bojang) is the next novel in Swann’s Miss Sharp Investigates series, following a group of amateur detectives – senior citizens – […]
Embark on a journey back in time with these immersive, page-turning historical reads that deliver the rush that comes with solving mysteries. In this conversation between two skillful storytellers of times gone by, S.G. MacLean brings The Bookseller of Inverness, a gripping thriller set in the wake of the 1746 Battle of Culloden. Jeffrey Round’s […]
Sometimes it’s not a singular bad guy that you need to worry about… sometimes it’s a whole institution. Join authors Katrín Júlíusdóttir and Yun Ko-eun as they discuss the antagonists in their books: greed and corruption. In Júlíusdóttir’s debut, Dead Sweet (translated by Quentin Bates), a detective solving murder of a wealthy businessman ends up […]
Join Kelley Armstrong and Drew Hayden Taylor for a spine-tingling event delving into the myth and supernatural of their latest novels! In The Boy Who Cried Bear, Armstrong takes readers to the eerie town of Haven’s Rock, where Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton encounter a chilling mystery involving a bear with human eyes. Meanwhile, […]
Join us to hear the latest in Canadian crime fiction! Crime Writers of Canada (CWC), a national non-profit organization for Canadian crime and mystery writers, will offer a thrilling glimpse into the latest scintillating stories by homegrown writers. The following writers will be reading from their work: Saturday Sunday Ann Lambert Alexis Stefanovich-Thomson John Hill […]
In 2022, The Maid by Nita Prose took the book world by storm as unconventional protagonist Molly captured the hearts of readers everywhere. While her awkwardness and unique perspective puts her at a disadvantage with coworkers, readers find her relatable and resilient. Join us as Prose spills the beans on the sequel, The Mystery Guest, […]
Visit the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC), a national non-profit organization for Canadian crime and mystery writers, in the West Bays during MOTIVE to meet authors, get books signed and chat with Canadian writers. The following writers will be in the West Bays during MOTIVE: Saturday Sunday Ann Lambert Alexis Stefanovich-Thomson Blair Keetch Alice Fitzpatrick […]
In the thrilling first crime novel from former FBI director James Comey, a murder investigation reveals deadly connections between high-ranking politicians and the mafia. Central Park West takes readers deep inside the world of lawyers and investigators working to solve a murder while navigating the treacherous currents of modern politics and the mob. Drawing from […]
