Dive deep into the minds of those who create and solve the most compelling cases—both fictional and real. During Hamptons Whodunit, East Hampton Village’s picturesque streets will be crawling with bestselling mystery authors and true-crime experts. The annual mystery and crime festival returns April 10 to 13.
A kick-off cocktail party will be held on Thursday at 6 PM. Sip champagne, savor caviar, and discuss the perfect crime. Make your entrance at East Hampton’s Maidstone Club, where you can mingle with the literary masterminds behind your favorite crime novels and internationally renowned investigators and true crime experts.
Fiction and true crime panels will be held all day Friday and Saturday. Guests can learn from the outstanding literary masterminds whose novels haunt bookstores worldwide. Discover how they craft the perfect murder, develop twisted plots, and learn the psychological secrets that make their books impossible to put down. From the haunting whispers of the Amityville Horror to Natalie Wood’s mysterious death and infamous Mafia crimes — experts will separate fact from fiction.
Guests of honor include authors Lucy Foley, Tess Gerritsen, and Shari Lapena. True crime experts include Howard Blum, Tony DeStefano, Scott Duffey, Joseph Giacalone, Laura Ingle, Hugh King, Mayor Jerry Larsen, Cary London, Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, Joseph Scott Morgan, M.F.S., F-ABMDI, Nicholas Petraco, Jacob Rolls, Casey Sherman, Martin H. Tankleff, Jim Thomson, and Kristin Thorne. Fiction authors include Lucinda Berry, Alafair Burke, Steve Cavanagh, Alyssa Cole, Regina Corrado & Olivia Milch, Carrie Doyle, Ashley Elston, Abby Endler, Joseph Finder, Alex Finlay, A. J. Finn, Helen A. Harrison, Emiko Jean, Vera Kurian, Nanci LaGarenne, Jessa Maxwell, Anna Sophia McLoughlin, Chloe Melas, Clémence Michallon, Ande Pliego, Stella Sands, Jason Rekulak, Sophie Stava, Tessa Wegert, and Carter Wilson.
Prime Video presents a spotlight on “The Better Sister” on Friday at 6 PM. Enjoy an exclusive book-to-screen conversation featuring New York Times bestselling author Alafair Burke and the visionary co-showrunners of the upcoming Prime Video adaptation, Olivia Milch (“Ocean’s 8”) and Regina Corrado (“Mayor of Kingstown”), moderated by NBC News Entertainment correspondent Chloe Melas, at Guild Hall.
Local talent is highlighted on Sunday. Enjoy morning panels with local authors and true crime experts. The former Chief of Police of East Hampton, Mayor Jerry Larsen, will spill the inside scoop on true crimes in the Hamptons, plus much more.
For the full schedule, visit hamptonswhodunit.org/schedule-2025.