CrimeCONN 2024: History, Headlines and Heroes

The Friends of the Ferguson Library in Partnership with Mystery Writers of America – NY Chapter Present CrimeCONN, Connecticut’s own one-day mystery lovers' conference.

Books will be available for sale and signing.

CrimeCONN will be presented as a hybrid event so you can

choose to attend in person or via Zoom webinar.

TICKETS

In-Person Event
(In-person ticket price includes coffee, continental breakfast and lunch)

Through May 8 - Early Bird Registration

$40 per person

After May 8

$60 per person

$45 per person for MWA members, Friends members, seniors and students

Online ticket sales will end on Friday, June 7 at noon.
Tickets will be available at the door.

Virtual Event
Also available via Zoom webinar (from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
$25 per person
Zoom login will be provided in advance of the program.

CrimeCONN’s theme this year is History, Headlines and Heroes. Speakers will delve into historical mysteries, true crime stories, and how thrillers have evolved over the years. Reed Farrel Coleman will start the day with a writing workshop that anyone who loves mysteries will enjoy, writers and readers alike. Moderators and panelists include real-life crime fighters, bestselling authors, experts in writing craft, and much more, including keynote speaker and NYT bestselling author Megan Abbott, in conversation with Reed Farrel Coleman, a writers and readers workshop led by Mr. Coleman and panel discussions on historical fiction, true crime, cold cases and more. And, to put everything in context, forensic scientist Michelle Clark and Detective Tammy Murray will explain how real life cold cases are tracked down and solved.

Learn how the past is present, and the future still unwritten.

Here are some of the conference highlights. More details to come.

Keynote Speaker
Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling and Edgar-award-winning author of the novels Beware the Woman, The Turnout, Give Me Your Hand, You Will Know Me, The Fever, Dare Me, The End of Everything and Bury Me Deep. In conversation with Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of 31 novels—including six in Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series—short stories, poetry, and essays.

Writers and Readers Workshop
Aspiring writers and serious readers get a peek behind the curtain. Learn the tricks of the trade on how writers expand a simple idea into 300 gut-wrenching pages. Multiple award-winning, New York Times bestselling novelist and former college writing instructor Reed Farrel Coleman will lead the workshop.

Cold Case Conversation
With Michelle Clark, Medicolegal Death Investigator for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s in Connecticut, with Detective Tammy Murray of the West Haven Police Department.

Also scheduled to appear:

Mally Becker, two-time Agatha Award-nominated author of the Revolutionary War Mysteries, which include The Turncoat's Widow, The Counterfeit Wife, and The Paris Mistress.

Nancy Bilyeau is a journalist and magazine editor who has written seven historical novels, including her bestseller and Oprah pick The Crown, The Blue, and The Orchid Hour.

Peter Blauner is a TV writer, journalist, and the author of nine novels. His books include Slow Motion Riot, winner of an Edgar Allan Poe award for best first novel from Mystery Writers of America, and The Intruder, a New York Times bestseller and a bestseller overseas.

Russ Colchamiro is author of Crackle and Fire, Fractured Lives, Hot Ash, and Blunt Force Rising, the ongoing series featuring hardboiled private eye Angela Hardwicke.

John Copenhaver is the author of the historical crime novel Dodging and Burning which won the 2019 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery, and The Savage Kind, winner of the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Mystery.

Jim Fusilli, author of nine novels, including The Mayor of Polk Street and its predecessor, Narrow's Gate.

Elise Hart Kipness is a television sports reporter turned crime fiction author. Her debut novel, Lights Out, is an Amazon bestseller and a Men’s Journal top 10 book of 2023. The second novel in the series, Dangerous Play, comes out September 24, 2024. Like her main character, Elise chased marquee athletes through the tunnels of Madison Square Garden and stood before glaring lights reporting to national audiences. Across her sports career, Elise covered the Olympics, NBA Finals, March Madness, World Series and US Opens (Golf & Tennis).

Chris Knopf is the author of 18 mystery/thriller novels. His most recent book is Blood Bank.

Deborah Levison is an author and publicist. Her first book, The Crate is a true crime story with echoes of the Holocaust. It examines a grisly present-day murder that involved Levison’s family of Holocaust survivors. Her award-winning debut novel, A Nest of Snakes is part thriller, part courtroom drama inspired by real-life allegations of abuse at elite New England private schools.

Nev March is the first Indian-born writer to win Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America’s Award for Best First Crime Fiction. Her novels include Murder in Old Bombay, Peril at the Exposition and The Spanish Diplomat's Secret.

M. William Phelps is the New York Times bestselling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Laura Joh Rowland is the bestselling author of two series of mystery novels. The first, set in seventeenth-century Japan, chronicles the adventures of samurai detective Sano Ichiro. The second series, set in Victorian England, features photographer Sarah Bain and her motley company of friends. Laura’s latest book is River of Fallen Angels.

Charles Salzberg, author of the Henry Swann mystery series and over 20 non-fiction books.

Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity and the YA Spider-Verse adventure, Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow.

Tom Straw is a New York Times best-selling author (writing as Richard Castle). He is also an Emmy and Writer’s Guild of America-nominated writer-producer whose credits include Night Court, Dave’s World, Grace Under Fire, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Nurse Jackie. His spy thriller, The Accidental Joe, will be published on May 14, 2024.

Gabriel Valjan is the author of the The Company Files and the Shane Cleary Mysteries. He has been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, Shamus, and Silver Falchion Awards.

For 20 years, Wendy Whitman, was an executive and producer for Court TV and HLN for the Nancy Grace show, covering major high-profile murder cases. Since turning her attention to writing, Whitman has published two crime thriller novels: Premonition and the sequel, Retribution.