The Hamptons Whodunit Mystery and True Crime Festival is set to return for its highly anticipated third year from April 10 to 13, 2025, in East Hampton. The four-day event brings together crime fiction fans, true crime enthusiasts, bestselling authors, and investigative experts for a packed schedule of discussions, panels, and immersive activities.
Opening Night at the Maidstone Club
The festival opens on Thursday, April 10, with a VIP Preview at 5 p.m. and a cocktail party from 6 to 8 p.m. at the exclusive Maidstone Club. Guests will mingle with authors, panelists, and crime aficionados while overlooking the Maidstone ocean beach and golf course. While the preview, featuring a meet and greet and Black River Caviar tasting, requires an additional ticket, attendees can attend the cocktail party alone.
Friday Launches Full Day of Programming
Friday, April 11, marks the beginning of the festival’s main programming, with events scheduled from 8 a.m to 9 p.m. The day opens at Clinton Academy with “Coffee & Crime with Author Joe Giacalone,” a retired NYPD Sergeant SDS and the festival’s true-crime consultant. Attendees can choose between fiction and true-crime sessions throughout the day, including deep dives into cases like those of Gabby Petito, Scott Peterson, and the Boston Strangler.
In addition to panel discussions, Friday’s schedule includes fiction writing workshops led by top mystery authors. A historic graveyard tour, led by East Hampton Town Crier Hugh King, runs from 5 to 5:45 p.m.
Meanwhile, the “Murder at the Manor” escape room experience, scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m., has already reached capacity. The day concludes with a unique “Wine & Crime” interactive session from 7 to 9 p.m. at the firehouse, where participants assist experts in solving real cold cases.
Saturday Features High-Profile Authors and Expert Panels
Saturday morning, April 12, will begin again with “Coffee & Crime,” leading into another full day of crime-themed sessions. Highlights include a young adult thriller panel, book signings, and in-depth talks on podcasting, FBI interrogation techniques, and jury selection processes. Notable appearances include bestselling authors Tess Gerritsen and Lucy Foley.
The popular graveyard tour returns in the evening, and the day wraps up with a trivia night at St. Luke’s Church’s Hoie Hall from 7 to 9 p.m., offering a lively close to the day’s programming.
Sunday Celebrates Local Voices and Closes the Festival
Sunday, April 13, features a more relaxed schedule. Beginning with a fiction drop-in book signing and coffee hour at BookHampton from 9 to 11 a.m., the East Hampton Library will celebrate local authors and crime experts. Festival co-founder and Village Mayor Jerry Larson will present a talk on notable crimes in the Hamptons from 10 to 10:50 a.m.
The final day also includes a session on escaping Alcatraz, a discussion on how family influences crime writing, and a final round of book signings before the festival concludes at 2 p.m.
A Festival for All
The festival , designed to welcome both locals and visitors,offers ticket prices ranging from free events to $600 for an all-access pass
“This really started as an event for our residents and just continued to grow,” said Carrie Doyle, Hamptons Whodunit CEO, co-founder, and successful mystery author. “We’ll have activities throughout the Village of East Hampton.”
Doyle emphasized the festival’s broad appeal: “the whole weekend is a great time to come with friends or a date and enjoy exploring East Hampton and indulging in your passion.”
