The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) hosts MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival for its fourth year from June 27 to 29 at University of Toronto (U of T).

In a new partnership with Victoria University at U of T (one of favourite places in the city!), MOTIVE will transform the college’s gothic halls into the centre of literary suspense for the weekend.

Similar to last year’s festival, I am sharing my personal picks of events for us to immerse ourselves during the course of the festival.

This year’s program offers a compelling mix of true crime, interactive events, and literary exploration, appealing to both dedicated readers and aspiring writers.

Hye’s Picks at MOTIVE

True Crime’s Influence: Inside the Stories That Obsessed Us
Barry Avrich, Anaïs Renevier, and Michelle Shephard
Friday, June 27 at 6:30pm

Learn the stories behind the headlines and why we’re so compelled to look… In this opening night event, three storytellers dissect the scandals, injustices, and dark psychology at the heart of their work, and explore why true crime continues to dominate our cultural imagination.

Exploring Toronto’s Victorian Underworld
Saturday, June 28 at 11:00am
This event is FREE

In this talk by author Adam Bunch, will lead you into the shadows where Victorian vice reigned and meet the notorious criminals who once terrorized our town.

Discovering Korean Crime Fiction Today
Mi-ae Seo and You-Jeong Jeon
Saturday, June 2 at 3:00pm

At once deeply rooted in Korean society and universally resonant, Korean crime fiction is capturing the imagination of readers around the world. In this compelling panel, bestselling authors Mi-Ae Seo (The Only Child) and You-jeoung Jeong (Seven Years of Darkness and The Good Son) join literary influencer and #BookTok champion Jinwoo Park to explore the psychological depth, social critique, and haunting atmospheres that define the genre.

A Murder Most Proper: An Immersive Murder Mystery
Saturday, June 28 at 7:30pm
Alumni Hall

Step into the upper crust of high society in 1930’s England with A Murder Most Proper, an Immersive Murder Mystery where the only thing more scandalous than a sudden death could be the impropriety of it all. This immersive murder mystery features live music, and a full bar.

Toronto Crime Tours
Sunday, June 29, 2025 • 11:00am
FREE with registration

LJoin Bob and Phil, retired Toronto detectives, for a wild ride through the city’s crime history! With 30+ years of police experience, they’ll dish out jaw-dropping tales from Toronto’s underbelly.

Dark Secrets, Rural Crimes: Thomas Enger & Marcie R. Rendon
Thomas Enger and Marcie Rendon
Sunday, June 29 at 1:30pm

In Broken Fields, Marcie R. Rendon returns to 1970s Minnesota, where Cash Blackbear finds herself drawn into the mystery of a murdered farmer, a missing couple and a terrified child.

In Son, Norway’s Thomas Enger introduces psychologist Kari Voss, haunted by her son’s unsolved disappearance and thrust into a grisly case involving two murdered teenagers in a small Norwegian town.

In this conversation, the authors will discuss how in quiet towns and wide open spaces danger waits just below the surface… perfect settings for thrilling stories.

All Aboard the Night Train: Linwood Barclay
Sunday, June 29 at 4:30pm

Fresh from contesting Canada Reads 2025, MOTIVE festival favourite Linwood Barclay invites you to journey off familiar tracks and into uncharted territory with his chilling supernatural thriller, Whistle.

MOTIVE will feature appearances by other notable authors from Canada, Argentina, France, Korea, Norway, UK and the USA. Full programming details and passes are available on the festival website.