Crime, Truth, and the Stories We Tell : Santa Barbara Literary Festival

What draws us to crime stories—and what responsibility do writers bear when telling them? This compelling panel brings together Danielle Trussoni, Allison Weiner, Laurie Dove, and Sara DiVello, four authors whose work spans investigative journalism, literary nonfiction, and psychological suspense.

Together, they will explore how crime literature illuminates power, justice, obsession, and moral ambiguity, while shaping public understanding of real-world violence and accountability. From deep reporting and ethical storytelling to narrative tension and emotional truth, the conversation examines how crime writing can both captivate readers and challenge them to think more critically about the world around them. Moderated discussion and audience Q&A will offer insight into craft, research, and the enduring appeal of crime stories in an age of misinformation and true-crime saturation.

Allison Weiner is an Emmy Award–winning producer and former entertainment industry litigator whose journalism career has spanned top newsrooms and high-profile crime coverage. A graduate of Columbia University and the University of Southern California Law, she began as a writer for Los Angeles Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, and Buzz, securing exclusives with figures such as James Gandolfini and Paul Reubens and covering major trials including those of Winona Ryder, Robert Blake, and Michael Jackson.

Danielle Trussoni is a New York Times and internationally bestselling novelist whose books have been described as “astonishing” (Publishers Weekly) and “thrilling” (David Baldacci). Their novel The Puzzle Box won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. They have served as chair jurist of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction and as a book columnist for The New York Times Book Review. Their novels have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Sara DiVello is an author and the creator/host of Mystery and @ThrillerMaven, a popular interview series and interactive Facebook group. Her most-recent book, Broadway Butterfly: A Thriller, was a CBS New York Book Club Pick, an Entertainment Weekly Most Anticipated Book, was featured in Vanity Fair, and earned starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal. DiVello also serves as the co-chair of the @NantucketBookFestival, as the curator and host of the @SouthEndLibraryAuthorSeries, and on the boards of the Nantucket Book Foundation and the Friends of the South End Library.

Laurie L. Dove is an award-winning journalist, professor and the Instant USA Today bestselling author of MASK OF THE DEER WOMAN (Berkley/Penguin Random House), a suspenseful mystery TheNew York Times called a “best new release” and TheSeattle Times called “a powerful read for fans of dark, riveting stories rooted in justice and resilience.” Her second book releases Fall 2026. Dove earned a graduate degree in creative writing and literature from an Ivy League university; she is writing her third and fourth novels, and a scripted series.

The Santa Barbara Literary Festival brings together readers and writers of every genre for a two day celebration of storytelling and inspiration. Engaging panels, enlightening workshops, pop-up events, and welcoming social gatherings, bring together established authors, emerging writers, and passionate readers in a uniquely intimate setting that fosters community centered around a shared love of the literary arts.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Santa Barbara Literary Festival