Our Most Popular Long-Reads of 2025

Toronto Life’s most popular long-reads of the year included a romp about a man who stole millions to spend on his online girlfriend, the inside story of a Bay Street scandal and the chronicle of a murder plot so preposterous that stupidity was used as a defence at trial. Below, the deep dives our readers couldn’t stop talking about.

No. 10 Dark Horse

For years, Eric Lamaze was the world’s top-ranked show jumper, living an enviable life filled with fancy cars, international travel and adoring fans—the kind of life a person might do anything to protect. Inside the scandal tearing the equestrian world apart. | By Rhiannon Russell

No. 9 Pathological Lawyer

What happens when a real estate lawyer uses her firm’s trust account to finance her family’s lavish lifestyle? Inside the multimillion-dollar embezzlement case against Singa Bui. | By Courtney Shea

No. 8 The $4-Million Girlfriend Experience

Stephanie Sahler was a cam girl. Ralph Puglisi was a man willing to pay anything for her doting attention. It was the perfect arrangement—until she realized that every penny he sent her was stolen. | By Sarah Treleaven 

No. 7 Diary of a Hotwife

Three months ago, I was a suburban mom in a monogamous relationship. Now I’m sleeping with people I meet online—with my husband’s blessing—and we’ve never been happier. Don’t judge us until you’ve read our story. | By Anonymous

No. 6 Big Trouble in Cottage Country

Short-term renters have taken over, locals are mad as hell and town councils from Muskoka to Tiny Township are making everything worse. | By Caitlin Walsh Miller

No. 5 Where to Eat Now

Our 43rd annual ranking of the city’s best new restaurants. | By Liza Agrba, Caroline Aksich and Erin Hershberg

No. 4 Becoming El Jefe

Before Ryan Wedding landed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list as a high-level associate of El Chapo, he was a bright-eyed kid from Thunder Bay. The inside story of how an Olympic snowboarding prodigy became one of the world’s most dangerous and powerful drug lords. | By Simon Lewsen

No. 3 The Scandal, the Firing and the Fallout

Nadine Ahn was a high-ranking executive at RBC. Ken Mason, her subordinate, was rapidly promoted. Then someone claimed to see them canoodling at the Royal York, tipped off HR and triggered an inquisition. | By Sarah Treleaven

No. 2 Murder in the Blue Mountains

Ashley and James Schwalm had what seemed like a fairy tale life—two wonderful children, fulfilling careers and a gorgeous home close to the private ski club where they’d fallen in love. Then Ashley’s remains turned up in a burned-out car at the bottom of a ditch, and all signs pointed to her husband. | By Luc Rinaldi

No. 1. How Not to Get Away With Murder

Lucy Li wanted to be a TikTok star. Oliver Karafa wanted to be rich. When a friend got in the way of their plans, they combined forces and pulled off a murder plot so preposterous that one of their lawyers used stupidity as a defence. The stranger-than-fiction story of the Stoney Creek killing. | By Sarah Treleaven