Genre readers have less empathy? I’m not feeling that
As a crime writer who is glad to see the outdated distinctions between types of fiction dissolving, new research using old stereotypes strikes me as pretty silly
Novelising: a must-do for people famous for doing other things
Many famous names – from Dawn French to, more recently, Ronnie O’Sullivan – have turned their hand to fiction, a move that has a mixed legacy
Best holiday reads 2016
From gripping fiction to history, brilliant poetry to biography, our guest contributors offer their recommendations for the beach and elsewhere
After Agatha Christie … female crime writers delve deep into women’s worst fears
As Hollywood brings out two biopics of Agatha Christie, we examine the rise of ‘domestic suspense’ thrillers
Linwood Barclay: My dad’s trailer park legacy
Crime novelist Linwood Barclay grew up at his parents’ caravan park. At 17, he became the head of his dysfunctional family when his father died and had to run the place
Northern noir finds a new detective hero in the dark heart of Yorkshire
Streets of Darkness is being compared to The Wire for its gritty take on Bradford. Writer AA Dhand tells how the city’s race riots in 2001 helped him create Sikh investigator Harry Virdee
Crime fiction does justice to Colin Dexter and Jeffery Deaver
The creators of Inspector Morse and Lincoln Rhyme have both created great characters to go with gripping plots – but their stories aren’t finished yet
Conspiracy by SJ Parris review – return of the Dominican detective
Monk-turned-spy Giordano Bruno has another murder to solve in an entertaining addition to the series
Viet Thanh Nguyen adds Edgar award to Pulitzer triumph
Debut novel The Sympathizer follows win at the US’s top fiction prize with leading honour for crime writing
Why James Patterson’s fiction factory is lining up the ‘shots’
The prolific American novelist is to engage more readers with ‘BookShots’ – cheap, concise page-turners that can be read in one sitting
Donald Trump, or Drumpf? Satire may annoy him, but it won’t stop him
I’ve been watching John Oliver’s magnificent denunciation of the Republican frontrunner, but real hope lies only in the un-ironic figure of Hillary Clinton
Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama review – riveting, slow-burn thriller
Hideo Yokoyama’s bestseller combines classic crime elements with a twisting journey to the heart of Japan’s police establishment
Is arsenic eating a clever poisoning plot device or recipe for disaster?
The plot of Dorothy L Sayers’s crime classic Strong Poison hinges on whether it’s possible to build immunity to poison with regular doses. Could it work?
How I discovered London’s lost Chinatown
As the year of the monkey begins, Katherine Woodfine shares some fascinating gems about what she learned about the reality of London’s original Chinatown as she researched her latest novel The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth – and went beyond the negative stereotypes of Fu Manchu
Missing, Presumed review – lonely detective seeks EM Forster fan…
Susie Steiner’s second novel rises above more two-dimensional crime fiction by focusing on the little details that bring characters to life