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
Crime fiction steals top slots in UK library loans
New figures show that nine out of the 10 most borrowed books last year were thrillers, with Lee Child’s latest Jack Reacher title grabbing top slot and James Patterson the most-borrowed overall
Who dunnit? Top tips for writing detective fiction
From red herrings to maguffins to double identities, Knightley and Son author Rohan Gavin shares the secrets of writing great detective stories
Why a non-white Nancy Drew could be amazing
The biggest cracker in crime-fighting won’t be Caucasian in a new TV adaptation – which might mean she’ll also acquire a personality
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers – a weighty novel that still thrills
This is a mystery that encompasses large questions of life and love – and your verdict on the case will swing my judgment of you
Russian censors target children’s books that break the mould
Publishing a children’s book in Russia is not a straightforward matter, as Anna Starobinets found when her detective stories set among woodland animals were deemed to be far too beastly for children
Henning Mankell remembered by Kenneth Branagh
The actor starred as the Swedish crime writer’s detective Kurt Wallander. Here, he recalls their last meal
Agatha Christie: with drugs, violence and swearing, will the queen of crime recapture Christmas?
And Then There Were None is the bestselling mystery novel of all time. The new adaptation could also be the TV event of the year
Sophie Hannah: ‘There are people who think a crime novel can’t be proper literature… that’s a shame for them’
The novelist and poet on snobbery towards genre fiction, bringing Hercule Poirot back from the dead and how Mother Goose got her hooked on rhyme
Dark Corners review – Ruth Rendell’s final novel ratchets up the tension
It’s the fine detail that enthrals in this tale of small lapses that lead to escalating calamity
Serial thrillers: why true crime is popular culture’s most wanted
The genre is witnessing a new era of popularity led by US podcast Serial, Channel 4’s recent The Murder Detectives, and bestselling books
On a plate: the top five spoilt suppers in fiction
From murderous revenge to gruelling hunger, calamity is on the menu in literature’s most unappetising mealtime gatherings
Scotch, beer and cigarettes: my weekend with Patricia Highsmith
Screenwriter Phyllis Nagy first met novelist Patricia Highsmith for a tour of a cemetery. The two became firm friends, though Pat’s opinions and pride in her own paintings caused a few sticky moments