Sorry, people, you chose the wrong Agatha Christie
And Then There Were None is a fine book, but in its perfect construction and sly wit The Murder at the Vicarage shows the crime writer at her very best
David Lagercrantz: ‘I read that Stieg Larsson used to work through the night, so I sat up late too’
The man commissioned to write the fourth instalment of Stieg Larsson’s bestselling Millennium series has finally published – is he ready for the weight of the world’s opinion?
Robin Stevens’s top 10 crime capers
The author of the Murder Most Unladylike series picks her favourite sleuthing stories, from Sherlock Holmes to Sally Lockhart
Blood, Salt, Water by Denise Mina review – the latest DI Morrow novel simmers with suspense
A murder investigation in small-town Scotland in the run-up to the referendum brilliantly defies the norms of the crime genre
I ratted out my bank robber brothers
A powerful real-life story about a gang of three brothers and violent father, convicted in 1990s Sweden, is a bestseller there. Only one person could have told the tale – the fourth brother, who resisted a life of crime
Coen brothers sign up for Ross Macdonald adaptation Black Money
Writer-director duo have agreed to write script for adaptation of hardboiled detective novel, and possibly direct it further down the line
Murder most cosy: why mystery novels involving quilts and cats are big business
Who needs gritty, dark psychological horror when you can settle in your armchair and read a book about a kitten catching a killer?
The lady’s not for turning: cinematic portrayals of lesbians need to get real
Films about lesbians too often involve the conversion of a younger, straight woman by an older gay woman. It’s time to drop the predatory trope
Best holiday reads 2015
Authors, critics and philosophers tell us which books they will be reading on the beach
Detective duos in fiction – quiz
Brace yourself for a new BBC series based on Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence stories by testing your knowledge of literature's partners in crime-fighting
Patricia Highsmith webchat with John Sutherland – as it happened
The acclaimed critic joined us on the site to discuss Patricia Highsmith’s charismatic killer, Tom Ripley. Here’s what happened
Killer timing: why comedy and crime writing share a secret weapon
When it comes to structure and plotting, standup and crime fiction employ the same tricks, explains bestselling author and ex-comic Mark Billingham
Creative writing lessons from Patricia Highsmith
Highsmith’s book Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction is an inspiring primer for budding psycho-crime novelists
Mr Ripley’s great talent? Making us like a killer and his crimes
The Reading group verdict is in: Patricia Highsmith’s amoral protagonist in The Talented Mr Ripley offers a queasy kind of entertainment – and an armchair psychologist’s perfect case study
How crime fighting provides clues to crime writing
As well as procedural rules, my past life as a police officer taught me how to tell the painful human stories behind the charge sheets