Tana French: ‘I’ve always been interested in the intensity of friendship and the dangers that come with that’

The award-winning crime novelist talks to Stephanie Merritt about why she switched careers and what attracts her about murder mysteries

One Kick review – Chelsea Cain’s dark, dangerous journey into evil

Chelsea Cain's compelling new heroine Kick is complex and clever with a chilling back story, writes Alison Flood

A book for the beach: The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri

Tim Maby: Wily but decent, this detective is more concerned with the human characters around him than simple crime-solving

Peter James, the master of crime fiction

Site member Krazy Kesh met crime fiction aficionado Peter James – here's his take on the author and his books

A book for the beach: In the Woods by Tana French

A shocking tragedy in an otherwise idyllic childhood summer comes back to haunt its sole survivor in adulthood – all the ingredients for a tense thriller that's perfect holiday reading

A book for the beach: Beastly Things by Donna Leon

The 21st Commissario Brunetti mystery finds the series' characters and setting as vital as ever. An excellent holiday companion

Women’s appetite for explicit crime fiction is no mystery

Melanie McGrath: Brutally detailed murder stories appeal to female readers both for the real anxieties they tap into, and for their metaphorical resonances

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith review – labours hard to be silky

JK Rowling's second novel in the Cormoran Strike series sacrifices narrative to plot, writes Robert McCrum

Quiz: Can you identify these classic crime novels by their covers?

You proved up to the challenge of spotting science fiction book covers. But how much can you help us with these enquiries?

‘Every hour a glass of wine’ – the female writers who drank

The long list of male alcoholic authors is well known, but what about their literary sisters? Olivia Laing looks back on the great female writers who sought refuge in the bottle and salvation on the page

How true can crime fiction be?

Steve Mosby: Real events often inspire writers, but incorporating real-life trauma into entertainment requires very delicate handling

Can you help solve a murder in Newcastle?

Crime Story, a festival taking place in Newcastle this weekend, offers amateur sleuths the chance to discover how a real crime can be solved with the help of scientists and police investigators. Award-winning novelist Margaret Murphy, who collaborates with forensic scientist Dave Barclay under the pseudonym AD Garrett, explains more