John Simpson: ‘Like most men, I’m amazingly good at forgiving myself’
The BBC stalwart on breaking down over the plight of an Afghan family, his new current affairs show – and failing to be enthused by Emily in Paris
The 25 best Australian books of 2021: Helen Garner, Alice Pung, Tony Birch and more
Experimental elegies, portraits of resilience and political manifestos: 25 of the best reads of the year as picked by Guardian Australia critics and staff
Five of the best crime and thrillers of 2021
Final novels from John le Carré and Andrea Camilleri, dark psychological debut Girl A and more
‘I’ve healed. I don’t want to be the badass’ – Noomi Rapace on beating her Dragon Tattoo trauma
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo brought her global fame but trapped her in ‘pain and sadness’. The actor reveals how starring in weird new thriller Lamb made her feel alive again
The best recent thrillers – review roundup
A post-Covid murder mystery, a puzzle in the mountains of India and a fictional take on the spy cops scandal are among this month’s crop
The Unforgivable review – Sandra Bullock does something terrible in ITV drama remake
Bullock plays a woman restarting life after 20 years behind bars for killing a police officer, in this compressed and contrived adaptation of Sally Wainwright’s miniseries Unforgiven
House of Gucci review – Lady Gaga murders in style in true-crime fashion house drama
Ridley Scott’s pantomimey soap entertainingly tracks fractures in the fashion world as Patrizia Reggiano plots to kill her ex, Maurizio Gucci
The Appeal writer Janice Hallett: ‘I wrote about bubble bath for 15 years’
The author of the bestselling whodunnit on co-writing a 2011 film about a pandemic, her love of suspense, and what Dickens has in common with Jackie Collins
The Judge’s List by John Grisham audiobook review – a sleek little mystery
Mary-Louise Parker voices straight-talking attorney Lacy Stoltz, investigating a judge’s involvement in revenge killings
The name’s not Bond: where next for 007?
Hard on the heels of No Time to Die’s release, a new series of Bondless Bond novels from Kim Sherwood has been announced. Will it shake or stir the franchise?
Licensed to thrill: Kim Sherwood set to ‘expand the James Bond universe’
Known for her debut novel Testament, the Ian Fleming fanatic has been approved to write new novels set in 007’s world but without the agent himself
The best recent thrillers – review roundup
Hillary Clinton makes her debut with a tightly plotted tale of political intrigue, plus new work by Julia Dahl and astronaut Chris Hadfield
The best recent crime and thrillers – review roundup
Riccardino by Andrea Camilleri; April in Spain by John Banville; We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza; Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun; and The Whistling by Rebecca Netley
Silverview by John le Carré review – one last time among the spies
Published posthumously, this novel of secret service loyalty and treachery is a fine addition to the le Carré canon
State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny review – politics and patriotism
The former US secretary of state’s first novel settles a few scores in an efficiently suspenseful, thoughtful thriller