Guns, dames and hats: you can't have a film noir without them, can you? Take a look at the Guardian and Observer critics list of the best 10 noirs and you'll realise things aren't that simple …
The assassination of JFK and the conspiracy theories that followed have proved irresistible to writers and artists, from Oliver Stone to Stephen King. By Colin Kidd
In claiming to have solved a real-life murder mystery, PD James is in distinguished company. John Dugdale dons his deerstalker and gets on the trail of other literary detectives
Rick Gekoski: Early imprints of the Bond books increase in value every year. Is this just down to a large readership, or does it say something more fundamental about Ian Fleming's creation?
What's the secret of James Bond's success? The deadly villains Ian Fleming devised for him to defeat. Test your knowledge of the evil geniuses who have dared to confront Commander Bond since Casino Royale