Farah Ghuznavi

A visit to any bookshop today will attest to the reading public’s fascination with crime (and criminals).

It’s a truism to say that modern life is complicated, but even a couple of decades ago, it would have been hard to predict the things we are dealing with today.

I first came across Anastasia Ryan’s work through my Instagram wanderings and was instantly intrigued by the sound of her recently released novel. Not least by its title, You Should Smile More.

If you are looking for something different from your next read—especially if you’re interested in reading a story that offers a window into another Asian culture—then Bad Kids by Zijin Chen might be a good choice. This book was an instant bestseller when it was published in China, and has since been adapted for the small screen.

When DC Clements misses, by just a few hours, the opportunity to recover the abducted Kylie—who was being held prisoner by an unknown captor in the initial period after she disappeared—the police officer becomes obsessed with finding out what actually happened to the missing woman.

This is a beautiful book about a teenager looking for the answers in life, the joys of found family, and the experience of love in its many forms.

Hannah's protagonist Freddie is attempting to make progress on her novel by working at the Boston Public Library, when she—along with three of the people she is sharing a table with—are transfixed by the sound of a woman screaming somewhere in the Library.

A major scientific breakthrough has ensured that boys born with a particular gene can be identified as having the potential to grow into violent men.

The book combines the intrigue of a classic domestic suspense novel with a high level of psychological insight and skilful character development.

These are novels where the suspense is often drawn from the subtleties of character development, which become more evident as the story unfolds.

I was amused to see a recent Facebook status update from my friend, the Indian writer Madhulika Liddle.

That is a really interesting question, and before answering it, there is another question that needs to be considered: whose idea of success are we talking about? Because the truth is, that could be the determining factor in providing an answer to the question being posed.

Glancing nervously at the dogs that lay basking in the winter sunshine, I tried to move ahead with confidence, telling myself that the venerable Tollygunge Club would never allow their clientele anywhere near animals that hadn't had their rabies shots.

Somerset Maugham famously said, “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” Similarly, there are many ways in which a writer can achieve success — usually through a combination of luck, talent and connections — but the majority of writers struggle to work that combination to their own benefit.

I hope that you are well in London town — and that you are missing me! Let me say at the outset that this message comes to you

Parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world – that is, when someone is planning to do it right.

It's happening again. A familiar rage unfolds its sticky wings within the captive interior of my chest: a monstrous butterfly emerging gracelessly from its cocoon.

Britain's National Gallery has become one of a growing number of museums to ban the use of selfie sticks on its premises, citing concerns over