Boris Akunin's latest Erast Fandorin mystery, The Death of Achilles, is set in 1882 and finds the detective in Moscow investigating the death of a national hero.

Henning Mankell writes the Kurt Wallander series set in Sweeden. The tenth book in the series, Before the Frost , takes a turn from his usual character of Kurt Wallander and instead features his daughter Linda.

Lawrence Venuti, translator. His translations include the work of Massimo Carlotto. Carlotto is often called the master of Mediterranean noir. His latest is The Goodbye Kiss.

Panel description:
How do writers of crime fiction manage to combine literary prowess with white-knuckle reading? Why do people love to read crime novels? Authors reflect on their key influences and the role this genre plays in the collective imagination.