Who loves a whodunnit?

Most of us, judging by the rise in crime fiction events

- SHARON WRIGHT

Enjoy a stylish murder mystery weekend at the Art Deco hotel on Burgh Island off the south Devon coast, where Agatha Christie wrote And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun. 1-2 and 20-21 November; burghisland.com/murdermystery-weekends2024

It's no mystery why festivals celebrating the literature of criminal psychology and the police procedural are popping up here, there and everywhere. Our relish for detective stories and thrillers has made crime fiction the biggest-selling genre among UK book lovers.

We love page-turners about our favourite sleuths, whether they're by Agatha Christie or modern mistresses and masters of suspense such as Elly Griffiths or lan Rankin. No wonder there's a boom in 'murder mystery' breaks too. Follow our leads for the 2024 season.

All things Agatha

Head for the English Riviera to enjoy the Agatha Christie Festival in her home town of Torquay, Devon. Highlights include Kate Gingold's guide to obscure quips and references that the 'Queen of Crime' used in the 1920s, and an intriguing look at what jewels meant to her much-loved detective Hercule Poirot, with novelist Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan.

Pop to the Lunchtime Murder Club at a seaside cafe for a midday quiz and clotted cream scone.

* 7-15 September; iacf-uk.org

SPA TOWN SLEUTHING

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is held at the stately Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, where Agatha Christie hid during her famous 11-day disappearance in 1926.