Thriller
Awful states
Two political thrillers reveal the intimate cruelties of life under dictatorship
Final frontiers
Adam LeBor on two TV series that are set in border regions, that feature engaging female characters and that are beautifully filmed
Murders for late May
From psychological character studies to witty and fast-paced detective novels, Jeremy Black rounds up the best crime fiction for late Spring
A very English take on espionage
Alexander Larman on the newest release in Mick Herron’s best-selling and critically acclaimed Jackson Lamb crime series: Slough House