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Since deciding she might give writing a bit of a go, Val McDermid has sold more than 10 million copies of her incredibly successful crime novels and the latest "The Skeleton Road" will be her 28th to date.

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The Skeleton Road is out today published by Little Brown

Since the publication of her first book in 1920 Agatha Christie wrote 33 novels, two plays and more than 50 short stories featuring Hercule Poirot. Now for the first time ever, the guardians of her legacy have approved a brand new novel featuring Dame Agatha's most beloved creation, and Sophie Hannah is the woman responsible.

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"The Monogram Murders" is out now and publised int he UK by Harper Collins.

1. Little Revolution at The Almeida

In the summer of 2011, London was burning. Alecky Blythe took her Dictaphone to the streets…

From the helicopters circling overhead to the burnt out buildings on the street, this explosive new play records the voices and stories of a community as the riots happened to their present-day aftermath.

Little Revolution is Alecky Blythe’s first new London production after the success of London Road at the National Theatre and is directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins

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Little Revolution is at The Almeida and runs until October 4th.

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2. Breeders at The St James Theatre

The path to parenthood isn't always straight...Andrea and her wife Caroline have it all: great jobs, a loving relationship and a new home. There’s just one thing missing: a baby.
Amidst the drink-sodden traditions of a family Christmas, they have an idea: if nature can’t give them a child that shares both their genes, perhaps Andrea’s under-achieving brother Jimmy can? When he and his girlfriend Sharon agree, the four are forced closer than any family expects to be. Will this be the perfect solution? Or a recipe for disaster?

Breeders is on at The St James Theatre and runs until October 4th.

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3. Fully Committed at The Menier Chocolate Factory

Fully Committed, is the whirlwind culinary comedy set in one of Manhattan’s hottest restaurants, where the city never sleeps and the phone never stops ringing!
Blackmail…Harassment… Humiliation… How far would you go to get a table at the smartest restaurant in town? Sam Peliczowski is in demand, but not for his acting. Instead he mans the red-hot reservation line at Manhattan's number-one eatery and everyone wants a piece of him. As he juggles scheming socialites, name-dropping wannabes, fickle celebrities and an egomaniacal boss, Sam also has to find space to sort out his own life and flagging career. This blisteringly funny play features over forty characters in an unforgettable comedy tour-de-force.

Fully Committed is on a the Menier Chocolate Factory and runs until 15th November

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1. A MOST WANTED MAN

Director: Anton Corbijn
Starring: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright

Hamburg, the present day. The city - where the 9/11 bombers lived and plotted - remains on high alert. When a brutally tortured immigrant, identified by Interpol as a possible terror suspect, turns up and lays claim to his father’s ill-gotten fortune, he attracts the interest of a secretive anti-terror unit headed by Gunter Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
Working with the CIA and forming an uneasy alliance with spy Martha Sullivan (Robin Wright), Bachmann must uncover the truth about the man’s identity and his possible connections to high level terrorists.
As the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man’s true motives – is he an oppressed victim or a militant jihadist bent on destruction?

A Most Wanted Man is out now and rated 15

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2. PRIDE

Director:ÌýÌý Matthew Warchus
Starring:ÌýÌý Bill Nighy, Imelda Stauton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, Joseph Gilgun, George Mackay, Ben Schnetzer

It’s the summer of 1984 – Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem. The Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.
But the activists are not deterred. They decide to ignore the Union and go direct to the miners. They identify a mining village in deepest Wales and set off in a mini bus to make their donation in person. And so begins the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.

Pride is out now and rated 15

3. IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE

Director: Hans Petter Moland
Starring: Stellan Skarsgård, Tobias Santelmann, Kristofer Hivju, Bruno Ganz

Nils snow ploughs the wild winter mountains of Norway, and is recently awarded Citizen of the Year. When his son is murdered for something he did not do, Nils wants revenge. And justice. His actions ignite a war between the vegan gangster the Count and the Serbian mafia boss Papa. Winning a blood feud isn't easy, especially not in a welfare state. But Nils has something going for him: Heavy machinery and beginners luck.

In Order of Disappearance is out now and rated 15

4. A TOUCH OF SIN – DVD/BluRay Release

Director:Ìý Zhangke Jia
Starring:Ìý Zhangke Jia, Wu Jiang, Lanshan Luo |

Four independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence.

A Touch of Sin is available and rated 15

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Earlier today, a unique series of events celebrating reading, writing and libraries finished, after a 24 hour race against the clock. Orkney Library and Shetland Library joined forces with author Ann Cleeves for a challenge to put on literary events on 24 islands.

Authors such as Lin Anderson, Louise Welsh and Zoe Strachan, along with a wealth of local writers, poets and storytellers travelled by air, sea and road to entertain the islanders in 24 hours.

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Joe Haddow joined Ann Cleeves for the journey and to find out more about "24 Islands In 24 Hours".