Femicide characterises today's popular literature and is read primarily by female readers.
Most readers are women. If a writer wants to portray someone's anxiety, women's fear of becoming victims themselves is a natural choice, says crime novelist Lori Rader-Day.
Critics warn that the genre risks normalising violence against women, while defenders say it reflects real fears and functions more as therapy.
"Reading crime fiction written by women is still a strongly feminist act," crime writer Mel McGrath told The Guardian.
