British readers seem to have a growing appetite for crime, reports John Dugdale at the Guardian.

According to data released by Public Lending Right, of the 100 most borrowed titles of 2010, almost two-thirds are crime novels or thrillers -- including all top 10 -- and others (such as Stephenie Meyer's crime-laden vampire romances) are in related genres.

The British Library, the national library of the United Kingdom

The rankings show gory thrillers by north American writers such as Patricia Cornwell, Michael Connelly, Tess Gerritsen, Karin Slaughter and Kathy Reichs -- and gritty Brits such as Lee Child, Val McDermid and Martina Cole -- are undeniably in the ascendancy. James Patterson's thrillers held a whopping 12 of the top 100 slots.

The data suggests, says Dugdale, that library users "are less keen on Euro-crime, less responsive to the stimulus of TV or film adaptations, and not fond of lengthy, heavy tomes. What they want instead are American or American-style murder stories that are quick reads."

Read the full report from Dugdale at the Guardian.