OK the stuff that I used:
Song: Walla Walla by The Offspring
Short story: The Piscatorial Farce of the Stolen Stomach by Dorothy Sayers (or anything by her)
Novel: anything by Jeffrey Deaver
anything by Patricia Cornwall
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by same person as "The Skull Beneath The Skin"
all Harry Potter books
Secret Seven books by Enid Blyton
Service with a Smile by PG Wodebouse (bit farcical, but it's short and fun)
Film: Minority Report
Gosford Park
Scooby Doo (also the cartoons)
Harry Potter (all)
The Bone Collector
TV:
The Bill
CSI (all)
Law and Order (all)
Without a Trace
Murder Call
Monk
Diagnosis Murder
Columbo
...many others...
These are just what I used (ended up using two in the exam, but it was fun and a good background, plus I watched heaps of TV)