Title: Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
From the hugely talented author of Before She Knew Him comes a chilling tale of psychological suspense and an homage to the thriller genre tailor-made for fans: the story of a bookseller who finds himself at the center of an FBI investigation because a very clever killer has started using his list of fiction’s most ingenious murders.
Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genre’s most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crack—which he titled “Eight Perfect Murders”—chosen from among the best of the best including Agatha Christie’s A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, Ira Levin’s Death Trap, A. A. Milne’s Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Cox’s Malice Aforethought, James M. Cain’s Double Indemnity, John D. Macdonald’s The Drowner, and Donna Tartt’s A Secret History.
But no one is more surprised than Mal, now the owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February. She’s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list. And the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading. There is killer is out there, watching his every move—a diabolical threat who knows way too much about Mal’s personal history, especially the secrets he’s never told anyone, even his recently deceased wife.
To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects . . . and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesn’t count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead—and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he might never escape.
Review:
Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson is a devilishly clever mystery that honors classic murder mysteries.
Malcolm “Mal” Kershaw, co-owner of the Old Devil’s Bookshop, is shaken by an unexpected visit from FBI Agent Gwen Mulvey. He is quite stunned that an old blog he wrote appears to be the blueprint for murder. Agent Mulvey is investigating a series of murders that follow the book list he compiled of what he considered to be perfect murders. Teaming up to try to figure out if Mulvey’s theory is, in fact, correct, Mal is not exactly forthcoming with Gwen. What possible reason could he have for withholding information from Agent Mulvey?
Mal is the narrator of this intriguing mystery and he is an interesting man. He is a complex character who is surprisingly secretive about his past. He offers tantalizing details about himself yet he often leaves out vital information. Mal is friendly with the people in his life, but he is not close to any of them.
Eight Perfect Murders is an intriguing mystery with a fascinating protagonist. Despite knowing the murders are linked, the search for the killer is slow moving. Much of the story takes place inside Mal’s head and he is not exactly the most reliable narrator. With a series of stunning revelations, Peter Swanson brings this absorbing mystery to a very unpredictable conclusion. An enjoyable retrospective of classic crime novels cleverly interwoven into a modern whodunit that will appeal to fans of the genre.
