Category Archives: Peter Swanson

March 22, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

Title: Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

A bride’s dream honeymoon becomes a nightmare when a man with whom she’s had a regrettable one-night stand shows up in this electrifying psychological thriller from the acclaimed author of Eight Perfect Murders.

Abigail Baskin never thought she’d fall in love with a millionaire. Then she met Bruce Lamb. He’s a good guy, stable, level-headed, kind—a refreshing twist from her previous relationships.

But right before the wedding, Abigail has a drunken one-night stand on her bachelorette weekend. She puts the incident—and the sexy guy who wouldn’t give her his real name—out of her mind, and now believes she wants to be with Bruce for the rest of her life.

Then the mysterious stranger suddenly appears—and Abigail’s future life and happiness are turned upside down. He insists that their passionate night was the beginning of something much, much more. Something special. Something real—and he’s tracked her down to prove it.

Does she tell Bruce and ruin their idyllic honeymoon—and possibly their marriage? Or should she handle this psychopathic stalker on her own? To make the situation worse, strange things begin to happen. She sees a terrified woman in the night shadows, and no one at the resort seems to believe anything is amiss… including her perfect new husband.

Review:

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson is an atmospheric psychological thriller.

Abigail Baskin grows up in a small town where she helps her parents run their summer theater productions. After college, she moves to New York where she works for a small publishing company. A chance meeting with Bruce Lamb leads to a proposal and their wedding is fast approaching. During her bachelorette party, Abigail makes a drunken mistake with a handsome stranger. She keeps her guilty secret to herself and goes through with her nuptials. Heading off into the unknown for their honeymoon, Abigail is at first delighted with their honeymoon destination on a small island off the coast of Maine. But their romantic getaway soon turns sinister as Abigail wonders if she really knows the man she has married.

Abigail has a few doubts about the upcoming wedding but after returning from her bachelorette party, her misgivings vanish. She is rattled when her one-night stand shows up in New York, but she believes she has the situation under control.  However, Abigail is shaken when she thinks she sees him after her wedding reception. Putting him out her mind, Abigail is stunned when he “coincidentally” shows up on the island where she and Bruce are honeymooning. What does he want from her? And can Abigail keep Bruce from uncovering the truth about what happened at her bachelorette party?

Abigail and Bruce are enjoying their honeymoon, but she cannot help but notice something is a little, well, off, on the island. There is an inordinate number of staff who attentively attend to the guests every need. Abigail is also uncomfortably aware she and another honeymooner, Jill, are the only women on the island aside from a female staff member. After Jill confides in her about her situation, Abigail’s uneasiness increases.  But she is not truly frightened until an unexpected disappearance reveals the shocking truth about the island and her husband.

Every Vow You Break is a riveting thriller that takes unanticipated chilling turn. The characters are not exactly likable, but it is easy to root for Abigail as she fights to save herself from a terrifying situation. The island provides an idyllic yet ominous backdrop for a honeymoon that rapidly deteriorates.  With an absolutely jaw-dropping plot twist, Peter Swanson brings this suspense-laden thriller to an edge of the seat conclusion. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this brilliant thriller to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Every Vow You Break, Peter Swanson, Psychological Thriller, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, William Morrow

March 8, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

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.

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Filed under Contemporary, Eight Perfect Murders, Mystery, Peter Swanson, Rated B, Review, Suspense, William Morrow

March 4, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson

Title: Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Catching a killer is dangerous—especially if he lives next door

From the hugely talented author of The Kind Worth Killing comes an exquisitely chilling tale of a young suburban wife with a history of psychological instability whose fears about her new neighbor could lead them both to murder . . .

Hen and her husband Lloyd have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Hen (short for Henrietta) is an illustrator and works out of a studio nearby, and has found the right meds to control her bipolar disorder. Finally, she’s found some stability and peace.

But when they meet the neighbors next door, that calm begins to erode as she spots a familiar object displayed on the husband’s office shelf. The sports trophy looks exactly like one that went missing from the home of a young man who was killed two years ago. Hen knows because she’s long had a fascination with this unsolved murder—an obsession she doesn’t talk about anymore, but can’t fully shake either.

Could her neighbor, Matthew, be a killer? Or is this the beginning of another psychotic episode like the one she suffered back in college, when she became so consumed with proving a fellow student guilty that she ended up hurting a classmate?

The more Hen observes Matthew, the more she suspects he’s planning something truly terrifying. Yet no one will believe her. Then one night, when she comes face to face with Matthew in a dark parking lot, she realizes that he knows she’s been watching him, that she’s really on to him. And that this is the beginning of a horrifying nightmare she may not live to escape. .

Review:

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson is a twisty-turny, suspenseful mystery.

Henrietta “Hen” Mazur and her husband, Lloyd Harding, have recently moved into a new house in the suburbs. Hen is an artist whose bipolar disorder is finally under control and Lloyd commutes into Boston for his job. During a dinner party with their new neighbors, Matthew and Mira Dolamore, Hen notices something that convinces her that Matthew murdered Dustin Miller, whose case remains unsolved.  She goes to the police with her concerns and they question Matthew but there is no evidence to link him to the crime. Lloyd is worried about her mental health but Hen cannot shake her conviction that Matthew is a killer. Is Lloyd right be worried that Hen’s mental illness is no longer under control? Or could Hen be right in her assumption that Matthew is a murderer?

Although Hen is a bit obsessive about Matthew, she continues her day to day life.  She has a little trouble focusing on her projects so she is surprised when inspiration for a new piece strikes. Hen is somewhat irritated that Lloyd is not taking her seriously, but she understands why he is concerned. She does not let this stop her from keeping an eye on Matthew, but what does Hen hope to uncover by spying on him?

Matthew knows right away that Hen is the reason the police question him about Dustin’s murder. He then tries to turn the tables on her by digging into her background. He learns unexpected information that convinces him she is not a threat. Deciding he has nothing to lose, Matthew makes a surprising decision where Hen is concerned.

Despite a bit of a slow start, Before She Knew Him is a clever mystery that is very engaging. The storyline is well-developed and compelling. The characters are multi-faceted with interesting back stories. With a few stunning revelations, Peter Swanson brings the novel to an absolutely twist-filled and jaw-dropping conclusion. A riveting mystery that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Before She Knew Him, Contemporary, Mystery, Peter Swanson, Rated B, Review, Suspense, William Morrow

April 1, 2018 · 11:58 pm

Review: All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson

Title: All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the acclaimed author of Her Every Fear and The Kind Worth Killing comes a diabolically clever tale of obsession, revenge, and cold-blooded murder—a sly and brilliant guessing game of a novel in the vein of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Patricia Highsmith.

Harry Ackerson has always considered his stepmother Alice to be sexy and beautiful, in an “otherworldly” way. She has always been kind and attentive, if a little aloof in the last few years.

Days before his college graduation, Alice calls with shocking news. His father is dead and the police think it’s suicide. Devastated, Harry returns to his father’s home in Maine. There, he and Alice will help each other pick up of the pieces of their lives and uncover what happened to his father.

Shortly after he arrives, Harry meets a mysterious young woman named Grace McGowan. Though she claims to be new to the area, Harry begins to suspect that Grace may not be a complete stranger to his family. But she isn’t the only attractive woman taking an interest in Harry. The sensual Alice is also growing closer, coming on to him in an enticing, clearly sexual way.

Mesmerized by these two women, Harry finds himself falling deeper under their spell. Yet the closer he gets to them, the more isolated he feels, disoriented by a growing fear that both women are hiding dangerous—even deadly—secrets . . . and that neither one is telling the truth.

Review:

All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson is a suspenseful mystery that features a few taboo relationships.

Harry Ackerson is days away from his college graduation when his stepmother, Alice, phones with the distressing news that his father has died. He rushes home to help plan the funeral where he quickly learns his father’s death might not have been an accident. Catching sight of a stranger at his father’s funeral, Harry cannot help but wonder what connection the lovely young woman might have to his father. It turns out Grace McGowan knew his dad through his bookstore, but Harry wonders if there might be more to their relationship than she is revealing.  Before he can uncover the truth, Alice points the police in the direction of another employee at her husband’s bookstore, but Harry is not quite convinced her accusation holds merit. Before long, another person is murdered, Harry grows uncomfortable with Alice’s attention and he cannot help but wonder if he knows anyone as well as he thinks.

Harry is not overly sophisticated, a bit naive and he is quickly in over his head where his stepmother is concerned. After his father and Alice married, he was uncomfortable with his inappropriate sexual awareness of his new stepmother and he has spent little time in her company in the years since he left for college.  Staying with her at his father’s house, Harry tries to stay out of her way but Alice does everything she can to engineer time together.  As he grows more certain his father might have been murdered, Grace casts suspicion on Alice but Harry harbors doubt she was involved.

Flashbacks to Alice’s teen years do not exactly paint her in a flattering light. Her father was never in her life and her mother was an alcoholic who did not marry Alice’s stepfather Jake Richter until her daughter was in her late teens. Alice makes her own luck and she is somewhat ruthless when crossed.  She follows her heart even though there are few people who would condone her relationship with the man she chooses.

All the Beautiful Lies is an intriguing mystery with a slow moving storyline, unappealing characters and shudder inducing relationships. Set on the Maine coast, the setting is beautifully rendered and springs vibrantly to life through Peter Swanson’s descriptive prose.  The investigation into the death of Harry’s father is interesting and the perpetrator’s identity is cleverly concealed until the novel’s twist-filled conclusion.

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Filed under All the Beautiful Lies, Contemporary, Mystery, Peter Swanson, Rated C+, Review, Suspense, William Morrow