Hello dear Readers,
My book review of Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel by Peter Swanson.
Title: Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Author: Peter Swanson
Publisher: William Morrow
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: March 03, 2020
Language: English
Book Description
“Swanson rips us from one startling plot twist to the next… A true tour de force.” —Lisa Gardner
"Fiendish good fun." —Anthony Horowitz
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.
The 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.
The 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.
My Thoughts
Well, this book surprised me. This was my first Peter Swanson book, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Malcolm Kershaw, I would say, is one of the most dark, and at the same time, sincere characters I have encountered on a thriller story.
We are introduced to Malcolm, the owner of Old Devils, a bookstore in Boston. He loves mystery novels, and has two employees, Emily and Brandon, and a cat, Nero.
We learned Malcolm was married, to Claire, who died a few years earlier, and also learned Malcolm lives now by himself, in his apartment.
The story begins when FBI Agent Gwen Mulvey calls Malcolm, asking for help on a series of unsolved murders, which look exactly like the murders described in books on a list Malcolm put together and posted in the booktore's blog years earlier, calling the list the Eight Perfect Murders. Agent Mulvey hopes Malcolm, somehow, can help her solve the mystery behind the unsolved murders, and how they connect to the books.
However, the story does not really begin there. As we go through the pages, we see the story unfold, we learn of each murder, Malcolm's wife Claire death, people close to Malcolm, and Malcolm himself involvement in everything happening, and what happened in the past.
What I liked the most about Eight Perfect Murders was that kept me hooked from the beginning to the end. I could feel the suspense, the twists, the mystery on every page. A well-written book with interesting characters and a very unique plot.
Wendy
