Book Review: Eight Perfect Murders

Title: Eight Perfect Murders

Author: Peter Swanson
Pages: 288 pages
Expected publication: March 3rd 2020 by William Morrow

Good Reads Description: "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 Bookshop 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.

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 REVIEW:

Malcom Kershaw lives a quiet life as the co-owner of Old Devils Bookshop in Boston, a relatively successful bookstore dedicated to mysteries. That is until a detective finds a link between open murder investigations and a blog post he wrote about - you got it - Eight Perfect Murders (in books). And now it looks as though the killer is seeking out Malcom as well.

Let me just say, this book made me feel woefully under-read. I added a bunch of Agatha Christie to my TBR list - as well as the rest of the list from his blog post - upon completion. However, whether you've read all of the books on his list or not, this book was tailor-made for the bookish mystery lover! I loved this book. I loved the premise of a serial killer using the strategy of murderers in books.

I loved Old Devils Bookshop. I loved Malcom and his tragic story - because if there's anything I love as much as a good mystery, it's a good tragedy. They do often go hand-in-hand. His tragedy centers around his deceased wife, who he clearly loved to an unhealthy extent. And I love that as well. It also doesn't give up all of its mysteries at once. This book spoke to me in many ways and I believe it will to many fans of the mystery genre...

5 mystery-book-loving stars!

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!