Eight Perfect Murders (by Peter Swanson)
I’m a voracious reader, and I’ve come to love many authors. However, I often find myself struggling to keep up with their releases, while also wanting to explore emerging new authors and visit some classic works. It’s a delightful dilemma, but it’s one that I’m determined to overcome.
One author who has been a constant in my reading journey is Peter Swanson. I’ve been a fan of his work since his debut novel, The Kind Worth Killing. Over the years, I’ve fallen behind on reading his books, but lately, I’ve been reflecting on my reading choices and making a conscious effort to evaluate them differently.
To help me make informed decisions, I’ve created a list of books and authors that I want to read. I’ve divided this list into categories based on how much I’ve enjoyed their previous works. Anything that I haven’t genuinely loved and that left me feeling happy but not particularly impressed has been crossed out. This strategy helps me prioritize my reading time and make the best choices possible.
This approach also helps alleviate any guilt I feel when I decide to put down a book that I’m not enjoying. Ultimately, my goal is to read excellent books, and there are so many great authors out there that I’m excited to explore.
Now, let’s return to Peter Swanson and why we’re here today reviewing Eight Perfect Murders. (Thanks for indulging my literary digressions.) As you may have guessed, Swanson is still on my list of favorite authors, and I’m eager to read all of his books. His style for suspenseful mystery is what I consider “classic.” His storytelling keeps me on the edge of my seat, my mind racing to piece together the clues. And I absolutely love his unexpected twists and turns. His books are consistently enjoyable, and as a reader, I couldn’t be happier.
In Eight Perfect Murders, Malcolm Kershaw, the owner of Boston’s Old Devils Bookstore and a lifelong mystery enthusiast, once penned a blog post titled “Eight Perfect Murders.” This blog post featured ingenious and seemingly unsolvable killings inspired by iconic novels by authors like Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith, Ira Levin, and Donna Tartt. Years later, an FBI agent arrives on a snowy day, revealing that a real-life killer seems to be recreating these very crimes. As Malcolm becomes entangled in the investigation and discovers a personal connection to one of the victims, the boundaries between fiction and reality blur in this captivating and suspenseful tale filled with red herrings, unreliable narration, and genre-savvy surprises.
This book captivated me with several elements. Firstly, it’s a gripping murder mystery that kept my mind engaged in the process of solving the murders. I particularly enjoyed that the protagonist is not only a book lover but also the owner of a bookstore. Additionally, the story is brimming with excellent book recommendations in the mystery genre. I’ve read some of these books and am familiar with others due to their popularity. I was genuinely surprised by the revelations of secrets, especially with the unexpected ending.
I borrowed the audiobook of Eight Perfect Murders from my local library using Libby. Graham Halstead’s narration is exceptional. Over the years of listening to audiobooks, his voice has become familiar, and I’ve come to regard him as a favorite narrator.
Feel free to take a look at my reviews for other Peter Swanson novels, which I’ve linked below.
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