Book Review / Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

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.

Published:     3rd March 2020
Publisher:  William Morrow
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

I've heard so many great things and read so many great reviews for this author, I knew I had to pick up one of his novels to give it a go.  What better novel to pick up than his latest one and I am so glad that I did.

I this story we follow Mal who is the owner of Old Devils Bookship in Boston.  He is visited by an FBI agent who explains that she is looking into a series of unsolved murders that might be linked to a blog post that he wrote for his bookstore a while ago which the FBI agent believes the murders are being based off of.   Mal then sets off to try and figure out what is going on and how he is linked to this, although there is always more to the story than meets the eye and there's certainly more to Mal's story than anyone knows at the time.

What I loved the most was the fact that as the murders are happening we are not paricluarly following the murders.  We are following Mal who is discovering that the murders have happened and trying to figure out what is going on.

I loved this story from start to finish.  I just could not put it down!  I really can't wait to pick up more from this author!