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Eight Perfect Murders (2019)

by Peter Swanson

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1,1999314,774 (3.64)59
Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:

"Fiendish good fun." ā??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 crackā??which he titled "Eight Perfect Murders"ā??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 moveā??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 deadā??and the noose around Mal's neck grows so tight he might nev… (more)

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» See also 59 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 93 (next | show all)
When a booksellers old list of books that he thought were the best perfect crimes starts happening in real life the FBI is now questioning him. ( )
  GeauxGetLit | May 27, 2023 |
Clever, spoilers galore if you haven’t read the 8 books ( )
  jimifenway | Apr 18, 2023 |
Really enjoyed the book! The twists and turns will keep you on the edge! Anyone who loves a good mystery, this is a great read! ( )
  yshd91 | Apr 16, 2023 |
This is a tough book to review. I would actually give it 3 1/2 stars. The premise of the story is fantastic. A killer takes a blog post (from the owner of a mystery bookstore) titled 8 perfect murders, from mystery books of the last 120 years, and re-enacts them, slowly pointing the evidence towards the writer of the blog post.
Sadly the main character who is the owner of the bookstore is...boring. Also the first half of the book is slow and dry, similar to many of the books referenced throughout the book. None of the characters seem to have any depth to them, and some of the situations they are put in seems totally unbelievable.
Still it is wildly interesting idea. I just wish the book flowed better. ( )
  zmagic69 | Mar 31, 2023 |
Oh damn. This one was so good and then so bleak!

It was one of those stories that I never wanted to end— partially because it was all unfolding in such an interesting way, and partially because I was afraid of where it was headed. I will definitely be reading more from this author. Can’t wait! ( )
  Michelle_PPDB | Mar 18, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 93 (next | show all)
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To the Kings and Queens and Princes, too-- Brian, Jen, Adelaide, Maxine, Oliver, and Julius
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The front door opened, and I heard the stamp of the FBI agent's feet on the doormat.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:

"Fiendish good fun." ā??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 crackā??which he titled "Eight Perfect Murders"ā??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 moveā??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 deadā??and the noose around Mal's neck grows so tight he might nev

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