Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel of Suspense" by Peter Swanson

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Review of "Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel of Suspense" by Peter Swanson

Malcolm Kershaw co-owns the 'Old Devils Bookstore' in Boston, which sells mysteries and thrillers.

Years ago, to raise the bookstore's profile, Malcolm wrote a blog post listing eight novels that contain perfect murders. The books he chose were:

The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Deathtrap (a play) by Ira Levin
The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
Malice Aforethought by Anthony Berkeley Cox
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
The Drowner by John D. Macdonald
The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The blog post got few likes or comments and Malcolm more or less forgot about it until now, when he's contacted by FBI agent Gwen Mulvey.

Mulvey believes someone is murdering people using the books on Malcolm's list as blueprints.

Gwen asks Malcolm to re-read the books on his roster, and compare them to files of several crimes.....to see if there are similarities. Gwen plans to do the same thing, so she and Malcolm can discuss.

Malcolm is immediately struck by the fact that he knows one of the victims on Gwen's list, and he fears the killer is trying to target him in some fashion - either attempting to pin the crimes on him, or planning to murder him.

Malcolm is afraid to speak about the matter to Gwen, so he consults a retired police detective he sometimes joins for a drink.

The ex-cop supplies Malcolm with information that sends the bookstore owner on a surveillance and reconnaissance mission, and Malcolm starts to feel like a detective himself.

As the story unfolds there are more killings, all of which seem tied to Malcolm and/or his list in some fashion. However, not everything is as it seems, and twists and surprises crop up throughout the novel.

This book has received many rave reviews but I found it a little bit tedious. The plots of the aforementioned books are discussed again and again, and the narrative moves along too slowly for my taste. (Note: If you haven't read the books on Malcolm's list, this novel will contain spoilers.)

I did like the big reveals, which are fun, though somewhat predictable. Still, if you're a fan of the books on Malcolm's list, you'll probably get a kick out of this novel.

Rating: 3 stars

2 comments:

Carla Loves to ReadMarch 15, 2021 at 2:20 PM
I am so glad to hear your comments Barb. I was let down by this one and seemed to be the only one that didn't love it. I do love Peter Swanson's book though and just finished his latest and enjoyed it quite a bit.
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Barb's Book Reviews

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Review of "Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel of Suspense" by Peter Swanson

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