Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel (Malcolm Kershaw Book 1)

Peter Swanson has created another compulsive thriller with layer upon layer of tension, you can’t help but be hooked! I think I inhaled it in almost one day.Malcolm Kershaw is a widower and owner of Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, a store specialising in mystery fiction. But when he is contacted by Gwen Mulvey (FBI) about several murders, he realises they may have something to do with a blog post he’d written several years ago. Devastated, he embarks on a dangerous path, recognising he may be connected to one of the victims, and that he could be next.The investigation with Gwen did bring up a few questions for me. For one, her closeness to him was dubious and rather unconventional, and I was left wondering who Gwen really was. Two, he must assume she has targeted him because of the murders committed in the eight different books on his list. 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.The book is written in Malcom’s point of view, definitely a character to savour, which drops us into his intricate mind and the outrageous coincidence that forms Eight Perfect Murders. As he reveals more and more about the plots in the books to Gwen, he is aware she is looking at him as a possible suspect. As more murders are committed by someone they call “Charlie,” replicating the narratives, it becomes critical that Malcom identifies the killer. The unfolding of his deceased wife, Claire Mallory, is not only poignant but tragic, especially in light of her struggles and his subsequent need watch over her. I could feel his pain. As more is revealed towards the end, I enjoyed the corkscrew of deceit from places and people I never suspected.I would definitely recommend this book with its tantalising clues and shocking revelations. Paying homage to Hitchcock, it carries just the right amount of suspicion and obsession to kick the plot into high gear. Unlike many books that fail to live up to the hype, this one makes good on the promise. If you’re as obsessed as I am with crime fiction, Peter Swanson’s book is one you simply cannot miss.

This was a fun story that kept you guessing and re-guessing after you change your mind about someone. The story centers around Malcolm (Mal) who is middle-aged book seller. His whole life is been around books. Either consuming them daily as a child or selling them as an adult. Mal received a call from an FBI agent early on in the story with questions about some mystery books; book that were on a blog post he wrote year ago titled “Eight perfect murders”. On this blog post Mal wrote about 8 Mystery novels that detailed a perfect way to murder someone. The FBI agent has recently reviewed a few cases that appear as if someone (possibly Mal) is replicating the list. Mal eagerly agrees to help her by providing as much information as possible. This is where the story begins..As a reader of many psychological suspense novels I am used to questioning everyone in mind as I read. This story was no different. I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick read, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological suspense novels.One note of caution: there are a few spoilers of other novels in this story. One of the stories discussed was a book on my TBR list: The Secret History by Donna Tartt and although it didn’t completely give it away it did discuss some things I would have rather read myself..

I thought the premise was enticing. A series of murders based on a list compiled by a bookstore owner ? A blog entry ? Classic mystery novels ? The possibilities were many! I enjoyed seeing what books made the list of eight. Swanson's choices and the exploration of why each title was picked was made for bibliophiles. (But only if you've read the books - otherwise there are spoilers galore ...)I initially liked Kershaw, but as the book progressed I began to dislike him. Why? Well, unreliable narrators make for interesting reading. Things can change rapidly was truths and untruths are added to the mix. But in this case, they felt clunky and convenient to me. And rapidly really didn't happen here. Lots of downtime that just felt like filler in between murders. And I thought he was a bit too self absorbed.But, I did keep reading until the end and Swanson did come up with a nice twist. But it wasn't enough to make me love the book. I must admit to being disappointed

It looks like a brand new book.

I liked the fairly unique story line and the fact that there were enough clues provided that you could have guessed the ending. The story hung together without leaving any questions - well except for maybe no-one wondering about the cat. Still, couldn't give it 5 starts - if just felt a little flat, not a real page turner.

Llego antes de lo esperado, pero la calidad del libro deja mucho que desear. El cortado de las hojas se ve como mordido y mal cortado no están del mismo tamaño los cortes. Es la primera vez que veo algo así. Lo leeré, por lo pronto mi crítica fue en relación a la calidad del libro físico

*No spoilers*I found about this book unexpectedly and was not disappointed at all. The writing, the mystery, the characters- this is a page turner. However unfortunately to understand this plot, 8 prominent classic murder mysteries (some of which coincidentally are on my to read list) are deconstructed and the plot points are revealed in detail. Might want to tick that list before starting this one!

I liked the twists and turns of events. Reading this is a fine way of relaxing

This was beyond what I expected; I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting and it was a literary masterpiece. Every event (not matter how insignificant it was) tied the book together and it finished beautifully. I feel like even if murder/mystery wasn't your genre; you would still thoroughly enjoy this book. The ending was brilliant and completely unexpected, which is very rare nowadays. I read it cover to cover in about 10 hours and honestly... all I want to do is re-read is again today.This will be the book that I compare all other murder mystery books to. You do not need to be familiar with the '8 perfect murder' books referenced in this book. If anything; it just gives you motivation to read (or re-read them) after you finish this book.Very well done Peter Swanson! HUGE fan!