Eight Perfect Murders audiobook

Books are time travel. True readers all know this. What an adventure this book was! There's no denying that Eight Perfect Murders was a good deal more meta than my usual thriller picks, but I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the mystery/thriller/crime genre-- from the classics to the modern to the obscure.This book scratched an itch I didn't even know I had, so to speak. See, I love love lists of books. When Goodreads or Buzzfeed or whatever posts a list of "50 Must-Read ____ Books" or "10 Most Anticipated Books of ____", then you can bet I'm clicking. I am such a sucker for those lists. I just didn't know I wanted to read a mystery about one until now!There's a lot I can't say about Eight Perfect Murders, but I'll try to give you some idea what it's like. I've only read one other Swanson book so far (Before She Knew Him) and this one was very different. The protagonist, Malcolm Kershaw, is the co-owner of the Old Devils Bookstore, a place specializing in mysteries. One day, an FBI agent enters the store and begins to question him about several murders, which may or may not be related. What has brought Malcolm to her attention is a blog post he wrote when he was first hired at Old Devils: "Eight Perfect Murders." It's a list of eight mystery/thriller novels that contain, in Malcolm's opinion, the most "perfect", unsolvable, uncatchably brilliant murders. Thing is, some of the recent murders seem oddly similar to several of the "perfect" murders in the novels listed.Malcolm gets dragged into the investigation, part aid and part suspect, and it's not a spoiler to say we learn very quickly he has a lot of secrets of his own. And, wow, I just really loved the exploration of all these novels. Not just the eight at the centre of the story, but many great crime novels. Some I knew well; some I'd never heard of. Be warned: this book does spoil the plot of all eight novels mentioned in the blurb - The A.B.C. Murders, Strangers on a Train, The Red House Mystery, Malice Aforethought, Double Indemnity, The Drowner, The Secret History and Deathtrap - so you may want to read them first if they're still on your TBR.To me, this book was a celebration of the mystery genre. A laugh at its conventions; a love letter to its best and underappreciated works. Following Malcolm as he tries to piece together the puzzle and come to terms with just how guilty he himself is... well, it's quite a ride.I did figure out the "culprit", though, and I think a lot of mystery readers will. There are too few possibilities to make it truly challenging. But I honestly did not care. The fun is in the getting there, the thrill of the chase, and the uncertainty of the many small mysteries the book presents along the way. I'm just that kind of thriller reader, honestly. I do not care if you can pull out the shockiest shocker of a twist if I don’t enjoy the getting there. Give me a good ride and a protagonist who intrigues me over "twists" any day. Also, I have about fifty new recommendations from this book. That's only a slight exaggeration.Facebook | Instagram

I need a Gibberish translator right now! Because this is only language I may fluently speak after reading this book. Fcjeijfiojopi50ov! See! I lost control my thoughts again! I cannot form a proper sentence! There is no slightest chance for me to dislike this book! 8 perfect murders based on selected amazing thrillers starting from Christie’s epic “A.B.C. Murders” (this time the killer concentrated on bird names more than alphabetical order) to thrilling Ira Levin play “Deathtrap” (after watching the movie version, everyone had hard times to consider Christopher Reeves their superhero!), Highsmith’s “Strangers on a train” (Mr. Swanson gives so great details about differences between the Hitchcock movie and the original story which is darker and more spooky), Donna Tartt’s “ A Secret History”. And let’s not forget James M. Cain’s “Double Indemnity” (if you haven’t watch its movie, do it immediately to see Fred MacMurray’s brilliant performance!), A.A Milne’s “Red House Mystery”, John D. Macdonald’s “Drowner” and Anthony Berkeley Cox’ s “Malice Afterthought” (I have to make confession that I didn’t read the last three of them. But I already add to my MOUNT TBR that I rent hourly for bungee jumping activities!) Old Devil’s Bookshop’s owner Malcolm Kershaw chose those 8 books and wrote a blog of them as “8 perfect murders help you get away with them” ( It is not the title but you got his motivation to write this article!) Now a FBI agent appears at his bookstore, asking for his help because there might be killer out there obsessed with his article and commits murders at the same ways written on those books. And as we continue to read about the facts Malcolm also the narrator of the story presents us, we realize he keeps secrets to himself and slowly when we get inside of his mind and learn more about his traumatized love story with his ex-wife who died in the car accident, we pity on him but also start to get suspicious about him. Why a killer is obsessed with his article? Could Malcolm get involved with one of the murders? Did FBI agent tell him the truth? Could the killer also be a vigilante who brings the justice by punishing very notorious people because as far as we realize the victims are not angels, they have their own crimes and dirty secrets! This book is mesmerizing puzzle, combining perfect thrillers’ plots and subtexts at the most proper places intercepted with Malcolm’s fast pacing, brain cell destroyer, heart-throbbing story. He confuses the hell of us by giving small pieces about the truth. We get lost in his head and we are misled by him so many times and sucker punched by unexpected twists we could never see coming. I’m not gonna talk more about the story because it’s so hard to write more about without giving spoilers and I’m not the most trustworthy person who likes to write the murderers’ identities in the middle of each Christie books and send them to my loved ones (You may guess I’m not the most lovable person!) Overall: This is dark, intense, puzzling, dazzling, exciting, nail biter, hair splitter, heart throbbing, nightmarish, brilliant book and it already became one of my favorite books of the author. Even some revelations still have some small plot holes, I only cut half star and I’m giving my 4.5 rounded up to 5 doubtful, manipulative, mind-bending stars! I didn’t get rejected for this book but I couldn’t let it root at the NetGalley’s pending purgatory so this time I’m thanking myself and my husband’s credit card to buy this book and devour it at one sit! Highly recommending, one of the best thrillers of the year! Of course I should have had this!bloginstagramfacebooktwitter

CLEVER!! “Books are time travel. True readers all know this. But books don’t just take you back to the time in which they were written; they can take you back to different versions of yourself.” A blog post written on eight mystery novels that detail the perfect murders becomes the blueprint for a serial killer in Eight Perfect Murders. This is a compelling, original, and intriguing read about the mystery genre. When Mal, an independent bookstore owner, is contacted by the FBI regarding a blog post he wrote years ago, he is shocked to discover that someone is using his literary recommendations as a guide to commit murder. Mal realizes he has a connection to one of the victims and he begins to wonder if the murderer is going to make him his next target. This is a book for those who love mysteries and appreciate the nuances of the genre . Mal discusses what makes mysteries so riveting to read. He details some classics, and in discussing the perfect murder plots, reminds readers of why some mysteries are so powerful.Mal is the single narrator and he controls every word of this story. I got caught up in his tale and was eagerly flipping the pages to see where he was going to take me. He weaves in a wealth of knowledge about the mystery genre and throws in some red herrings, while at the same time slowly revealing his secrets. When the reveal occurred, I was a little underwhelmed, but then I soon realized I got caught up in the wrong element of this book--yes, the mystery of who is committing the murders is intriguing, but what is even more intriguing is the narrator himself. This isn’t about the who or the why. It is about the power of the narrator. I had fun trying to unravel Mal’s secrets and uncover the web of the eight perfect murders. I highly recommend for those who love the mystery genre. I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Calling All Bloggers!!!! This book might make you want to resist/reconsider/re-think blogging lists; such as, your top ten favorite books, top ten favorite movies, or as is the case in this book - making a list about "The Eight Perfect Murders" found in fiction.Malcolm "Mal" Kershaw is a bookstore owner and mystery aficionado has found himself caught up in a murder investigation when a killer begins using his blog list about "perfect" murders and uses those as inspiration and begins killing people. When an FBI agent knocks on his door one cold winter night to ask him questions about the books on his list, why he choose them and how they are connected to recent unsolved murders, Mal is intrigued and agrees to help. Mal is an interesting character in that he fully acknowledges that he is not entirely good with people and the more he gets to know someone the more distant from them he begins to feel. He has a small circle of people in his life who are quirky and interesting as well. Plus, his bookstore, The Old Devil's Bookshop (how's that for a name? has a cat name Nero who is certainly more popular and interesting than his owner (isn't he?).Is there a connection? Does the killer know Mal or is this individual a stranger who was inspired after reading the books on Mal's murder list? As the book progresses, Mal's past and his relationship with his dead wife also come to light. Is Mal a suspect or is he just an expert in the mystery genre? Are the murders perfect, or will the killer be brought to justice?So, I was snuggled up on my couch reading and then there was a twist, a revelation, another twist, another revelation and once again, Peter Swanson reminded me why I am such a fan. His plots are well thought out, perfectly paced and intelligent. He knows how to keep a reader engaged and had me glued to my seat. I love trying to figure a book out (the whole whodunit) and had my super sleuth hat on while reading this one (I did not figure anything out) in this book. Needless, to say, I love that he had me guessing until pretty much the end. Plus, now he had me intrigued and wanting to read and re-read some of the books on the "Perfect Murder list". Plus, those who have been to Boston or live in Boston, will enjoy being able to say "I know that place!" or "I'm familiar with that street!" as Mal walks around the city.Fans of Peter Swanson and the Mystery genre will not be disappointed. Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one was a page turner from the beginning. (for me) What a bookish tale!A bookish narrator- Malcolm KershawA bookish setting - Old Devils BookstoreA bookish blog list - Going to have to read some of these and Strangers on A Train is one I own and will read next!A bookish murder I guessed wrong!Even a bookish cat!  Nero (don't worry he fares fine!)While I was reading, I never wanted to close the book! I was always intrigued and changing my theory.  All I wanted to do was read, collect the clues and find out more. At one point, I said "I knew it", but no I didn't!Finally a mystery that doesn't involve a missing child, an unstable female or a same old/ same old premise!In the mood for a something different? Tired of all the predictable mysteries and underwhelming endings? I would highly recommend this one!Brilliant! Don't miss it!!!Thanks so much to Goodreads for this win! And EW for my e-copy! OUT MARCH 2020    

Ooooh this shit SLAPPED! 👏I love a good thriller gimmick, and following the plot of 8 classic murder mysteries books while they're being copycatted by an unknown killer present day was JUST what I needed.From page 1 when when this book introduced itself as "Eight Perfect Murders: a memoir" I was hooked. The main character, a bookseller named Malcolm essentially talks directly to the reader, acknowledging what we may be thinking of him and the case throughout, which was *chef's kiss*. We love a smart, self aware narrative style.So he basically wrote this blog post back in the day about 8 perfect murders from the mystery genre, from The ABC Murders to The Secret History, and now the FBI is on his doorstep looking into a string of real life murders that seems to follow his list. It gets a 4.5⭐ from me.Thanks to @williammorrowbooks for sending me an early copy

4.5 What a clever homage to the classic murder mystery! The author’s love shines through in these pages. Don’t come expecting a police procedural with the latest in forensic science. But come expecting to be thoroughly entertained. I have a particular love for the mystery authors of old like Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, and Ruth Rendell, and I binge-read most of them in my 20s. But modern day mystery authors, such as Donna Tartt, gets a nod too, so this book ticked all my boxes. What could be more perfect than a mystery bookstore owner with an in-house cat named Nero (Nero Wolf)? There are literary references throughout the book, which made me want to drop what I was doing and read (or re-read) every book mentioned. I have a list. Speaking of lists....Mal, the bookstore owner, is a widower who lost his wife in an unfortunate accident, and spends his evenings alone drinking craft beer and reading. His life is upended when he is contacted by the FBI, who suspects that a serial murderer is using his blog post, Eight Perfect Murders, which lists the eight perfect murders in fiction, as a blueprint for a killing spree. As Mal becomes entwined in the investigation it becomes clear there is quite a tangled web to unweave. Along the way we learn bits and pieces of Mal’s life and backstory. There was a moment where I thought the story was going in a direction I couldn’t get behind but the author was clever enough to fool me and the ending was perfection. This was a buddy read with my friend, Marialyce, and we enjoyed our discussion, especially of the ending. I loved this clever, fun book and highly recommend it for avid fans of the mystery genre. I think those who have a true love for the craft will love this book. I closed the last page with a better knowledge and appreciation for classic murder/crime books. I loved the author's book, The Kind Worth Killing. This book has once again made me a fan of Peter Swanson. • I received a copy of the book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*. For our duo review of this book and others please visit https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...

This one isn’t quite a wow, but I really enjoyed it just the same. What’s not to like a book about mysteries? Oddly the title is a misnomer, how can the murders be perfect if the suspects are all caught? The story is told in first person which in this book really worked, though the author does do a little cheat by not telling use everything that the character knows. The plot is complicated but in the more than competent hands of Swanson I was never lost. The author does break the forth wall is several places coming out of the story and talking to the reader. Cool. It burst the ever sought after, Fictive Dream but in this case blended in with the voice and was almost expected. What I thought truly brilliant about this story is how the author disguises an old trope that has yet again risen in popularity, the plot in Strangers on a Train where strangers kill for each other to mire the motive and opportunity. The character is alive and three dimensional and I was with him all the way. The book starts a little slow and continues to spin up in suspense. I thought I knew what was happening and was reassured when the author broke the fourth wall and asked the reader if he/she/they caught the clues given and listed them. Nice.I believe one reason Stephen King has been so popular was the way he connects with the reader, relates to them. The main character in this book owns and runs a used bookstore in Boston. Readers read a lot of books and Eight Perfect Murders constantly talks about many different books. The author also gave the main character the name of a real life and prominent book seller. A book seller I used when I sold my book collection. He flew out from Indiana. Just so you know I would never have sold my books, but I retired from southern California law enforcement and was going to work for the real-life Hawaii Five O. Books don’t weather well in Hawaii the humidity ruins almost overnight and I too many to pay for climate control. I digress. This is well worth the read and I highly recommend it.David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.

4+ stars!A refreshingly unique, suspenseful, clever and addictive mystery!This was my first Peter Swanson book and I loved it! I connected with the writing, characters and storyline immediately and that connection remained strong throughout. Malcolm owns a small bookstore with a loyal customer base. Years ago, he started a blog for the store and his first blog post outlined his list of eight of the most cleverly written murder mysteries. Years later, Malcolm is approached by the FBI who are investigating a string of murders that seem to be copying the murders within his list of eight books. These eight books do not appear together so concisely anywhere else. There is a lot of reference to this list of eight murder mystery books, some of which are, Agatha Christie’s A. B. C. Murders and Patrica Highsmith’s Strangers On A Train. Though I hadn’t read any of the books listed, the story outlines the theories and outcomes in each book — some might consider these spoilers, but for me with my terrible memory, it didn’t bother me. I’ll be able to read those books down the road and be shocked and surprised at who the murderer is. There is something so very refreshing about the way this novel is written. None of the plot was filler. I hung onto every word and felt the tension and suspense in every chapter. The narration was one of my favourite parts of this novel - I adored Malcolm who guides us through the story. There was a secretive side to him that kept my curiosity building from start to finish. Malcolm was an extremely likeable character.I adored the bookstore setting! And Nero the bookstore cat. The pace and flow were perfect. I did find it slightly confusing at times to remember which book or murder was being referred to but nothing that I couldn’t sort through quickly. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes murder mysteries with a classic feel. Thank you to Edelweiss for my review copy!

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson is a 2020 William Morrow publication. A mystery lover’s delight!! Malcom Kershaw is a bookstore owner whose main area of expertise happens to be crime fiction. Several years back, Malcolm wrote a blog post in which he listed eight books he considered perfect fictional murders. What books made the cut? The Red House Mystery, Malice Aforethought, The A.B.C. Murders, Double Indemnity, Strangers on a Train, The Drowner, Deathtrap and The Secret History. The blog post in question is still floating around in the internet stratosphere, evidently catching the attention of a fiendish murderer, who is now using Malcolm’s list as a guide, duplicating the methods employed in the eight books on the list. The list has also caught the attention of the FBI, bringing them straight to Malcolm's door- which is where our story begins... Once the FBI made the connection between Malcolm’s blog and the murders, the investigation naturally draws Malcolm into the center of it. As we follow Malcolm's narration, a tribute to mystery novels develops alongside the intriguing and puzzling plot, touching on many of the various representations of crime fiction over the years. Even if you are only moderately familiar with the books on this list, you can see how diverse the list is. The eight books listed range from whodunits to inverted mysteries- and of the three books I’ve read, all were absolutely genius! Malcolm’s narration is a brilliant touch, as the reader finds themselves caught up in his saga, especially when it becomes clear that he’s gotten himself into a real jam, going from quiet bookstore owner to a man with his own secrets, with danger lurking around every corner... Personally, I thought Swanson did a great job with weaving a mystery around the eight novels on Malcolm’s list, showcasing their magnificence, while supplying a sly dose of irony and satire that often made me smile. The thing that makes this story work, is the same thing that makes all mysteries work. My appetite for a good mystery never wanes. I can never go too long without reading some form of crime fiction. Why? Because mysteries are an addicting diversion, because they challenge my mind while I try to work out all the angles. Because mysteries make my heart race, as the suspense mounts and the twists leave me breathless and stunned! Because crime fiction is fun and entertaining in a way no other genre can match- and Peter Swanson pushed every one of those buttons- knowing his audience, knowing the elements we avid fans enjoy about crime fiction, and weaving them into this story in subtle, shrewd ways, just the way we like it. Now, to be honest, I wouldn’t go into this book with a super serious mindset. If you do, you might miss the all the deliberate little Easter eggs planted here and there, which are meant specifically for mystery buffs to discover. It’s supposed to be lighthearted recreation, a tribute to the best crime writers, and gift to readers who love the genre, but it’s also everything a mystery novel should be- engrossing, intelligent, crafty, and.... FUN! *Note: It is not necessary to read the books on Malcolm’s list to enjoy this book. However, I’ve still added the books I haven’t read to my TBR pile. Can’t wait to read them- plus, I am mightily tempted to re-read the three books on list I have read.... especially The Secret History!

Malcolm Kershaw, owner of the Old Devil’s Bookstore, in Boston once compiled a list titled “Eight Perfect Murders”. He posted them on his blog, and now, FBI agent Gwen Mulvey has arrived at the bookstore, one cold, snowy night because she thinks there might be a killer out there, recreating the Murders from his list:The Red House Mystery (1922) A.A. MilneMalice Aforethought (1931) Anthony Berkeley CoxThe A.B.C. Murders (1936) Agatha ChristieDouble Indemnity (1943) James M. CainStrangers on a Train (1950) Patricia HighsmithThe Drowner (1963) John D. MacDonaldDeathtrap (1978) Ira LevinThe Secret History (1992) Donna TarttI’ve listed them because if you have not read them, or seen the movies, and you read this book...the plots will be spoiled for you! So, if you plan on reading them...read them first, and make this book 9! If not, then enjoy Peter Swanson’s homage to crime writers past and present, in this, his latest novel, most reminiscent of the book that made him, famous, “The Kind Worth Killing”. Very atmospheric, and if this book were a movie, I could picture it being made in “Autochrome Lumiere” (that muted color) as Boston was experiencing a very, snowy Winter throughout this story, and I could picture the cold nights and see the warm glow of lamps, as Mal, And Gwen reread the books on the list, and tried to figure out who the murderer could be...All I am going to say is that although the pace of this book was a S L O W burn...Mr. Swanson caught me by surprise, MORE than once, again!! As the saying goes...Patience has its rewards. And, who doesn’t like a bookstore with a resident cat? 😼Available March 3, 2020! Thank you to Edelweiss, Harper Collins-William Morrow and Peter Swanson for the ARC I received in exchange for a candid review!

for once in my life i'm glad i have the tendency to stockpile more books than i can read. this is my third date with peter swanson and he's fast becoming my author-version of that friend you can call up anytime and be guaranteed a fun night out on the town. these days i am easily distracted and my brain feels like porridge most of the time, so even pleasure reading has been difficult for me. but this was a short, fast, one-day delight of a book that made me remember what it was like to not have to struggle to concentrate and actually enjoy reading. i fell into this pretty easily and it held my attention throughout, so it's comforting to know i have THREE other books by him floating around in these stacks.this one is a particular gift for fans of mystery novels, and young booknerds who grew up into adulthood with unrealistic, unmet, expectations of how it was all gonna be: Being an avid mystery reader as an adolescent does not prepare you for real life. I truly imagined that my adult existence would be far more booklike than it turned out to be. I thought, for example, that there would be several moments in which I got into a cab to follow someone. I thought I'd attend far more readings of someone's will, and that I'd need to know how to pick a lock, and that any time I went on vacation (especially to old creaky inns or rented lake houses) something mysterious would happen. I thought train rides would inevitably involve a murder, that sinister occurrences would plague wedding weekends, and that old friends would constantly be getting in touch to ask for help, to tell me that their lives were in danger. I even thought quicksand would be an issue.yet for our dear unreliable narrator mal—the mild-mannered co-owner of a mystery bookstore in boston—life is about to live up to the spirit if not the specifics (no quicksand, booo!) of his youthful expectations when he is visited, on a dark and snowstormy night, by special agent gwen mulvey of the FBI, who informs him that there's a killer afoot who is treating the book list mal made for the store's blog—a list of 'eight perfect murders'—as a to-do list, and the bodies are piling up. dunh dunh DUNH!!i love curating book lists and i am VERY GOOD AT IT. my much-mourned dream job was doing precisely this, and if any of my murdery lists had ever inspired a serial killer (blood on the snow! 'til death do us part! the killing games!), i would have been very flattered and ready to hunker down and talk about books all day long to help solve the crime, although i suspect my killer-catching skills are a distant second to my listmaking skills. mal is decent at both, so he assists in the investigation, looking into several recent killings for connections either to the methods of murder or the philosophy of the murderers in the eight novels, sharing some, but not all, of what he discovers with gwen, for reasons. he will feel less conflicted about sharing with the reader the whos and hows and occasionally the whys of the murders in all eight books on his list. if you've already read these books, it's fun to see them adapted into slightly different murdershapes for swanson's purposes. if you haven't, well, it'll either be glass half empty and he spoils those books for you or glass half full and he saves you the trouble of reading them. if you're an avid mystery reader, you've probably read at least a few of them, and if you have, you'll be savvy enough to predict a few moves that swanson's book makes, but calling some of them early doesn't diminish the fun of reading it at all; it's like taking a meandering meta journey through mystery's literary history—swanson incorporating elements from several different mystery subgenres before wrapping it all up in one big homage.i am grateful that my porridge brain wan't too lumpen to enjoy this, and i admire swanson's confidence in writing this book, knowing that many people would be unwilling to read it because spoooooooilers. these are the books on his list, which you will know things about if you read this book:The A.B.C. Murders - Agatha Christie Strangers on a Train - Patricia HighsmithDeathtrap - Ira Levin The Red House Mystery - A. A. MilneMalice Aforethought - Anthony Berkeley Cox Double Indemnity - James M. CainThe Drowner - John D. MacdonaldThe Secret History - Donna Tarttcome to my blog!

3.5 StarsA Rulebook for the Perfect Murder? Say What?! When starting out, bookseller Malcolm Kershaw created a blog which incorporated best of lists. Who knew that his Best of List for the “Eight Perfect Murders” in Literature would become a rulebook for unsolved murders in New England. Mal is now the owner of an infamous bookstore in Boston when the FBI comes a knocking, he can't help but be intrigued. When they ask for his help investigating, he jumps at the chance. When Mal realizes that he has a connection to one of the victims, all of the pieces fall into place. The problem of course is that you can run but you can’t hide, no matter how hard you try. “Eight Perfect Murders” by Peter Swanson is a compelling thrill ride that was quite the tangled web, which I enjoyed doing my best to untangle. I read this with my book buddy Kaceey, and had this one figured out quite early on, much to her amazement. While I found the first half of this novel utterly suspenseful, I found the ending to be a bit lackluster. On the whole however, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it to mystery/suspense lovers.This was another fabulous buddy read with Kaceey.Thank you to Edelweiss, Harper Collins - William Morrow and Peter Swanson for the arc.Published on Edelweiss and Goodreads on 12.21.19.

”Even though I stopped reading crime novels myself--violent death loomed too large in them--I knew enough to help my customers. I was a bookseller, and I was good at it. That was enough.”There are a lot of things Malcolm Kershaw doesn’t want to talk about. Life has thrown him some unexpected curveballs. The biggest one being his wife dying in a car accident. There is plenty of blame to go around, but Malcolm knows who is most responsible for his wife’s death. Eric Atwell--drug dealer. He isn’t surprised when Special Agent Claire Mallory shows up in his bookstore wanting to question him, but he is surprised when she wants to question him about a blog list he wrote several years ago. Eight Perfect Murders--the most brilliant unsolved murders in fiction.It seems, if Special Agent Mallory’s theory is correct, that a killer is using Malcolm’s list to perpetrate similar murders. Crime writers have done all the work for any burgeoning murderer. A summer spent reading the very best of Agatha Christie might be the best research a person with murder on his mind could do. As Malcolm and Claire ponder the evidence, looking for aspects that fit the crimes from the blog list, it starts to become evident to Malcolm that maybe….just maybe...he knows the killer. The next logical question he must ask himself...is he on the killer’s list? Can he prove who the killer is before the killer makes him a statistic?Generally, Peter Swanson writes what I call modern noir mysteries with spine tingling twists, so this book is somewhat of a departure from his normal writing. I was excited and worried that it was set in a bookstore. One of the hazards of working in a bookstore for many years is that I’m hyperaware of anything in bookstore fiction that doesn’t feel authentic. Swanson has done his research or spent a stint, before he became a bestseller author, ringing up sales in a used bookstore. Everything book-related rings true for me. Some of the reviewers of this book have complained that Swanson reveals the plots of the eight perfect murders. He kind of...has to...for the sake of the plot. As people who have read my reviews know, I’m not sympathetic to readers overly obsessed with “spoilers,” but seriously, people, if the plot revolves around the murders in the list of eight books, you have to realize that the plots of those books will be revealed. *sigh* Maybe what you should do is read all eight mysteries before reading this book. I hope that you will find some new books and authors to love, and it may even increase your enjoyment of this book. Regardless, if you don’t have time or inclination to read the eight books before reading this one, you will still enjoy this novel, especially if you like Boston bookstore settings and a nice, twisty, Agatha Christie-inspired ending. I also give Swanson extra bonus points for mentioning Charles Willeford’s rather brilliant The Burnt Orange Heresy, which I had the pleasure of reading recently. This book comes up on GR as Malcolm Kershaw #1, which might be an indication that Swanson intends to continue to write Kershaw mysteries. I hope he doesn’t abandon his standalone, modern mysteries to start feeding the ravenous maw of series obsessed readers, but I do understand the realities of publishing. A well-received mystery series is like the commissions on annuities for a life insurance salesman. ”Books are time travel. True readers all know this. But books don’t just take you back to the time in which they were written; they can take you back to different versions of yourself.”If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.comI also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/