This is a popular 2020 release from Peter Swanson, the best-selling author of 11 novels, including The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award, and Her Every Fear, an NPR book of the year. His books have been translated into over 30 languages.
Several years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw posted a blog listing books that depicted the most perfect, unsolvable murders, which he titled “Eight Perfect Murders” – 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.
When an FBI agent comes to visit Malcolm at his bookshop, the Old Devils Bookstore, she‘s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings depicted on Malcolm’s blog list. As Malcolm and Gwen begin discussing the books and the recent murders, Malcolm realizes that he is somehow connected to this real-life killer. He knows the killer is out there, and he begins to feel like he’s being watched. Malcolm has secrets of his own concerning his recently deceased wife that he doesn’t disclose to the agent, as it would likely make him a suspect. To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects. At the same time, a series of shocking twists leave more victims dead, and Malcolm attempts to make contact with the killer. With Malcolm’s secrets at great risk of being exposed and the killer luring him into a dangerous game, Malcolm must come to terms with the dire reality he faces!
This is a well-paced, cleverly-crafted suspense novel. The tension builds throughout the novel and climaxes with an action-packed conclusion that includes a few pleasing twists. The book includes a lot of dialogue, most of which is quite captivating, that helps advance the story forward, and provides clues to discover the killer. Many of the scenes take place in the bookshop, and Swanson does a formidable job depicting a real-life small bookshop, from its eccentric employees to its regular customers with particular book tastes.
The murders that occur in this novel closely mirror the murders in eight real-life popular novels. Throughout the book, there are numerous references to the plotlines of these books, and it’s worthwhile to jot down notes to keep track of it all! Some may complain that Swanson spoils these novels by unfairly revealing their twists, but this is essential for the sake of the plot. If you’re a reader who is disinterested in “spoilers,” you may want to consider reading some of those books prior to this one, as they’re an important part of fully enjoying this story.
Narrator Graham Halstead does a phenomenal job at portraying Malcolm, narrating with a content state of unnerving tension and assertiveness that perfectly mirrors the character. Halstead also does a formidable job narrating the voices of the different characters, especially FBI agent Gwen, whose tone is presented as suspicious and flirtatious, making for a very compelling listen. If you’ve enjoyed Peter Swanson’s previous work or are looking to give this author a try, this is the perfect book to enjoy. You’ll be impressed by the unique and intriguing storyline, which is full of literary references. The narrator does such an excellent job in this one that the audiobook is definitely the preferred format for indulging!
