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    Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel
    Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel
    Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel
    Audiobook8 hours

    Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel

    Written by Peter Swanson

    Narrated by Graham Halstead

    4/5

    ()

    • Revenge

    • Mystery

    • Investigation

    • Guilt

    • Literature

    • Amateur Detective

    • Whodunit

    • Literary Allusions

    • Dark & Stormy Night

    • Serial Killer

    • Isolated Location

    • Killer in Me

    • Perfect Murder

    • Murder Swap

    • Secret Society

    • Crime

    • Friendship

    • Deception

    • Mystery Novels

    • Relationships

    About this audiobook

    ""Fiendish good fun."" —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 crack—which he titled “Eight Perfect Murders”—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 move—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 dead—and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he might never escape.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMar 3, 2020
    ISBN9780062838223
    Author

    Peter Swanson

    Peter Swanson is the New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award and finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger; Her Every Fear, an NPR book of the year; and Eight Perfect Murders, a New York Times bestseller, among others. His books have been translated into 30 languages. He lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts, where he is at work on his next novel.

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    Reviews for Eight Perfect Murders

    4/5

    1,729 ratings101 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be an engaging and surprising thriller that pays homage to classic mysteries. The plot twists keep readers guessing, and the narrative is enjoyable. While some reviewers found the beginning slow and the characters uninteresting, others appreciated the interesting premise and the book's focus on books and bookstores. The ending received mixed reviews, with some finding it unexpected and others feeling underwhelmed. Overall, readers recommend this book for its twists, interesting plot, and homage to old-school mysteries.

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      Got about halfway through before I just couldn’t take the slowness of the narration from a character I didn’t even like. I googled the ending and it was good, but I would have never been able to get through this book. Pains me to recount how bored this book made me feel.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      The narrator was great! The story... meh. It's wasn't terrible but honestly something I'll probably forget by tomorrow. Nothing special. The ending had me rolling by eyes tbh.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the first half, the end was a disappointment.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this, the first book I've read by the author. I didn't realize this before now: I like reading books about books. I've made a list of the eight perfect murder mysteries and want to read those, even the ones I've already read. Just a note about those (other reviewers have mentioned this): there are spoilers about those mysteries, in case that matters; it doesn't to me. I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Graham Halstead -- I think he does a good job with this and enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A recent novel that does not rely on sex or swearing to keep it interesting. It kept us guessing, for the most part!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I already love his work, but since I'm a huge mystery buff his reference to all the other award winning mystery novels in this story makes this one of my favorite Peter Swanson novels and the audiobook is great
    • 5/5
      Peter Swanson has done it again, this is interesting and just when I thought I figured it out a twist. Its not a high exciting book but intriguing enough that I rated as a 5 star book as well as it is now one of my favorites.
    • 4/5
      The perfect murder mystery for book lovers.
    • 5/5
      I didn’t know Peter Swanson. It was a pleasant surprise and a great debut! The author was able to create a mixed feeling about the main character and I spent the whole book trying to decide if I liked or hated him. I loved the story from the beginning to the end. Looking forward to start the next one.
    • 3/5
      I liked the premise and how this felt like a cozy mystery but was not-- well, it at least presented a lovely twist. I'm looking forward to reading more from Swanson.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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!
    • 5/5
      Well done, would recommend this book to others. Good read.
    • 5/5
      Great book with an unexpected twist at the end. Well written and moves at the right pace. I recommend it.
    • 3/5
      I'm sad, I thought I would like this more. To be honest, I was more interested in reading the list of thriller books that were listed in this book rather than this book itself. The premise of this book is awesome but the delivery was a bit dull and dreary.

      The characters were kinda boring. I didn't care much about the relationship between Mal and Gwen. I liked the two employes at Old Devel's bookstore, but they were not essential to the story at all. As for the ending, I didn't hate it. Everything made sense, but it didn't seem natural to me. I feel like much of this book was rushed, but saying nothing at all.
    • 5/5
      I am not a huge fan of open-ended narratives, but the entirety of the plot was more than enough to compensate for that. I feel that reading has this exact impact on everyone - and it is just a person's strength of will that decides whether or not he or she gives in to the urge of doing as the book suggests. In this sense, any book becomes both a blessing and a curse. All in all, Peter Swanson did a marvelous job with this - highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      The characters were fun to get to know. I appreciate knowing that we never really “know” the people in our lives.
    • 3/5
      I'm not sure Mal had a particularly interesting voice for the story to be told the way it did. I found it slow and not at all suspenseful. I get what the author was trying to do but IMO it didn't work.
    • 4/5
      A mystery set in a bookstore that sells antique mystery books, with a cat. One blog post of "Eight Perfect Murders" that lists the bloggers favorite murder books and now someone is trying to complete the list with actual murders. And that's all I want to say because it has so many twists and turns, and an unexpected ending, if you love a good mystery, in a mystery, then I highly recommend this book!
    • 2/5
      Slow burn. Good story overall I just wasn’t rushing to go back to it.
    • 5/5
      Eight Perfect Murders is engaging from page one. It keeps you guessing, and just when you think you've hit the last plot twist, Swanson throws in another. Influenced by many of the best crime writers, this thriller is a perfect tribute to some of the book world's most loved classic mysteries.
    • 4/5
      I didn't see the end coming. It was easy to listen to. I will probably listen to it again later on in the year. It was a sweet sad story .
    • 5/5
      Good mystery with twists and turns that keeps you guessing. Good cast of characters-not so many that can’t keep track. Took us on a 10 hour driving trip. Like the author’s style.
    • 5/5
      A very interesting and surprising book very comfortable, enjoyable read!
    • 3/5
      A lot of spoilers of classic mystery novels. The end was a sort of ripoff “The Murder of Roger Akroyd”.
    • 5/5
      Amazing read! Or should I say listen? Haha either way I couldn’t put this one down! My first Peter Swanson book but definitely not my last.
    • 5/5
      Such a great book. I was immediately hooked and could not stop listening to the audio, and Graham Halstead is a great narrator.

      Malcolm Kershaw, co-owner of a mystery bookshop in Boston known as Old Devils Bookstore, is questioned by a detective and is asked about a Blog that he made a few years back, Eight perfect murders. Hoping that his post would go viral, he only got two replies, and eventually, the post was forgotten. Years later, Mal is visited by an FBI agent who shares her suspicion that someone has been using this list to replicate the crimes. Mal, knowing he could be considered a suspect, decides to look into the case and hopefully bring the killer to light, but he is tangled in the web of suspicion and guilt in the process.

      This book had me guessing who the killer was, but as you kept reading, the clues kept changing—great thriller, mystery, and suspense book.
    • 4/5
      I loved the beginning and structure, but I was too hyped on reviews and a previous Agatha Christie book beforehand that made me somewhat underwhelmed with the ending. But it still had a good plot and its my favourite kind of narration style.
    • 3/5
      A story very well written! but I got some mixed feelings about it. Written in a sort of 'light' atmosphere but there is an underlying sense of depressive darkness all along till the end.
    • 5/5
      A truly deserving five star rating. I’m so glad I got to read(listen to) this book.