FEBRUARY 2020 - AudioFile
Narrator Graham Halstead voices Malcolm Kershaw, crime fiction bookstore owner, with a perfect next-door-neighbor tone that simply seduces the listener into trusting him. Several years ago, Kershaw posted a blog describing eight mysteries in which the murderer succeeds in committing the perfect unsolvable crime. Now an FBI agent approaches Kershaw with that list because she believes someone is imitating those murders in real life. Halstead effectively differentiates the characters, male and female, drunk and sober, and matches his tone and pace to the unfolding story. Mystery aficionados will delight in the literary references and enjoy the twists and turns in this cleverly written audiobook by an author who truly appreciates the genre. E.Q. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 01/06/2020
In 2004, Malcolm Kershaw, the narrator of this outstanding fair-play crime novel from Swanson (Before She Knew Him), began working at Boston’s Old Devils Bookstore, where he posted a list on the store’s blog of eight mysteries in which “the murderer comes closest to realizing that platonic ideal of a perfect murder.” Years later, FBI agent Gwen Mulvey tells him she’s investigating multiple killings that she believes may have been influenced by his blog post. For example, Mulvey is probing the deaths of three people apparently connected only by having a name related to birds, a setup similar to Agatha Christie’s The A.B.C. Murders, one of the books on the list. Mulvey is also looking into a murder that mirrors the circumstances of James M. Cain’s Double Indemnity and hopes that Kershaw can give her a lead as to who might be using his list for a campaign of bloodshed. The stakes rise when Kershaw admits he knew one of the victims but chose not to share that with Mulvey. Swanson will keep most readers guessing until the end. Classic whodunit fans will be in heaven. Agent: Nat Sobel, Sobel & Weber. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
Eight Perfect Murders creates expectations it then subverts, presents suspects only to eliminate them, and in general has its own way with the tropes of the mystery thriller—including that genre mainstay, the unreliable narrator.” — Wall Street Journal
“A devious whodunit” — New York Times Book Review
“Engagingly original… This [is a] multilayered mystery that brims with duplicity, betrayal and revenge—all bubbling slowly to the surface… Swanson has a bent for revenge and murder. Fans won’t be disappointed.” — USA Today
“Clever and surprising. Eight Perfect Murders opens with a true mystery lover's delight, a killer seemingly paying homage to the classics. But you can barely say Agatha Christie before Swanson rips us from one startling plot twist to the next. A marriage that may not be what it seems, friends who may not be what they seem and yes, a mysterious man in black who we don’t even know what he seems. With mounting tension and fraying nerves, it careens to the final stunning conclusion. A true tour de force.” — Lisa Gardner
“Eight Perfect Murders is an ever-unfolding puzzle… Mal frequently confides in the reader, showing that he knows more than he is letting the FBI believe. But what exactly does Mal know, and what might he be guilty of? These questions will plague readers and follow them throughout the book.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Fiendish good fun.” — Anthony Horowitz
“Clever and surprising… Swanson rips us from one startling plot twist to the next. A marriage that may not be what it seems [and] friends who may not be what they seem… With mounting tension and fraying nerves, it careens to the final stunning conclusion. A true tour de force.” — Lisa Gardner
“Fiendishly clever catnip for any lover of classic crime fiction.” — Seattle Times
“Probably what you need right now is a good murder mystery. One that is bookish, engrossing, not overly gory and impossible to solve. Peter Swanson delivers all of this in Eight Perfect Murders… Swanson drops in lovely clues, but good luck figuring it out. — Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“A devilish premise combined with jaw-dropping execution… Mystery fans will be salivating as the plot unfolds, trying to outsmart the confoundingly unreliable narrative… Swanson hits every note in this homage to the old-school crime novel, and the turnabout ending will leave readers reeling in delight.” — Booklist (starred review)
“The pleasures of following, and trying to anticipate, a narrator who's constantly second- and third-guessing himself and everyone around him are authentic and intense… You wish the mounting complications, like a magician's showiest routine, could go on forever.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“[An] outstanding fair-play crime novel… Swanson will keep most readers guessing until the end. Classic whodunit fans will be in heaven.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Readers who enjoy thrillers chock-full of twists and turns will adore Peter Swanson’s meta-mystery Eight Perfect Murders… This superbly plotted novel, thrilling, fast-paced and psychologically complex, makes the perfect book club choice for fans of Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders and A.J. Finn's The Woman in the Window.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“An homage to classic mystery stories that offers both the charms of a puzzle mystery and the bleak atmosphere of a noir… The flawed main characters are well developed, the New England settings are vividly drawn, and the twists keep coming in this suspenseful, ingeniously plotted tale.” — St. Louis Post Dispatch
“The wintry setting and eerily cool narration, together with trust-no-one twists and garish murders, will satisfy thriller readers; fans of classic mysteries by Agatha Christie, Ira Levin, and John D. MacDonald will enjoy… You’ll stay to the finish of this one.” — Library Journal
“Intelligent, twisty, stylish, startling… No matter how well you know someone, you can never fully know what’s in their heart and mind. Eight Perfect Murders proves the point. Which is what makes it perfectly creepy.” — New York Journal of Books
“The meta thriller fans of the genre have been waiting for.” — Popsugar
“A must-read… A shocking, addictive mystery with a classic crime twist… Swanson is a master… If you’re as obsessed with crime fiction as I am, Peter Swanson’s newest is a book you simply cannot miss.” — CrimeByTheBook
“Eight Perfect Murders is pretty much perfect itself. There are plenty of twists and turns, and secrets galore… We owe Swanson a debt of gratitude… You also owe it to yourself to read Eight Perfect Murders.” — BookReporter.com
“Mr. Swanson unfolds this creepy story with the assurance and economy of a master. Surprises follow one another with inevitability, until the final electrifying jolt.” — Wall Street Journal on Before She Knew Him
“[A] neatly knotted suspense story.” — New York Times Book Review on Before She Knew Him
“[Swanson] knows how to ration his twists and where in the narrative to place them, devoting just the right amount of time to exploring the ramifications of each new development before spinning the story off in an ominous new direction… De Palma, or Hitchcock…would kill for the film rights.” — The National (UK) on Before She Knew Him
“In trademark style, Swanson’s ingenious plotting throws up tantalising clues and then slowly unravels them through a series of shocking revelations, leaving readers confused, bemused and racing to the last page. Compelling, creepy, and psychologically astute, this is stylish thriller writing at its very best.” — The Guardian (UK) on Before She Knew Him
“This devilishly clever noir thriller could have been called “Strangers on a Plane.” … It would have made a great Hitchcock movie.… Unlike most books that fail to live up to the hype, this one makes good on the promise, right down to the chilling final paragraph.” — Fort Worth Star-Telegram on The Kind Worth Killing
“The skillfully conjured Boston winter creates the perfect atmosphere for breeding paranoia, which kicks into high gear with the introduction of Cherney’s Rear Window-like flashbacks. Swanson … introduces a delicious monster-under-the-bed creepiness to the expected top-notch characterization and steadily mounting anxiety.” — Booklist (starred review) on Her Every Fear
“A wicked thriller that does not disappoint… Another gem that pulls the reader in and never lets go, even as the story comes to a close. This is a book that will keep you up at night and haunt your thoughts. A fun, chilling read.” — Manhattan Book Review on Before She Knew Him
“Plenty of suspense and surprises... This intense and sinister thriller builds to a shocking conclusion as the bizarre relationship between a woman and her killer neighbor plays out.” — ShelfAwareness.com on Before She Knew Him
“In Peter Swanson’s expert hands, one woman’s discerning observation at a quiet suburban dinner party unfolds into a gripping, twisty, psychologically complex thriller. I could not put it down.” — Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Wife on Before She Knew Him
“Suspense lovers will devour this deliciously duplicitous read, which is chock-full of twists, turns, lust, greed, and dishonesty.” — Library Journal on All the Beautiful Lies
“Swanson’s fourth psychological thriller is a gripping exploration of delusion and deceit; sure to please readers of Laura Lippman’s stand-alones.” — Booklist on All the Beautiful Lies
“Complex [and] intriguing… [Swanson] makes sure to place those twists and turns perfectly... And when someone else turns up dead, the story goes from 0-to-60 in a split-second. Peter Swanson has done a fantastic job.” — Suspense Magazine on All the Beautiful Lies
“Swanson has drawn on Alfred Hitchcock to good effect. In All the Beautiful Lies, he looks instead to du Maurier… The reader is soon gripped and wondering which will come first: Harry’s seduction or his death? Swanson’s magpie borrowings are always finessed into something fresh and piquant. — The Guardian
Anthony Horowitz
Fiendish good fun.
Booklist (starred review)
A devilish premise combined with jaw-dropping execution… Mystery fans will be salivating as the plot unfolds, trying to outsmart the confoundingly unreliable narrative… Swanson hits every note in this homage to the old-school crime novel, and the turnabout ending will leave readers reeling in delight.
San Francisco Chronicle
Eight Perfect Murders is an ever-unfolding puzzle… Mal frequently confides in the reader, showing that he knows more than he is letting the FBI believe. But what exactly does Mal know, and what might he be guilty of? These questions will plague readers and follow them throughout the book.
New York Times Book Review
A devious whodunit
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Probably what you need right now is a good murder mystery. One that is bookish, engrossing, not overly gory and impossible to solve. Peter Swanson delivers all of this in Eight Perfect Murders… Swanson drops in lovely clues, but good luck figuring it out.
Lisa Gardner
Clever and surprising. Eight Perfect Murders opens with a true mystery lover's delight, a killer seemingly paying homage to the classics. But you can barely say Agatha Christie before Swanson rips us from one startling plot twist to the next. A marriage that may not be what it seems, friends who may not be what they seem and yes, a mysterious man in black who we don’t even know what he seems. With mounting tension and fraying nerves, it careens to the final stunning conclusion. A true tour de force.
Seattle Times
Fiendishly clever catnip for any lover of classic crime fiction.
Wall Street Journal
Eight Perfect Murders creates expectations it then subverts, presents suspects only to eliminate them, and in general has its own way with the tropes of the mystery thriller—including that genre mainstay, the unreliable narrator.
USA Today
Engagingly original… This [is a] multilayered mystery that brims with duplicity, betrayal and revenge—all bubbling slowly to the surface… Swanson has a bent for revenge and murder. Fans won’t be disappointed.
San Francisco Chronicle
Eight Perfect Murders is an ever-unfolding puzzle… Mal frequently confides in the reader, showing that he knows more than he is letting the FBI believe. But what exactly does Mal know, and what might he be guilty of? These questions will plague readers and follow them throughout the book.
Wall Street Journal
Eight Perfect Murders creates expectations it then subverts, presents suspects only to eliminate them, and in general has its own way with the tropes of the mystery thriller—including that genre mainstay, the unreliable narrator.
USA Today
Engagingly original… This [is a] multilayered mystery that brims with duplicity, betrayal and revenge—all bubbling slowly to the surface… Swanson has a bent for revenge and murder. Fans won’t be disappointed.
St. Louis Post Dispatch
An homage to classic mystery stories that offers both the charms of a puzzle mystery and the bleak atmosphere of a noir… The flawed main characters are well developed, the New England settings are vividly drawn, and the twists keep coming in this suspenseful, ingeniously plotted tale.
Wall Street Journal on Before She Knew Him
Mr. Swanson unfolds this creepy story with the assurance and economy of a master. Surprises follow one another with inevitability, until the final electrifying jolt.
New York Times Book Review on Before She Knew Him
[A] neatly knotted suspense story.
The National (UK) on Before She Knew Him
[Swanson] knows how to ration his twists and where in the narrative to place them, devoting just the right amount of time to exploring the ramifications of each new development before spinning the story off in an ominous new direction… De Palma, or Hitchcock…would kill for the film rights.
The Guardian (UK) on Before She Knew Him
In trademark style, Swanson’s ingenious plotting throws up tantalising clues and then slowly unravels them through a series of shocking revelations, leaving readers confused, bemused and racing to the last page. Compelling, creepy, and psychologically astute, this is stylish thriller writing at its very best.
Suspense Magazine on All the Beautiful Lies
Complex [and] intriguing… [Swanson] makes sure to place those twists and turns perfectly... And when someone else turns up dead, the story goes from 0-to-60 in a split-second. Peter Swanson has done a fantastic job.
CrimeByTheBook
A must-read… A shocking, addictive mystery with a classic crime twist… Swanson is a master… If you’re as obsessed with crime fiction as I am, Peter Swanson’s newest is a book you simply cannot miss.”
The Guardian
Swanson has drawn on Alfred Hitchcock to good effect. In All the Beautiful Lies, he looks instead to du Maurier… The reader is soon gripped and wondering which will come first: Harry’s seduction or his death? Swanson’s magpie borrowings are always finessed into something fresh and piquant.
BookReporter.com
Eight Perfect Murders is pretty much perfect itself. There are plenty of twists and turns, and secrets galore… We owe Swanson a debt of gratitude… You also owe it to yourself to read Eight Perfect Murders.
New York Journal of Books
Intelligent, twisty, stylish, startling… No matter how well you know someone, you can never fully know what’s in their heart and mind. Eight Perfect Murders proves the point. Which is what makes it perfectly creepy.
Shelf Awareness (starred review)
Readers who enjoy thrillers chock-full of twists and turns will adore Peter Swanson’s meta-mystery Eight Perfect Murders… This superbly plotted novel, thrilling, fast-paced and psychologically complex, makes the perfect book club choice for fans of Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders and A.J. Finn's The Woman in the Window.”
Alafair Burke
In Peter Swanson’s expert hands, one woman’s discerning observation at a quiet suburban dinner party unfolds into a gripping, twisty, psychologically complex thriller. I could not put it down.
Popsugar
The meta thriller fans of the genre have been waiting for.
Booklist (starred review) on Her Every Fear
The skillfully conjured Boston winter creates the perfect atmosphere for breeding paranoia, which kicks into high gear with the introduction of Cherney’s Rear Window-like flashbacks. Swanson … introduces a delicious monster-under-the-bed creepiness to the expected top-notch characterization and steadily mounting anxiety.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram on The Kind Worth Killing
This devilishly clever noir thriller could have been called “Strangers on a Plane.” … It would have made a great Hitchcock movie.… Unlike most books that fail to live up to the hype, this one makes good on the promise, right down to the chilling final paragraph.
Manhattan Book Review on Before She Knew Him
A wicked thriller that does not disappoint… Another gem that pulls the reader in and never lets go, even as the story comes to a close. This is a book that will keep you up at night and haunt your thoughts. A fun, chilling read.
ShelfAwareness.com on Before She Knew Him
Plenty of suspense and surprises... This intense and sinister thriller builds to a shocking conclusion as the bizarre relationship between a woman and her killer neighbor plays out.
null Booklist (starred review) on Her Every Fear
The skillfully conjured Boston winter creates the perfect atmosphere for breeding paranoia, which kicks into high gear with the introduction of Cherney’s Rear Window-like flashbacks. Swanson … introduces a delicious monster-under-the-bed creepiness to the expected top-notch characterization and steadily mounting anxiety.
null Booklist on All the Beautiful Lies
Swanson’s fourth psychological thriller is a gripping exploration of delusion and deceit; sure to please readers of Laura Lippman’s stand-alones.
Booklist on All the Beautiful Lies
Swanson’s fourth psychological thriller is a gripping exploration of delusion and deceit; sure to please readers of Laura Lippman’s stand-alones.
Suspense Magazine on All the Beautiful Lies
Complex [and] intriguing… [Swanson] makes sure to place those twists and turns perfectly... And when someone else turns up dead, the story goes from 0-to-60 in a split-second. Peter Swanson has done a fantastic job.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram on The Kind Worth Killing
This devilishly clever noir thriller could have been called “Strangers on a Plane.” … It would have made a great Hitchcock movie.… Unlike most books that fail to live up to the hype, this one makes good on the promise, right down to the chilling final paragraph.
ShelfAwareness.com on Before She Knew Him
Plenty of suspense and surprises... This intense and sinister thriller builds to a shocking conclusion as the bizarre relationship between a woman and her killer neighbor plays out.
New York Times Book Review on Before She Knew Him
[A] neatly knotted suspense story.
The Guardian
Swanson has drawn on Alfred Hitchcock to good effect. In All the Beautiful Lies, he looks instead to du Maurier… The reader is soon gripped and wondering which will come first: Harry’s seduction or his death? Swanson’s magpie borrowings are always finessed into something fresh and piquant.
Booklist (starred review) on Her Every Fear
The skillfully conjured Boston winter creates the perfect atmosphere for breeding paranoia, which kicks into high gear with the introduction of Cherney’s Rear Window-like flashbacks. Swanson … introduces a delicious monster-under-the-bed creepiness to the expected top-notch characterization and steadily mounting anxiety.
The National (UK) on Before She Knew Him
[Swanson] knows how to ration his twists and where in the narrative to place them, devoting just the right amount of time to exploring the ramifications of each new development before spinning the story off in an ominous new direction… De Palma, or Hitchcock…would kill for the film rights.
The Guardian (UK) on Before She Knew Him
In trademark style, Swanson’s ingenious plotting throws up tantalising clues and then slowly unravels them through a series of shocking revelations, leaving readers confused, bemused and racing to the last page. Compelling, creepy, and psychologically astute, this is stylish thriller writing at its very best.
Booklist (starred review)
A devilish premise combined with jaw-dropping execution… Mystery fans will be salivating as the plot unfolds, trying to outsmart the confoundingly unreliable narrative… Swanson hits every note in this homage to the old-school crime novel, and the turnabout ending will leave readers reeling in delight.
Booklist on All the Beautiful Lies
Swanson’s fourth psychological thriller is a gripping exploration of delusion and deceit; sure to please readers of Laura Lippman’s stand-alones.
Wall Street Journal on Before She Knew Him
Mr. Swanson unfolds this creepy story with the assurance and economy of a master. Surprises follow one another with inevitability, until the final electrifying jolt.
Lisa Gardner
Clever and surprising… Swanson rips us from one startling plot twist to the next. A marriage that may not be what it seems [and] friends who may not be what they seem… With mounting tension and fraying nerves, it careens to the final stunning conclusion. A true tour de force.
Manhattan Book Review on Before She Knew Him
A wicked thriller that does not disappoint… Another gem that pulls the reader in and never lets go, even as the story comes to a close. This is a book that will keep you up at night and haunt your thoughts. A fun, chilling read.
Anthony Horowitz
Fiendish good fun.
The National-(UK) on Before She Knew Him
[Swanson] knows how to ration his twists and where in the narrative to place them, devoting just the right amount of time to exploring the ramifications of each new development before spinning the story off in an ominous new direction… De Palma, or Hitchcock…would kill for the film rights.
Suspense Magazine-on-All the Beautiful Lies
Complex [and] intriguing… [Swanson] makes sure to place those twists and turns perfectly... And when someone else turns up dead, the story goes from 0-to-60 in a split-second. Peter Swanson has done a fantastic job.
Booklist-on-All the Beautiful Lies
Swanson’s fourth psychological thriller is a gripping exploration of delusion and deceit; sure to please readers of Laura Lippman’s stand-alones.
Library Journal
01/01/2020
Lonely, widowed Boston bookstore owner Malcolm Kershaw gets a call from the FBI and meets with an agent who thinks a cold-blooded killer is using his years-old blog post that listed "eight perfect murders" in crime fiction as a playbook. Gwen thinks that three murders could be tied to Malcolm's post; Malcolm, who has a few secrets of his own, wonders if the killer is someone he contacted on the dark web about trading murders à la Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train. As the story unwinds, Malcolm's chilly, dispassionate narration becomes more unreliable and tension increases about who might be next and how it ties in with his list. The suspects range from his quirky millennial employees to acquaintances of his dead, drug-addicted wife, and everybody around him harbors dark secrets. VERDICT The wintry New England setting and eerily cool narration, together with trust-no-one twists and garish murders, will satisfy thriller readers; fans of classic mysteries by Agatha Christie, Ira Levin, and John D. MacDonald will enjoy how Swanson (Before She Knew Him) repurposes the plots. While you may not warm to Malcolm, you'll stay to the finish of this one. [See Prepub Alert, 8/25/19.]—Liz French, Library Journal
FEBRUARY 2020 - AudioFile
Narrator Graham Halstead voices Malcolm Kershaw, crime fiction bookstore owner, with a perfect next-door-neighbor tone that simply seduces the listener into trusting him. Several years ago, Kershaw posted a blog describing eight mysteries in which the murderer succeeds in committing the perfect unsolvable crime. Now an FBI agent approaches Kershaw with that list because she believes someone is imitating those murders in real life. Halstead effectively differentiates the characters, male and female, drunk and sober, and matches his tone and pace to the unfolding story. Mystery aficionados will delight in the literary references and enjoy the twists and turns in this cleverly written audiobook by an author who truly appreciates the genre. E.Q. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2019-11-24
A ghoulish killer brings a Boston bookseller's list of perfect fictional murders to life—that is, to repeated, emphatic death.
The Red House Mystery, Malice Aforethought, The A.B.C. Murders, Double Indemnity, Strangers on a Train, The Drowner, Deathtrap, The Secret History: They may not be the best mysteries, reflects Malcolm Kershaw, but they feature the most undetectable murders, as he wrote on a little-read blog post when he was first hired at Old Devils Bookstore. Now that he owns the store with mostly silent partner Brian Murray, a semifamous mystery writer, that post has come back to haunt him. FBI agent Gwen Mulvey has observed at least three unsolved murders, maybe more, that seem to take their cues from the stories on Mal's list. What does he think about possible links among them? she wonders. The most interesting thing he thinks is something he's not going to share with her: He's hiding a secret that would tie him even more closely to that list than she imagines. And while Mal is fretting about what he can do to help stop the violence without tipping his own hand, the killer, clearly untrammeled by any such scruples, continues down the list of fictional blueprints for perfect murders. Swanson (Before She Knew Him, 2019, etc.) jumps the shark early from genre thrills to metafictional puzzles, but despite a triple helping of cleverness that might seem like a fatal overdose, the pleasures of following, and trying to anticipate, a narrator who's constantly second- and third-guessing himself and everyone around him are authentic and intense. If the final revelations are anticlimactic, that's only because you wish the mounting complications, like a magician's showiest routine, could go on forever.
The perfect gift for well-read mystery mavens who complain that they don't write them like they used to.
