Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel

Product DescriptionNew York Times bestsellerSwanson rips us from one startling plot twist to the next A true tour de force. Lisa Gardner[A] multilayered mystery that brims with duplicity, betrayal and revenge. USA TodayFrom the hugely talented author of The Kind Worth Killing comes a chilling tale of psychological suspense and an homage to the thriller genre tailormade 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 fictions most ingenious murders.Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genres most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crackwhich he titled Eight Perfect Murderschosen from among the best of the best including Agatha Christies A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmiths Strangers on a Train, Ira Levins Deathtrap, A. A. Milnes The Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Coxs Malice Aforethought, James M. Cains Double Indemnity, John D. MacDonalds The Drowner, and Donna Tartts The 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. Shes looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mals old list. And the FBI agent isnt the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading. The killer is out there, watching his every movea diabolical threat who knows way too much about Mals personal history, especially the secrets hes 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 doesnt count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims deadand the noose around Mals neck grows so tight he might never escape.ReviewEight 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 thrillerincluding that genre mainstay, the unreliable narrator. Wall Street JournalA devious whodunit New York Times Book ReviewEngagingly original This [is a] multilayered mystery that brims with duplicity, betrayal and revengeall bubbling slowly to the surface Swanson has a bent for revenge and murder. Fans wont be disappointed. USA TodayClever and surprising. Eight Perfect Murders opens with a true mystery lovers 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 dont even know what he seems. With mounting tension and fraying nerves, it careens to the final stunning conclusion. A true tour de force. Lisa GardnerEight Perfect Murders is an everunfolding 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 ChronicleFiendish good fun. Anthony HorowitzClever 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 GardnerFiendishly clever catnip for any lover of classic crime fiction. Seattle TimesProbably 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