One of the benefits of lockdown has meant that on my days off, I have actually had a chance to read. Before, me and the boyfriend would head off somewhere to make the most of our time in Australia, but arriving back home just in time for a pandemic has freed up the diary somewhat.

The latest in my library has been EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS (or RULES FOR MURDER in the UK) by Peter Swanson.

What’s not to love for the crime and mystery book editor reading a crime and mystery thriller about a crime and mystery bookseller? The premise is clever and this twists unexpected. It’s compelling reading with a narrator that so draws you in that you can’t help but turn the page. Dark, literary and genius.

My only bugbear is that the narrator does give away the plots and twists to some classic mystery novels - not all of which I have got round to reading. You have been warned. But I guess it just tells me I have homework to do.

I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author and would recommend to my crime fiction loving pals and authors!

Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of Peter Swanson and was very excited to get approved for this one! He definitely has a great appreciation for the mystery genre. The premise for this one was great and I couldn’t wait to get started. I did find the ending a little anticlimactic which was unfortunate but overall I liked it.

Woah woah woah. This book is maybe my new favorite. It’s definitely the best book I’ve read this year.

It’s fast paced and it is beautifully woven together. This is a dark twisted mystery. It will suck you in from the get go and the end, when it all comes together it’s perfection.

Put this at the top of your TBR list. I promise you it’s worth the read!!

The perfect murder story for mystery book lovers!

I loved reading The Rules for Perfect Murders and would definitely read more of Peter Swanson’s books just on the strength of this one.

I should warn potential readers that there are spoilers for the eight mystery books on his ‘perfect murder’ list, so if that worries you, you might want to read those first! Personally I had read/watched all I planned to from the list and so wasn’t too worried about it. You don’t need to have read those eight books either – although it might enhance the experience if you have – as the author includes everything you need to know in this text. For those interested, the list is as follows:

The ABC Murders – Agatha Christie

Deathtrap – Ira Levin

Double Indemnity – James M. Cain

The Drowner – John D. MacDonald

Malice Aforethought – Anthony Berkeley Cox

The Red House Mystery – A. A. Milne

The Secret History – Donna Tartt

Strangers on a Train – Patricia Highsmith

The main character, and narrator, Malcolm Kershaw runs Old Devil’s Bookstore, which specialises in mystery books old and new, and back when he was new and full of enthusiasm he opened the book shop blog with his list of ‘perfect murders’… the ones where the perpetrator should or could have got away with it.

But now the FBI are on his doorstep asking for his help, if a little suspiciously, as someone appears to be following Malcolm’s list to commit their own series of unsolvable murders. Someone who wants Malcolm to know what they are doing.

Immediately we are not only plunged into the investigation at hand – an ideal one for book lovers, being based on and investigated through reading books – but also the secrets that Malcolm has been hiding from for so long. Like what really happened to his marriage? Why does he have nightmares of running from danger? And why is he not being completely honest with Agent Gwen Mulvey about what he knows, or suspects he knows?

As a mystery fan, I found this book an absolute delight to read. Not only is it packed with literary references and lists, but it also cleverly blends old-school, golden-age cosy mysteries with more modern crime thrillers as the plot unfolds, giving mystery fans the best of all possible worlds as they read.

I adored Malcolm Kershaw, despite or because of his aloof and sometimes patronising manner, and couldn’t devour his story (because this is totally HIS story) quickly enough. It was a real stay-up-all-nighter and I enjoyed every minute.

Now I’m off to add the rest of Mr Swanson’s oeuvre to my ever-increasing wishlist!





“Well, besides the fact that a strange man comes into the store every day and buys a new copy of The A.B.C. Murders, I don’t know what else to tell you.” Her eyes raised for a moment before she realised I’d made a joke, or an attempt at one, then she smiled a little in acknowledgement. I asked her, “You think these murders are related to the book?”
“I do,” she said. “It’s too fantastical for it not to be.”

– Peter Swanson, Rules for Perfect Murders

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

I was nervous about this. After disliking the only Peter Swanson book I had read. So after seeing this on Scribd I decided to listen while reading along. I don’t know if this helped or if the book was just better. But I found myself flying through this. Not wanting to put it down. The pacing worked.

I did find the book wasn’t as intense as I had expected it to be considering it had multiple murders. But I was still intrigued. I wanted to try figure out who the killer was. The more I read the more I suspects I had. But I had no idea which if any would be revealed as the killer in the end. This kept me reading. On one hand I wanted to have guessed correctly. But on the other I hoped to be surprised by the end.

The reveal wasn’t dramatic. If anything a little underwhelming. The character revealed was one of my suspects. But the reason behind them committing murders I hadn’t guessed. I also didn’t find it the most interesting reason.

However the second reveal I didn’t expect. But looking back I maybe should have. The clues were all there. But I looked past them trying to find clues for the killer.

Mal ending was maybe a little underwhelming. But at the same time I don’t know if I expected anything for his ending. So can it really be underwhelming. Maybe I just wanted some better closure or justice.

An intriguing new mystery about a bookseller who finds himself at the centre of an FBI investigation…

The synopsis for this caught my attention, and the publishers were kind enough to approve my request to review it (both the North American and UK publisher gave me access to DRCs). Strangely, given how interesting Swanson’s novels sound, this is the first of his that I’ve read. An engaging and gripping read, I zipped through this in just a couple of very enjoyable sittings.

In Eight Perfect Murders, Swanson channels a very clear love for the crime and mystery genres. The novel has multiple references to not only the eight books mentioned in the character’s blog post, but also reflections on the current and past state of the genres. Long-time readers of mysteries will find many great comments and asides. The novel also plays around with various tropes and common genre elements — unreliable narrators, changes in context, revisions of history, and red herrings.

Swanson’s characters are very well-drawn, and Mal is an interesting guide — not only of the story, but also his small slice of Boston, and the genres he loves (but has distanced himself from). Mal operates in a very narrow slice of Boston, not wandering far from his comfortable, safe routine. When he’s approached by the FBI, his cozy life starts to unravel as he dives back into the novels on his list, and starts to conduct his own amateur investigation into what’s really going on and what is his connection to the murders and killer.

Swanson’s writing is excellent, and the novel flows very well — it’s a quick read, but didn’t feel rushed. If you are looking for a great new read, one that will keep you guessing and hook you from very early on, then I would definitely recommend this novel. I very much enjoyed it, and I think Swanson is a must-read author. I’ll be catching up his previous novels very soon.

A very clever well written plot which had me intrigued from the first chapter. It also made me want to reread some of the books on The List - particularly the Agatha Christie books that I read in my teens. Thank you for reigniting my love of clever murder mysteries.

Let’s get the following out of the way first....I like Peter Swanson books and look out for them as I know he’s a good author and writes in an erudite style. There I’ve said it. So once again we have a murder mystery that pretty early on tells you who is the culprit, so from then on you tend to be on the side of the offender - holding your breath hoping he’s going to get away with it.

So where’s the twist? Or double/treble twist? You are going to have to read this well constructed Narrator-told story to find that out. To be fair I was totally enthralled for 80% of the book and then I had my doubts as the plot became a little stretching of one’s ability to believe. I’m trying very hard NOT to over-exaggerate this because all was plausible - just slightly unlikely. But would I recommend this - oh yes!

Thank you @faberbooks and @netgalley for a copy of Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson for review.

Also known under the title Rules For Perfect Murders, this one was a miss for me. I liked the concept of a serial killer using mystery novels as the inspiration for their own killing spree, but the characters just fell flat for me. It also annoyed me a little that the whole book is pretty much a spoiler for eight other books. I felt that too much time was spent discussing the other books and why and how the killer might use them and not enough time was spend on the connection of the crime to the main character and the details of those.

Peter Swanson's The Kind Worth Killing is one of my favourite thrillers and I always eagerly anticipate and have high expectations for each of his new books, although nothing came quite close yet. Rules For Perfect Murders has an intriguing premise (especially for crime mysteries fans) and combined with the author's excellent writing, it's almost guaranteed to be a winner. And, overall, it is a good read, with some interesting characters, tight plot line and several twists. There's just something missing, that 'je ne sais quoi' that makes a good book a great one.

After a slow burn start, the story moves on at a cracking pace. Loved the 1940's feel to the piece and the ending was worth the wait. Recommend.

An entertaining puzzle mystery tailor-made for bookworms. 4/5 stars.

This review was originally posted on my book blog.

This is such a hard book to review without giving anything about the plot away... but I'll do my best!

Firstly and most importantly, take a look at the list of books on the main character's 'Eight Favourite Murders' list. If you haven't read any of the titles and would like to read them at some point without having the endings spoiled, please read them before you read this book! The story here pulls no punches and reveals exactly who did it and how for each of the books on the list.

Rules for Perfect Murders is an entertaining puzzle mystery which plays with a lot of the most popular tropes of the murder mystery genre. It will instantly be of particular interest to bookworms: the main character is a book seller, a lot of the story takes place in a specialist bookshop and the plot revolves around the plots of other books. You're sure to find this an interesting read if you are a fan of classic whodunnits in the vein of And Then There Were None.

The plot throws out a decent number of dead ends and red herrings to keep the reader interested. That said, I found my concentration waning from about three-quarters of the way through, which is when I cottoned on to who had done it and why. The narrator breaks the fourth wall a couple of times to tell us to pay attention to the detail of his story, and if you pick up on the right clues you can figure out what's ahead.

The first-person narrator, Malcolm, is a fairly complex character. His gradual personal revelations help to hold our interest and keep the narrative moving forward. However, I did find his voice rather detached and didn't think he was the most charismatic character to lead us through the plot. This isn't a criticism of the book's style, as it makes complete sense in the context of the story and is in keeping with other first-person narrators in the genre, but it didn't help to keep me gripped.

Overall: an entertaining puzzle mystery tailor-made for bookworms with a particular love of the classic whodunnit. But please note the spoiler warning!

What if writing a blog post could end in murder?
Malcolm 'Mal' Kershaw works at a Boston book store that specialises in mysteries, which is where Special Agent Gwen Mulvey finds him one wintry day. She wants to talk to Mal about a blog he wrote a few years ago - a list of eight perfect murders from popular mystery novels. Turns out someone has been inspired by Mal's list, using it as a blueprint to commit real crimes. Mal is quick to offer his cooperation, agreeing to help Agent Mulvey in the hunt to find a twisted killer. But just like one of the big reveals in Malcolm's favourite murders, the truth of what's really going on is entirely unexpected.
Peter Swanson, author of The Kind Worth Killing and Before She Knew Him, uses his latest thriller Rules for Perfect Murders as an homage to Golden Age crime fiction authors like Agatha Christie and Patricia Highsmith, and contemporary bestsellers such as Donna Tartt's The Secret History. For those readers familiar with the books on Mal's list, it's a welcome tribute, but for those who haven't, there are some necessary spoilers.
Like all good psychological thrillers, Rules for Perfect Murders hinges on its intriguing narrator. And like all good narrators, Mal is an unreliable one. He even deliberately acknowledges this trend, questioning how the sudden popularity of unreliable narrators makes it seem as though "the omission of facts from a narrative hadn't been the bedrock upon which psychological thrillers have been built for over a century", citing Rebecca as an example well before Gone Girl ever hit the bestseller list.
As Mal throws us random pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, the full picture slowly becomes clearer, with each reveal more shocking that the one before. And as we learn more about Mal, and his deceased wife, Claire, it becomes eerily apparent that all of the characters are somehow connected to the murders. For the savvy readers who like to act as sleuth, there are plenty of opportunities to guess whodunit but the final twist may come as a surprise.
Peter Swanson demonstrates his expert knowledge of suspense thrillers and murder mysteries with a tale of vengeance, guilt and addiction, cleverly balancing some very dark moments with Mal's mild-mannered narration. Rules for Perfect Murders is a truly fun read (as fun as a book about getting away with murder can be) and just the kind of perfect escapism for your self-isolation, or a great choice for your online book club.

Loved this book - would 100% recommend and am looking forward to reading what this author writes next!

Rules for Perfect Murders is a brilliant thriller which caught my attention completely from the first page. It’s so cleverly written, I can’t see anyone who wouldn’t enjoy it.

One of the things I love about this novel is, of course, that it is in itself about crime novels – someone seems to be murdering people by using a bookseller’s blog post, “My Eight Favourite Murders”, and the author of that post is drawn in to help find out who is doing it. There’s so many classic murder novels included in this book, some of which I’ve read (and including one of my own favourite books, The Secret History by Donna Tartt), and some I haven’t but have always wanted to. As well as the eight books on the list that this book revolves around, there are some other novels included which I’ve enjoyed such as The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith, which it’s great to see included too. Basically, as a book lover, reading a book about more books (particularly crime / thrillers!) bodes very well!

The premise of the story, as mentioned above, is very clever and there are other seemingly unrelated narratives which all add to the mystery of the book. The characters – particularly narrator Malcolm – are interesting and likable. I really enjoyed reading about Mal, and slowly discovering more and more about him. I enjoyed the surprises along the way (don’t want to give too much away though) and feel like it ended perfectly – ending this brilliant novel in a satisfying way.

I had been fully prepared to adore this book - a crime fiction book set in a bookstore that sells other crime fiction books. What's not to love? Unfortunately, quite a bit for me.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad read, In fact, on the whole I enjoyed it; it whiled away a few hours and didn't take too long to finish, and I also got recommendations for other books I now want to pick up.

It just didn't work for me, however. I felt a lot of it was obvious, the narrator was obviously unreliable and there were only a few ways this could have gone. The examples of murders that were tried to make fit to the list of crime books on the narrator's blog was laughable - you could make any crime fit if you were looking for reasons. It was way too farfetched and that's where it lost me.

I've heard great things about Swanson's other books so I will probably look into these at some point, but I wouldn't recommend this one as a place to start.

Rules for Perfect Murders, or AKA Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank both Edelweiss and NetGalley, the publisher William Morrow, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

  
My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Malcolm (Mal) Kershaw is a part owner of the Old Devils bookstore.  A friend put up the money, and Mal runs the store, with two employees, and a cat named Nero who has made this bookstore his home.

When FBI agent Gwen Mulvey starts asking Mal questions about a list entitled "Eight Perfect Murders" which he had written for the company blog many years ago, he is confused.  Gwen seems to think that someone out there is re-creating the murders from those books.  As evidence continues to build, it quickly becomes evident that this murderer knows Mal quite well.

For his own protection, Mal is going to try and figure out who the murderer is, before Mal himself is arrested for the murders, or the killer decides to come after him.


My Opinions:  

Wonderful book.  Might have something to do with the fact that a number of other mystery books and authors as well as a synopsis of each were presented as part of this story.  Yes, the synopsis of each book that was mentioned contained spoilers, but most of the books are old, and even those I have read, I would re-read.  The others....now going on my TBR pile.

Bottom line, Peter Swanson has become one of my favorite authors.  I love his imagination, his characters, his twists. Mal was a great character,  a little sad, a little lost, a little paranoid, a little untrustworthy, but strong and likable.  There were a lot of characters who could have been the killer, but in the end, it was perfect.  I love being surprised by the identity of the perpetrator, and I was definitely stunned on this one.

Overall, I really loved this book.  It was a great mystery/thriller.  I am definitely recommending this one!

Peter Swanson created a brilliant novel for all crime fiction lovers in mind. Books about books are one of my favourite to read so I was really looking forward to dig into this one.

The plot was brilliant: a bookseller Malcolm has been dragged into FBI investigation of the series of murders believed to be linked to his blog post about some classic mystery novels and their “perfect” murders. But Mal has got his own secret past.

The author’s writing is delightful: easy to follow and grabbing your attention from the first page. I loved the reference to some famous mystery murders books and I will definitely be adding some of them onto my tbr pile. I really enjoyed the unreliable narrator and was eager to finally discover what he is hiding. The book is filled with twists and unpredictable turns and the ending was very satisfying to me.

My only complaint is that if you have not read any of the mentioned books, Rules For Perfect Murders is a massive spoiler. I wished the author dealt with this in a different way.

It was a quick, fast paced read and the fans of Peter Swanson won’t be disappointed.

This story was unexpected. Reading the blurb I understood it was a sort of classic whodunnit but it was more complex and completely out of my comfort zone.
I assume this misunderstanding was due to the fact it was the first book I read by this author.
That said it was an enthralling and brilliant read that kept me hooked and I read it in one afternoon.
The MC is unreliable but I thought he was always damaged and full of grief.
There's a mystery and there's a love story, there's a sweet cat and there's a fascinating bookstore.
And a great story that mixes them all and makes you wonder if what you're reading is the truth or just an edited version of the truth.
I loved it and I will surely read other books by this author.
It was brilliant and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I stumbled across Peter Swanson's books thanks to my friend Julie and I haven't looked back since, a great thriller / crime writer, so I was delighted to receive a free digital copy of his new book in exchange for an honest review.

Eight perfect murders (also it appears to be known as Rules for perfect murders) is a classic Swanson story. The story opens on a seemingly benign setting, Mal is a bookshop owner that specialises in mystery books and along with the book shop cat Nero and his two younger employees Emily and Brandon seems to be rubbing alongside life ok.

Until one day Mal receives a visit from an FBI agent investigating a series of suspicious deaths in the region which she thinks connects back to one of the bookshop blogs Mal wrote years earlier....

From here you are taken on a delicious whodunnit adventure (or I suppose in this case whodunwhat), plenty of rich characters will keep you guessing and I changed my mind two or three times during the course of the novel, even suspecting innocent people!

I love the fresh individual aspects Peter has woven into this novel, the lovely story about how Nero came to the bookshop cat, the actual list of the eight stories that would make Mal's perfect murder list - a lovely touch for bookaholics like me.

This is another great crime thriller which had me reading pages long after I should have been asleep.