DNF- could not get into the story at this time but will give it another try in the future. Have heard good things. Interesting premise.

What was this?!?! I just couldn't get into it fully. I kept putting it down, and not really wanting to read it. Just not for me.

*Thank you @henryholt for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

I am not a fan of short stories, and this book was basically 6 short stories tied together by a mystery. It all seemed very disjointed, too many "untruths" revealed, and it was very difficult to feel any real investment in the book or characters. This was was just not for me.

The Eighth Detective was highly recommended as an in-depth mystery book-- the best of the time. However, I guess it was a little to mysterious for me because I lost my desire to solve the mysteries. Sorry.

I only managed to get to 10% of this book. I couldn't really follow the plot, I didn't like the characters and disliked the style of writing. Just not my cup of tea.

One of the best books I read in 2021. I reached out to the author, Alex, who was amazing in his time to answer my email and questions regarding the writing of this book. Beyond clever and innovative. I can't wait for his next novel. I'm a fan for sure.

"The Eighth Detective" is a wickedly smart novel that teaches us about Russian nesting dolls and stories within stories. In it, Pavesi unwraps the skeleton of murder mystery dramas by breaking down the stories into their constiuent parts. The conceit is that a publisher visits a writer who disappeared from view twenty years earlier and is now willing to talk about his anthology of his own work. Interspersed with some seven murder mysteries, complex for the crossing patterns of suspects, killers, and victims, is a mystery involving each of these stories. Each one of these stories is creepy in its own right from families of stranglers to women falling off cliffs to those stuck in the same cabin with a killer. Even if you don't care for the classic murder mystery setup, you will find this puzzle fascinating.

I laid this book aside repeatedly because I couldn't get into it, and each time I'd come back hoping for something I didn't find before. It never happened. I didn't like the characters, the way the book is structured, and if we're going to have so much of a book taken up with short stories, could they maybe be original and dare I say interesting. The pacing didn't do this book any favors either, so I ended up finish simply because it became a challenge to do so. I try to avoid DNFs if at all possible, but all I ended up for the effort here was a few hours reading time I can't get back.

I had to put this down because it was so flat - the short stories that take up so much of the book are simply... Not good. And I couldn't get into the parts in between enough to want to know more. This one was not for me.

Unique read, filled with mystery. "The Eighth Detective," by Alex Pavesi, is, in part, an analysis of the mystery genre using mathematical principles. The author draws us in by presenting seven self-contained stories, each of which is a homage to the classic detective tales of old. Quite entertaining. I liked it.

Murder mysteries have rules, right? There has to be a victim, a suspect, a murderer, and a detective whether formal or informal. What else? There are only so many possibilities. Grant McAllister, a mathematician, sat down and figured out all the permutations of detective fiction, writing a short story that showcased each type, 7 in all. They were collected in a book, while he went off to live in the sunshine on an island in the Mediterranean somewhere.

30 years later, as editor Julie Hart makes her way through these stories, there are things that don’t add up. There seem to be several clues that point to a meta crime, possibly. She tracks Grant down to his cottage, with the announcement that her publishing house is planning to republish the stories. Grant needs the money, so he permits her to stay, and together they begin to painstakingly go through the stories.

This is the framework for the stories themselves, which echo the Golden Age of mystery’s writers such as Agatha Christie, G. K. Chesterton, Ellery Queen, and more. But after each story has been read, it must be dissected, flipped around, and viewed again from another angle.

The result is a fantastic read. The Eighth Detective grabbed me from the very first story and wouldn’t let me go. It’s beautifully written with an economy of form, and the framework itself provides a fantastic mystery which proves the need for, in fact, an eighth detective. A delightful nod to classic mysteries, and a worthy successor to the greats of the past. Highly, highly recommended.

I think this book would have worked best as a short story collection. I was hooked for the first half of the book but then lost interest about halfway through. I really did not care for the subplot as it seemed to draw too much attention away from each little mystery and by the end I just skimmed through.

I do think the author has quite a bit of potential and I would still pick up his next piece of work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for allowing me to read a copy of this book!

If you are an author or publisher seeking a review/blurb from me, please note I only provide those on the books I thoroughly enjoy and read cover-to-cover. If I don't give you one (as is the case here), it doesn't mean there was a problem with the book, it simply means the book wasn't for me or it may not resonate with my fan-base. I will, however, give you five-stars because I know EXACTLY how much work went into getting this particular title here and I'm not about to drag down your overall score just because it didn't hit for me. I wish you nothing but the best.
jd

Super fun read. Kept me entertained and reading. I want to read more of this author. Well written - loved the description

I'd like to thank the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very original and interesting read. I went in expecting a lot more focus on the mathematical aspect of it but I was not disappointed by what I got. It definitely pays homage to early detective fiction - something that I am a fan of -, and sets it up in a more modern world. I thoroughly enjoyed every story within it, though I would have liked to have spent a little more time building on our main characters, as the ending subsequently falls just a little bit flat. Without giving too much away, I really liked the 'little details' interspersed in the stories as well as the mathematical concept it puts forth . 4 stars because I had a lot of fun reading it! I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christie and Doyle.

I’m so on the fence about this book but ultimately it was not what I expected at all. The Eight Detective is a series of short stories, within a story. Grant, a math professor and writer of a book all about the rules for writing murder mysteries, gives us seven different formula’s for how to write a murder mystery. He uses short murder mystery stories to articulate and explain each of the seven formulas. While I actually really enjoyed each of the short stories, I was not super into the actually story of Julia, a young editor sent to interview Grant, and her determination to understand the discrepancies found within these short stories.

I honestly almost DNF’d this book. It was slow reading and while I liked the short murder mysteries themselves, the greater story lagged and occasional sounds like a textbook when Grant tries to explain the math behind writing a perfect murder mystery. I never found myself fully engaged into the overarching mystery. I am glad I finished the book. The ending was unexpected and knocked my review up by a star, up to 3 from 2.

Short stories are generally not my cup of tea. Short stories I love, are not near long enough for my taste, and other times they feel rushed. Once again, with The Eight Detective, this was exactly my experience. If you enjoy short stories than you might like this book.


The Eight Detective is out now. Huge thank you to Henry Holt and Co & Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

This was a DNF for me, unfortunately. I liked the beginning of the book, but once the stories started to get darker - the little girl being drowned - I had to put the book aside.

The Eighth Detective is a clever novel, but it felt more like a series of short stories. The stories have an Agatha Christie feel to them, but the parts I was more interested in were the discussion chapters between Grant and Julia that follow each "short story." Grant is intriguing as he’s elusive and evasive, and Julia is extremely smart and persistent. I will say I never saw the ending coming. It was quite the twist. Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Company for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

DNF @ 49%

While I tried really hard to get into this book; however, I found it to be more of a collection of short stories and not a novel. I have never been a fan of short stories, which is why I think this book just wasn't for me. I wish more time was spent on the "formula" and the conversations between the editor/publicist and the mathematician.

Thank you to Henry Holt & CO for my advanced reading copy via NetGalley.

Since I was unable to finish reading this book, it would not be fair for me to post a review on websites where the book is available for purchase.

Grant McAllister is a retired mathematician living alone on an Mediterranean Island. Many years ago, he published a collection of mystery short stories and now editor Julia Hart wants to republish them. The Eighth Detective plays out through their discussions as McAllister relays each story including his theory of requirements for every mystery. The story that ensues is extremely clever and complex.

The Eighth Detective moves slowly, especially in the beginning, and the constant switching between stories was a bit confusing at first. It took some time for me to settle into the flow and begin to get excited about where this was all leading - to a surprising ending. I can't say much without revealing too much storyline, but I will say this is a unique, clever read that charges readers with figuring it all out. A good debut author for Pavesi. Recommended for those who love a clever Christie-like mystery.