Eight Perfect Murders

Eight Perfect Murders is quite the unique and entertaining mystery novel.   Peter Swanson has really researched his mystery genre and come up with the perfect crime.  

In a unique plot twist this novel is written as a memoir.  Writing in the first person, narrator and bookstore owner, Malcolm Kershaw shares his story about his life and relationships.  Writing about his marriage to Claire, his co ownership of the bookstore, Old Devils, with mystery author, Brian Murray and his wife Tess.  We meet Mal, as he is known, which he points out in French means "wrong".   So you as a reader you suspicious from the outset.  

Working in the bookstore one day an FBI agent comes in to ask about a blog post Mal had posted.  The post was list of the eight mystery novels that Mal thought presented the perfect crime.  A crime where the perpetrator would never be caught.  In these eight classic great mystery novels were crimes that possibly could undetected.  A heart attack that was induced by scaring the individual.  An alcoholic who died from over drinking.  How would anyone ever know if it was natural or murder?

With this premise, FBI Agent Mulvey first interviews Mal and then seems to take Mal into her confidence and they are looking for a copy cat murderer who is using the eight mystery novels in the blog to commit more murders.  As the reader follows this investigation you need to decide you believe and who you do not.  

This is a very interesting way to reveal a crime and a spellbinding way to keep the reader guessing what is happening and what will happen next.  Along the way Swanson brings in such great mystery novels. So many excellent authors.  These are my favorite ways to escape with a great mystery that keeps yo in suspense until that last chapter that Mal says, he thinks is corny but sometimes titled, "The Whole Truth" where the big reveal happens and ties up all the loose ends.