Joelle's Bibliofile

Catnip for the classic mystery fan, Peter Swanson’s sixth book Eight Perfect Murders pays homage to some treasured works from the genre by incorporating them into his tale of a copycat killer.  Swanson employs the main character Malcom Krenshaw as a guide to the original stories and as the singular point-of-view into a few mysteries of his own. As a niche bookstore owner whose intelligence and knowledge of the literature are extensive, Malcolm is approached by an FBI agent who is following a hunch about some recent murders. In one of his blogs, Malcolm had written about some famous fictional murders so cleverly crafted that they would be virtually unsolvable if they were to be committed in real life. Agent Gwen Mulvey discovered Malcolm’s list during her investigation, and she wants to verify her hypothesis that his list was used as a serial killer’s guide. She also seeks to eliminate him as a suspect or potential next target. Together they retrace the evidence to figure out who might want to send Malcolm a macabre message. Meanwhile, the reader learns that Malcolm’s past is riddled with secrets that he is concealing from Mulvey as he trails along. These are slowly revealed as he narrates his past actions and hidden connections to the serial murders.  Swanson does a good job portraying a multidimensional character who tantalizingly divulges the truth—but only on his own terms. The reader must rely on Krenshaw to relate the tale, and he is by turns charming and detestable as he admits his attempts at deception.  Eight Perfect Murders is an intriguing story on its own, and Swanson’s inclusion of the most beloved stories from the mystery/suspense canon acts as both an enrichment and a detriment to his novel. Devotees will delight to be in on all the allusions and the esoteric knowledge they share. Those who have the titular books (and other well-known works described as well) still on their TBR lists will despair at having their major plot twists spoiled before experiencing them firsthand. Swanson’s heavy reliance on the merits of the masters also invites scrutiny of his own novel.  Calling them to mind serves to demonstrate that, although it is a quite enjoyable read, Swanson’s own efforts cannot help but suffer from such a comparison.

Thanks to the author and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.