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threegoodrats's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of twists and turns, and fun references to local spots (shoutout to the Somerville Public Library!) and more sadly to various restaurants that have since closed forever. Peter Swanson is always great. I'm intrigued to see this referred here to Malcolm Kershaw #1 since it wasn't exactly left open to have additional stories about him. But if there are, I'm here for them!
testaroscia's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoyable short book to picked up at a whim to with for a library hold to come through. If you enjoy whodunnits this is a fun read,
sailinginthetea's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
I love Eight Perfect Murders for its well-informed references. Peter Swanson is clearly a big fan of classic mystery/thriller literature, and Eight Perfect Murders is a love letter to some of his favorites — with Strangers on a Train on top, since he has adapted the setup of Patricia Highsmith's classic in two of his novels now (The Kind Worth Killing and this).
I still find it hilarious some readers gave this novel a low rating simply for spoiling plot points of other books — I would think that's a given risk when the setup is about a killer mimicking murders depicted in novels (how could Eight Perfect Murders get its points across without describing what happened in these other stories?)
The plot is admittedly overshadowed by the reference and the accompanied analysis, but what's present is serviceable, though lacking in any real earth-shattering plot twists; some of its red herrings are so thinly disguised, they are basically ineffective form the get-go. I do however have to praise Peter Swanson for going meta, setting up Eight Perfect Murders as a memoir, and closing the book with its downbeat ending — both faithful to the overall theme of paying homage, as well as fittingly completes the in-narrative character arc.
Eight Perfect Murders is a slow burn that sometimes lost its focus; with continuous scenes of characters armchair-theorizing the latest clue, it's easy to lose track of the initial 'why' among the monotony (the book has a helpful summary near the end, but this shouldn't be necessary if the story is engrossing enough). If deconstructing literary classics doesn't sound fun to you, then steer clear of this one; otherwise there's plentiful of goods worth geeking out about.
I love Eight Perfect Murders for its well-informed references. Peter Swanson is clearly a big fan of classic mystery/thriller literature, and Eight Perfect Murders is a love letter to some of his favorites — with Strangers on a Train on top, since he has adapted the setup of Patricia Highsmith's classic in two of his novels now (The Kind Worth Killing and this).
I still find it hilarious some readers gave this novel a low rating simply for spoiling plot points of other books — I would think that's a given risk when the setup is about a killer mimicking murders depicted in novels (how could Eight Perfect Murders get its points across without describing what happened in these other stories?)
The plot is admittedly overshadowed by the reference and the accompanied analysis, but what's present is serviceable, though lacking in any real earth-shattering plot twists; some of its red herrings are so thinly disguised, they are basically ineffective form the get-go. I do however have to praise Peter Swanson for going meta, setting up Eight Perfect Murders as a memoir, and closing the book with its downbeat ending — both faithful to the overall theme of paying homage, as well as fittingly completes the in-narrative character arc.
Eight Perfect Murders is a slow burn that sometimes lost its focus; with continuous scenes of characters armchair-theorizing the latest clue, it's easy to lose track of the initial 'why' among the monotony (the book has a helpful summary near the end, but this shouldn't be necessary if the story is engrossing enough). If deconstructing literary classics doesn't sound fun to you, then steer clear of this one; otherwise there's plentiful of goods worth geeking out about.
thrillerqueen23's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
halieghkai's review against another edition
4.0
After finishing "Eight Perfect Murders," I can confidently say that it was an absolute blast.
From the moment I started suspecting innocent characters of crimes they didn't commit, including the narrator, I knew this murder mystery would be exceptional.
The book pays homage to the mystery thriller genre with a captivating story of jealousy, lies, and addiction.
However, if you plan on reading the (8) following books, be aware that the endings are spoiled through references:
- The A.B.C. Murders
- Strangers on a Train
- The Red House Mystery
- Malice Aforethought
- Double Indemnity
- The Drowner
- The Secret History
- Deathtrap
I wasn't bored at all; if anything, I felt a little betrayed by the characters I had empathy for, so kudos to Peter Swanson for pulling that off.
This book deserves a solid 4.5 rating.
From the moment I started suspecting innocent characters of crimes they didn't commit, including the narrator, I knew this murder mystery would be exceptional.
The book pays homage to the mystery thriller genre with a captivating story of jealousy, lies, and addiction.
However, if you plan on reading the (8) following books, be aware that the endings are spoiled through references:
- The A.B.C. Murders
- Strangers on a Train
- The Red House Mystery
- Malice Aforethought
- Double Indemnity
- The Drowner
- The Secret History
- Deathtrap
I wasn't bored at all; if anything, I felt a little betrayed by the characters I had empathy for, so kudos to Peter Swanson for pulling that off.
This book deserves a solid 4.5 rating.
kitkat175's review against another edition
4.0
This was my 3rd read of 2022. This book was good. I read another book by him this year and I did not enjoy it that much. I liked eight perfect murders a lot more than the other book that I read this year.
"Books are time travel." Which is so true you can explore so many worlds by just picking up one book and reading it. You can also learn so much from certain books.
To be honest books are my favourite escape from reality.
"Books are time travel." Which is so true you can explore so many worlds by just picking up one book and reading it. You can also learn so much from certain books.
To be honest books are my favourite escape from reality.
roquerynn's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5