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A review by shreyas1599
Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
5.0
Wow, this was amazing. Completely deserves a 5-star.
The Eight Perfect Murders is a story from the perspective of a bookstore owner who gets embroiled in an FBI investigation. We read the story from the lens of the bookstore owner, who narrates it.
The premise is simple. The narrator had written a list titled Eight Perfect Murders, which listed his favourite murder mysteries. Someone has gotten a hold of that list and is murdering people to get the narrator's attention. It is made clear it is someone who is aware of the narrator but not necessarily the other way around.
The entire novel is not a murder mystery per se, but more so a deconstruction of a murder mystery. There are clues laid out throughout, and the narrator, at times tries to hand-hold the reader into identifying what would come next. That is a concept completely alien to me, and it does seem very novel and entertaining.
Like a murder mystery, there are twists throughout. And the reveals laid out feel completely natural. There are no forced reveals or rushed plots. The narrator uses Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Acroyd heavily as an inspiration.
Finally, last but not least, the book is filled with mystery novel recommendations. There are so many mentioned that I haven't read. Looks like I know what I will be reading next!
The Eight Perfect Murders is a story from the perspective of a bookstore owner who gets embroiled in an FBI investigation. We read the story from the lens of the bookstore owner, who narrates it.
The premise is simple. The narrator had written a list titled Eight Perfect Murders, which listed his favourite murder mysteries. Someone has gotten a hold of that list and is murdering people to get the narrator's attention. It is made clear it is someone who is aware of the narrator but not necessarily the other way around.
The entire novel is not a murder mystery per se, but more so a deconstruction of a murder mystery. There are clues laid out throughout, and the narrator, at times tries to hand-hold the reader into identifying what would come next. That is a concept completely alien to me, and it does seem very novel and entertaining.
Like a murder mystery, there are twists throughout. And the reveals laid out feel completely natural. There are no forced reveals or rushed plots. The narrator uses Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Acroyd heavily as an inspiration.
Finally, last but not least, the book is filled with mystery novel recommendations. There are so many mentioned that I haven't read. Looks like I know what I will be reading next!