With Johnson’s death, the murder spree veers much too close to Kershaw. She was a particularly troublesome regular at Old Devils Bookstore who’d moved away, thankfully. He hopes to hide this connection from Agent Mulvey, and it’s only the first of his many cleverly disguised secrets, as you gradually realise what an unreliable narrator you have on your hands. Mulvey isn’t telling him everything either, of course, and from the beginning you may have doubts about her and the entire investigation. What else is this about?: This is a mystery for book lovers of any kind, peppered with familiar titles and outcomes. Peter Swanson has created a maze in literary form, couple with characters that will essentially make you second guess everything they say. Which is actually what you do want in a murder mystery. So trust no-one, second guess everything and then maybe you might just understand what’s going on before the end of the book. Maybe. To me, this book was a celebration of the mystery genre. A laugh at its conventions; a love letter to its best and underappreciated works. Following Malcolm as he tries to piece together the puzzle and come to terms with just how guilty he himself is... well, it's quite a ride.

Maybe,' Agent Mulvey said, and she rubbed a finger along the edge of her nose, up near her left eye. Even her small hands were pale, the fingernails unpainted. She was quiet again. It was a strange interview, full of pauses. She was hoping I'd fill in the silence, I guess. I decided not to say anything. So, I was snuggled up on my couch reading and then there was a twist, a revelation, another twist, another revelation and once again, Peter Swanson reminded me why I am such a fan. His plots are well thought out, perfectly paced and intelligent. He knows how to keep a reader engaged and had me glued to my seat. I love trying to figure a book out (the whole whodunit) and had my super sleuth hat on while reading this one (I did not figure anything out) in this book. Needless, to say, I love that he had me guessing until pretty much the end. Plus, now he had me intrigued and wanting to read and re-read some of the books on the "Perfect Murder list". Plus, those who have been to Boston or live in Boston, will enjoy being able to say "I know that place!" or "I'm familiar with that street!" as Mal walks around the city. Do you need to know about the plots and twists and turns of the books mentioned? No, I don’t think so. I knew some of them, but not others and it didn’t detract from the rest of the book. Okay, gushing about the literary bits over Peter Swanson’s latest release Rules for Perfect Murders (also released elsewhere as Eight Perfect Murders) is a very clever novel. I notice Anthony Horowitz has offered up a recommendation quote for the cover, which makes sense as it’s reminiscent of his (more traditional crime fiction) work as well.I thought about all the press conferences I’d seen over the years, parents trotted out for missing kids, killed kids, abused kids,” she says. “We can be sad, distraught, confused, pleading, forgiving. But not furious. Fury is reserved for other people. The worst thing you can be is an angry woman, an angry mother.” But Eve is angry, and now she has nothing left to lose. Gwen and Malcolm realise that the killer may not be killing victims in the exact same manner as the author wrote the original murders in the books and the victim themselves may not be targets, but it’s the intent that’s important. But still…. Eve has been anticipating disaster from the second her daughter Junie was born. Twelve years later, as The Familiar Dark opens, it arrives, as Junie and her best friend Izzy are murdered in the local park. Now a FBI agent appears at his bookstore, asking for his help because there might be killer out there obsessed with his article and commits murders at the same ways written on those books. I also really liked the premise of this book. There have been other books and movies also featuring killers replicating the work of others. Copycat killers. Sometimes they’re just psychotic and keen to kill but want to find a clever way to do it. Here, it seems obvious there’s a link – of some sort – to Malcolm. He eventually suspects what it might be, but realises he’ll have to face up to events of his past if he wants to uncover their identity.

We follow Kershaw as he tries to figure out who may be up to no good, with, and without Agent Mulvey, and tries to keep one step ahead of any official investigations. There is a bit of body heat developing between Krenshaw and Mulvey, but is that a natural result of boy meets hot special agent, or is the attraction a fatal sort, a manipulation, and if so, on whose part? There does seem to be something a bit off about the hot detective. i am grateful that my porridge brain wan't too lumpen to enjoy this, and i admire swanson's confidence in writing this book, knowing that many people would be unwilling to read it because spoooooooilers.

Like this? You might also like England’s Finest, by Christopher Fowler or The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda.

Overall: This is dark, intense, puzzling, dazzling, exciting, nail biter, hair splitter, heart throbbing, nightmarish, brilliant book and it already became one of my favorite books of the author. Even some revelations still have some small plot holes, I only cut half star and I’m giving my 4.5 rounded up to 5 doubtful, manipulative, mind-bending stars! Swanson maintains the story’s unflagging momentum throughout, and by the time you reach the end, you realise yet another classic mystery is in play. I will let Kershaw himself tell you which it is. This is a fiendishly good slice of crime fiction from Swanson, who goes from strength to strength. Layered and clever, Rules for Perfect Murders is an ode to the genre of mystery writing, with its obsessive protagonist Kershaw, a man who wonders what Ian Fleming would have his hero do in times of crisis – and who bemoans the fact that being an avid reader of mysteries is no preparation for real life. The Familiar Dark I need a Gibberish translator right now! Because this is only language I may fluently speak after reading this book. Fcjeijfiojopi50ov! See! I lost control my thoughts again! I cannot form a proper sentence! I have not read any of the books on Malcolm's list. There were a couple that I would like to read but I feel that I already know what the books are about because there are so many spoilers.Not only did I love the physical setting of this book (predominantly a crime-fiction focussed bookshop) but I loved the ‘world’ in which this book is set: with Malcolm’s crime novel-loving staff members; obsessive readers; and references to author talks and signings etc. DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Faber & Faber via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Rules For A Perfect Murder by Peter Swanson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions. The Secret History – Donna Tartt – 1992For fans of mysteries this is both a fun puzzle and a docent-led tour of some of the best suspense writing of all time. Be forewarned, if you have not read these already, or seen the films made of some, the book will spoil them for you. Caveat lector. The list of eight is only the beginning. More than any other book I can remember, Eight Perfect Murders offers a cornucopia of fun genre references with a stop or two outside the field as well. It gives you a chance to reacquaint with some of the true whodunit classics, each with unique ways of doing someone in, ways the killer is aping. Swanson has some fun with the list, questioning whether the murders were all that foolproof and whether this or that other book should have been included instead. It is a delightful element, and you can imagine the discussions that went on in selecting this or that and excluding some others. It will certainly provide considerable fodder for your already mountainous TBR lists. If I came up with a good juicy murder idea (and I like to think I’ve managed a few), then I would most certainly include it in a book. Because the truth is that the vast majority of us, readers and writers alike, know the difference between fiction and reality. It’s a truth that Edgar Allan Poe was well aware of when he wrote one of the first examples of a perfect murder in The Tell-Tale Heart. No matter how well you plan your murder, how perfect you make it, a human heart has stopped beating. If the police don’t find you, something else – guilt, karma, madness – almost certainly will. Nothing’s perfect. This is a clever book. It is not fast paced; instead the tension builds slowly, imperturbably. There is only one narrator, Mal, the owner of a bookshop specialising in mysteries. There is a lot of dialogue, something I don't usually enjoy, but it works well here. There is a lot about this book that is different - in the very best of ways. I loved every moment of this read.

The Red House Mystery, Malice Aforethought, The A.B.C. Murders, Double Indemnity, Strangers on a Train, The Drowner, Deathtrap and The Secret History. Wow! What do I even say about a book that has rendered me speechless? This book is a thriller lovers dream come true. First of all, Peter Swanson won me over with The Kind Worth Killing and has never let me down since. I find him and Liz Nugent to be the masters of the dark, twisted thrillers. I often wonder how they come up with this stuff! Can you imagine their computer search history? The stuff that murders are made of!!! What could be more perfect than a mystery bookstore owner with an in-house cat named Nero (Nero Wolf)? There are literary references throughout the book, which made me want to drop what I was doing and read (or re-read) every book mentioned. I have a list. Tess was nodding. “I feel the same way about Brian, close, I mean, then every once in a while, he’ll say something, or else I’ll read something he wrote, and I wonder if I know anything about him at all. I loved the style of the writing: how the beginning started with “a memoir” and the reader is trying to figure out if they can trust Malcom for the whole story

Rules for Perfect Murders

The list has also caught the attention of the FBI, bringing them straight to Malcolm's door- which is where our story begins... When my daughter was born, I had anticipated a million ways my clawing, desperate love for her could go sideways… but her throat slit in the park where she’d played as a little girl? No, that was never a horror story I had entertained,” says Eve, who grew up in the poorest part of the Missouri Ozarks, and who now digs deep into the past she vowed to leave behind as she sets out to get justice for Junie. When the reveal occurred, I was a little underwhelmed, but then I soon realized I got caught up in the wrong element of this book--yes, the mystery of who is committing the murders is intriguing, but what is even more intriguing is the narrator himself. This isn’t about the who or the why. It is about the power of the narrator. Agent Mulvey is investigating several unsolved murders that have all taken place within the last year in New England and which she believes have taken their cue from famous crime fiction novels (The A.B.C Murders and Double Indemnity for starters). Intuition and a Google search has brought her to Mal’s door by way of an old blog post that he wrote for the store called ‘Eight Perfect Murders’ in 2004. Mulvey has a theory that someone is using his list to commit a series of murders and asks him to reread the books and assist her investigation despite Mal being sure that he himself is considered a suspect. But if someone is using Mal’s list to frame him or attract his attention, might he be in serious danger? And just how closely connected to him are they? Because mysteries are an addicting diversion, because they challenge my mind while I try to work out all the angles. Because mysteries make my heart race, as the suspense mounts and the twists leave me breathless and stunned!