Rules for Perfect Murders: The 'fiendishly good' Richard and Judy Book Club pick

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Rules for Perfect Murders is also filled with book titles you’ll know, endings you’ve probably heard about at some point and it’s filled with love for every single one. It’s going to make you gleeful like you wouldn’t believe, and let’s not forget – Mal is a bookshop owner. Now hands up, who thought that would be the best job ever at one point? I sure did (but with less murder and mayhem). 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. Will Dean’s series about deaf Swedish reporter Tuva Moodyson is a must read – and this book is his best yet.

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. 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. He has written a new version of a very well-known book – probably one of Agatha Christie’s best-known and most written about – without our realising that that is what we are reading until quite late in the book. We know something is going on and Swanson nudges us in that direction with a cleverly inserted musing on the history and current popularity of the unreliable narrator – but it isn’t until the final two chapters (which closely parallel the final two chapters of the Christie book) that we completely understand what the author is up to. I didn’t get rejected for this book but I couldn’t let it root at the NetGalley’s pending purgatory so this time I’m thanking myself and my husband’s credit card to buy this book and devour it at one sit! Highly recommending, one of the best thrillers of the year! Of course I should have had this!Mal ends up taking on some leads into the investigation himself. He has to for his own safety. Will this game of cat and mouse ever stop? 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. Perhaps my one word of caution here: because EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS delves so deeply into the crimes that take place in each of the eight crime novels on Malcolm’s original blog post, there will be spoilers in this novel for those eight books. If you haven’t read one of the books on Malcolm’s list and are interested in reading it for yourself, I would recommend either reading it before you dive into EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS, or just going into this book knowing that there will be spoilers along the way. Personally, I didn’t have any problem with this—while I haven’t read all eight books on Malcolm’s list, I’ve already read the books from the list that appeal to me on a personal level, and had no issue with reading spoilers of the others through Swanson’s writing. I LOVE crime fiction, so this could have been the perfect book for me. There are references to some of my favourite authors (though—via the characters—a smidge of disdain toward more contemporary novels). In fact I was even intrigued as to whether Mal’s business partner’s (an author) character was a female version of one of my fave gumshoes, Spenser (written by Robert B Parker). The novels were translated onto the small screen ( Spenser for Hire) in the mid 1980s and recently (though with little reverence to Parker’s work) via Spenser Confidential by Netflix.

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.

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! And as we continue to read about the facts Malcolm also the narrator of the story presents us, we realize he keeps secrets to himself and slowly when we get inside of his mind and learn more about his traumatized love story with his ex-wife who died in the car accident, we pity on him but also start to get suspicious about him. Why a killer is obsessed with his article? Could Malcolm get involved with one of the murders? Did FBI agent tell him the truth? Could the killer also be a vigilante who brings the justice by punishing very notorious people because as far as we realize the victims are not angels, they have their own crimes and dirty secrets! Who’s in the frame? David Fincher’s 2014 film of Gone Girl. Photograph: Allstar/New Regency Pictures The eight books Mal has listed for 'Eight Perfect Murders' are ones a lot of us are familiar with, but there were a few there I hadn't read (I will remedy that). Swanson continues to refer to other mysteries throughout the book - I have come away with a huge reading list! This is a bookish book, for bookish people, and one I will be buying a hard copy of. I expect to read it again. If I could nominate this as a modern classic murder mystery, I would. This deserves to be with the Agatha Christies, which is exactly where it will be being placed on my library shelves.

Mal isn’t stupid enough to believe that Agent Mulvey has been keeping him near just for his book knowledge – she suspects he knows a lot more than what he is passing onto her. Which is fair enough, as he certainly does. The closer he is to the investigation, the more Mal can ascertain the possible danger to himself.Malcolm’s narration is a brilliant touch, as the reader finds themselves caught up in his saga, especially when it becomes clear that he’s gotten himself into a real jam, going from quiet bookstore owner to a man with his own secrets, with danger lurking around every corner... It’s supposed to be lighthearted recreation, a tribute to the best crime writers, and gift to readers who love the genre, but it’s also everything a mystery novel should be- engrossing, intelligent, crafty, and.... There are modern masters of misdirection, as well. Gillian Flynn created an iconic villain (or hero, depending on your point of view) with Amy Dunne, the star of Gone Girl. The brilliance of Amy was that she’d had a lifetime of duplicity behind her. Not just as a child, starring in her parents’ series of Amazing Amy girl-empowerment books, but as a young woman in the dating arena, transforming herself into the mythical “cool girl”. So when it comes to framing her husband for her own murder, she is able to mislead an entire nation. Fake news as a spurned wife’s revenge.