A very easy and fast moving book which kept my interest to the end, unfortunately for me it was also predictable. Having said that the story line was presented a little differently that usual, and it was very hard to put down - I really enjoyed the twists and turns that the characters provided and the story was well told in the first person - loved the connections.

This was absolutely delightful. If you are a lover of crime fiction and have read some of the classics of the genre, you are in for a treat. Even if you don't really know the classics this is still a great book. The unreliable narrator has been the linchpin of many a crime novel and Peter Swanson gives the reader a bit of a new take on this. I don't want to give anything away about the story. Suffice it to stay it keeps you guessing almost to the very end. With echoes of Agatha Christie, Horowitz and other great crime writers, this will keep you hooked!

I'm a big fan of Peter Swanson, normally devouring his every word, but for whatever reason Rules for Perfect Murders didn't do it for me. True, it's a wonderful homage to the mystery thrillers of Agatha Christie and authors of her ilk and that era - on that basis I won't go into detail for fear of dropping spoilers - but the plot was unrealistic. A la Swanson, the writing was stylish and intelligent but the struggle for this reader was the implausible plot and FBI characters. It won't deter me from picking up another Swanson offering but this one wasn't up there with his others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mal Kershaw lives an ordinary and somewhat lonely life. The owner of a small bookstore that specializes in a murder mystery in Boston. No one is more surprised than Mal when one morning he finds himself at the centre of an FBI investigation. Years ago, Mal made a blog on his website titled 'Eight Perfect Murders', chosen from classic murder mystery stories, detailing the perfect way to commit a murder and get away with it. The FBI are looking into a series of unsolved murders that are looking more and more likely to be connected to his list. And to Mal himself. Does the killer know more about Mal than anyone else? And what secrets is he hiding?


Where do I even begin? I am a huge fan of Peter Swanson, he is up in my top five favorite authors of all time. This book was incredible. A thriller lover’s dream come true. Set in a book shop, our main protagonist is a mystery/thriller aficionado and it was an absolute pleasure to read. Mal is an amazing main character and we are drawn into the dark world of a twisted serial killer, whom Mal may know. I thought I had it all figured out, but in classic Peter Swanson style, I was blown away by the ending. Incredible. A truly clever homage to the classic murder mystery. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For connoisseurs of crime fiction "Rules for Perfect Murders" is the ultimate gift for 2020.

Peter Swanson's "Rules for Perfect Murders" is one of most exquisite pieces of crime of fiction I have read. Then again, even this seems like an inadequate bundle of words in which to describe this novel's sheer brilliance. So, I should start by saying that this is more than a crime novel - it is a meta-crime novel that emphasises its own constructedness in a way that continually reminds the reader to be aware that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. This is what makes "Rules for Perfect Murders" such a fiendishly clever story. Whereas most novelists of this genre bury the traditional tropes and motifs of crime fiction in their narratives, Swanson explicitly draws our attention to the fact that no piece of literature - especially crime fiction, is truly original. So, whilst this story starts off with our murder (or murderers?) emulating eight perfect murders from great crime novels, we soon begin to wonder whether the narrative itself is a work of fiction. Running through the story like a throbbing vein is our unreliable narrator - yes another trope! Malcolm Kershaw professes to tell us the truth about the eight perfect murders but it soon becomes clear that this is as illusive as an original piece of crime fiction. There are twist and turns galore, with unexploded literary bombs seemingly on every page. With the self-conscious evocation of classic pieces of crime fiction from Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith, Donna Tartt, "Eight Perfect Murders" is the gift that keeps on giving. The story is quite simply a tour de force that deserves to become a classic of its own one day. Simply brilliant!

My favourite Peter Swanson novel yet! I was on the edge of my seat while reading this! The reference to famous crime novels inspiring the murders felt like an homage to Agatha Christie. Can’t wait for the publishing date to be able to recommend to customers.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This book will take you on a journey of twist and turns and that's what you need for a murder mystery.

Books. Bookstores. Literature turns into motivation for a killer. Erm hello sign me up please.

Throughout this book I was so certain who the killer was but nope. I guess I was on the right track but it threw me off.

The one thing I was not expecting while reading this was really having the mind of detective. I was so focused on paying attention to what everyone said and how everyone would be connected. Became an full experience while reading this instead of just something I was reading.

I will say be aware that the books that are referenced will be spoilers. I should of known that but I was way too excited to care. The Secret History is on my TBR so I did have to skip past the parts including the murder. If I'm honest I didn't even know there was a murder in that so I guess I'm already spoiled but this book was worth it.

This was so clever and having everything connect at the end was great. However I will say that some of the connections the killer had to some victims were a bit far fetched but hey I still enjoyed how Peter got them to connect. And that ending was fantastic.

The only reason I'm not giving it a 5 star is because throughout (in my opinion) we get strange behaviour from a certain character which would lead readers to believe they are the killer. However when the murders are explained it doesn't really explain the behaviour of this character. So to me they are just added to confuse the reader which I would of been fine if it was all rounded up at the end.

Highly recommend if you enjoy the 'who done it' kind of mystery.

Malcolm Kershaw is the co-owner of the Old Devils Bookstore (great name!) in Boston, Mass.. it’s winter and snowing very heavily. Despite the inclement conditions he is visited at the store by FBI SA Gwen Mulvey who is investigating a series of murders. Unlikely as it may seem, they appear to be similar to an Agatha Christie novel. Even less likely is the murderer echoing a piece Malcolm wrote for the store blog entitled ‘Eight Perfect Murders’ in which he lists and briefly describes books with varying methods of committing the perfect murder???? The unfolding story is narrated by Malcolm as he tries to solve who the killer is, who he and Mulvey christen Charlie. This is the intriguing premise of the latest offering from the imaginative ‘pen’/mind of Peter Swanson.

There is so much I like about this book. One of its primary settings is the bookstore...... selling my favourite genre .... crime books, so what’s not to love???? Not only does the store offer a great atmosphere for the story but it also means there are intriguing characters who either work there or shop. Secondly, the weather gives an additional atmospheric feel as Malcolm slithers and slides around the surrounding area trying to find the answers. Thirdly, the book name dropping! This made me very happy as I’d read a great deal of them and if not, like Malcolm I’d watched the movie!!

The characters are good too. Malcolm is very interesting and by his own admission he’s very like what he sells, only he’s the closed version. He gives little away and then only if he’s forced to or so chooses. He’s a loner, he doesn’t make friends easily yet he bags a wife, Claire, flawed though she was. The book is a fascinating slow burner but it has plenty of intriguing twists and turns in this revenge killing, book themed novel. Most of the victims are not very likeable but the really interesting thing is that it’s more about the killer and him/her sticking to the murder methods of the list than it is about the victims. The big reveal is a humdinger and I genuinely didn’t see that one coming! The ending is excellent and I guess we’ll never know what Malcolm ultimately did.

Overall, a terrific, very well written, intriguing, twisty and brilliant book which makes you ask questions constantly and is a crime fiction addicts manual! It took me on a trip down memory lane with many of the books mentioned which I greatly appreciate.

With huge thanks to NetGalley and in particular to Faber and Faber who granted my ‘wish’ to read this book which I am very grateful for as I’m a fan of Peter Swanson! ’

This is a great unreliable narrator thriller which is perfect for crime and mystery fans!
It contains many references to well known and not so well known mystery books including various Agatha. Christies, Double Indemnity Strangers On A Train, The Drowner and Deathtrap.
Malcolm Kershaw is the owner of Old Devils mystery and crime bookshop in Boston; he is also our incredibly unreliable narrator- I was not really sure what to believe when reading his narrative.
One day he is visited by FBI agent Gwen Mulvey who reveals that a serial killer has been murdering people according to a Rules For Perfect Murder blog he wrote several years previously, using the murder methods in the books that Mal has recommended.
She asks for Mal’s help to catch the killer and therein the story begins...
This book is full of various references to mystery books as Mal is a real crime thriller aficionado but the reader does wonders why he used to read so many of these books and now he only reads the reviews. This is indeed a mystery in itself.
Although Mal seems perfectly normal and rational he does not come across as particularly trustworthy and there are obviously some big secrets in his past. I did not really trust him but I wasn’t quite sure why.
I loved the way the author gradually fleshed out Mal’s character and background without revealing too much. In fact I wasn’t quite sure whether to believe what Mal tells us as he seems to enjoy playing with the truth.
The bookshop setting is great- as an avid reader and Librarian this really appealed to me.
This is an extremely clever book and a compelling read. It will appeal to all connoisseurs of crime and mystery books. Peter Swanson is a great author- his books just seem to get better and better.

Un buon romanzo giallo che è insieme sorprendente e divertente gioco metaletterario, da godersi sciogliendo le strizzate d'occhio dell'autore a libri e tecniche narrative del thriller e del noir.
Peccato aver individuato prima del tempo il colpevole: purtroppo temo che venga dalla frequentazione decennale con un genere che, anche nelle sue forme più addomesticate, indaga gli angoli più in ombra dell'animo umano.
Godibilissimo comunque, e ricco di appetitosi spunti per altre letture. ;)

Wait! What? Great! Loved it. Peter Swanson writes wonderful, twisty, mysteries. I particularly love how he writes so you come to conclusions he knows his readers will. Loved it, and look forward to the next.

A love letter to crime fiction and those of us who love the genre. I must say Peter Swanson has written the perfect crime novel for those of us who live and breathe crime fiction. Malcolm Kershaw a bookseller and crime fiction aficionado finds himself caught up in an FBI investigation, a blog entry from years previous listing Eight Perfect Murders from crime fiction maybe have inspired a copycat killer.

Somehow Peter Swanson has managed to write a crime novel combining the styles of Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith and James Cain. This is a crime reader's delight, we not only get an entertaining, crime thriller with lots of twists but we also are introduced to a wealth of crime fiction we may not have stumbled upon before.