menniemenace's review against another edition
4.0
(The review may light a bulb in your brain and ruin the twist. If you're seriously clever do not read it before the book. For the sake of this disclaimer I'll say that the book is great and it should be read.)
It's spoiler city down here. Spoiler city!
This book was probably my favorite 2020 release so far. It has everything; book talk, a cat, plot twists, and a sequel.
I had no clue who the killer was, but I usually don't. I recently read a book wherein a character was supposed to be a clueless, good old man. Not at all bright or fun to talk to but still a harmless old man. In that book, the old man tells you he accidentally kidnapped a little girl and kept her in a dog cage (Kennel?). It goes from zero to 100 with no buildup whatsoever. This book had the same understated shock value to it. Odd stuff will happen, secrets will be revealed, but no one will get hysterical over any of it.
It's quiet for a book with so many murders.
Unrelated note: If you're so sensitive to spoilers, do not read this if you haven't read the murder list, Murder of Roger Ackroyd, or And Then There Were None.
I personally think that spoilers are inevitable, but to each his own.
Popsugar 2020 challenge: A book with a book on the cover.
It's spoiler city down here. Spoiler city!
This book was probably my favorite 2020 release so far. It has everything; book talk, a cat, plot twists, and a sequel.
I had no clue who the killer was, but I usually don't. I recently read a book wherein a character was supposed to be a clueless, good old man. Not at all bright or fun to talk to but still a harmless old man. In that book, the old man tells you he accidentally kidnapped a little girl and kept her in a dog cage (Kennel?). It goes from zero to 100 with no buildup whatsoever. This book had the same understated shock value to it. Odd stuff will happen, secrets will be revealed, but no one will get hysterical over any of it.
It's quiet for a book with so many murders.
Unrelated note: If you're so sensitive to spoilers, do not read this if you haven't read the murder list, Murder of Roger Ackroyd, or And Then There Were None.
I personally think that spoilers are inevitable, but to each his own.
Popsugar 2020 challenge: A book with a book on the cover.
ale_irigoyen's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Stay away from this book if you haven't read the books mentioned in the synopis of this book; and to that I would also add The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. This book spoils the twists in those books, and I know there are some people that really hate spoilers....
Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of eight books that, in his opinion, depicted the perfect murders ever written. That was at least a decade ago. And now, he has become a person of interest after several of those 'perfect' murders have been committed. The FBI doesn't know if it is a serial killer or if some of them are mere coincidences. Malcolm is then approached by an FBI agent and is determined to find whomever is after him.
After reading The Kind Worth Killing by the same author, I wasn't surprised by the spoilers in this one. Where they needed? I guess the reader would have made their own conclusions on the books. Did I like it? Yes. BUT I was left unsatisfied, and I don't know why.
Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of eight books that, in his opinion, depicted the perfect murders ever written. That was at least a decade ago. And now, he has become a person of interest after several of those 'perfect' murders have been committed. The FBI doesn't know if it is a serial killer or if some of them are mere coincidences. Malcolm is then approached by an FBI agent and is determined to find whomever is after him.
After reading The Kind Worth Killing by the same author, I wasn't surprised by the spoilers in this one. Where they needed? I guess the reader would have made their own conclusions on the books. Did I like it? Yes. BUT I was left unsatisfied, and I don't know why.
vaniaasantos's review against another edition
5.0
Não queria ler este livro de uma assentada, mas sabia que seria uma tarefa impossível assim que o começasse - tal e qual como eu sabia que ia acontecer.
A premissa do livro interessou-me assim que a li, mas nada me preparou para a reviravolta que o livro sofreu, nem da forma como acabaria. Não só a própria história, mas também a forma como envolve outros livros, outras histórias com o enredo. Adorei-o e aconselho-o.
A premissa do livro interessou-me assim que a li, mas nada me preparou para a reviravolta que o livro sofreu, nem da forma como acabaria. Não só a própria história, mas também a forma como envolve outros livros, outras histórias com o enredo. Adorei-o e aconselho-o.
screamking's review against another edition
The plot could be interesting but I was not invested/sucked in. It's more of a leisure read.
tuc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
creaseinthespinebooks's review against another edition
1.0
Spoiled many books for me that i havent read yet but wanted too. Also too much talk and no thrills.it was meh. I have read a few of his books before and i was disappointed in this one
BOOKS SPOILED:
The A.B.C. Murders,
Strangers on a Train,
The Red House Mystery,
Malice Aforethought,
Double Indemnity,
The Drowner,
The Secret History and
Deathtrap
BOOKS SPOILED:
The A.B.C. Murders,
Strangers on a Train,
The Red House Mystery,
Malice Aforethought,
Double Indemnity,
The Drowner,
The Secret History and
Deathtrap
dasha_8's review against another edition
5.0
There is something so classy about Peter Swanson’s writing style and the way he builds suspense. His books are never too violent, the plot structure is always smooth - events flowing efortlessly, dialogues, never forced or overwritten, are always there to serve a specific purpose. In Eight Perfect Murders he has truly outdone himself!
We are following the main character with tons of secrets, at first sight he is so easy to relate to – an avid reader, a crime fiction addict who had done nothing wrong except putting together a list of perfect murders; and it’s not his fault that some phsycho decided to use it as a sample for real crimes. As usual things are not the way they seem, and while following the chilling unfolding of events we also have a chance to add some books to our tbr (I did anyway) and expand the knowledge on classic crime fiction novels.
I LOVED that I sometimes didn’t know how I got to a certain point in the story, loved the feeling of not knowing what the hell is happening or what is going to happen next. This book will definitely be a reread for me, not only because it’s truly a love letter to the thriller genre, but also because I greatly enjoyed the process of getting to the end. I heard the purring of a bookstore cat, touched the spines of some classic novels and felt the bitter wind on my skin. This book was definitely an experience, and now it's the easiest 5 stars from me!
We are following the main character with tons of secrets, at first sight he is so easy to relate to – an avid reader, a crime fiction addict who had done nothing wrong except putting together a list of perfect murders; and it’s not his fault that some phsycho decided to use it as a sample for real crimes. As usual things are not the way they seem, and while following the chilling unfolding of events we also have a chance to add some books to our tbr (I did anyway) and expand the knowledge on classic crime fiction novels.
I LOVED that I sometimes didn’t know how I got to a certain point in the story, loved the feeling of not knowing what the hell is happening or what is going to happen next. This book will definitely be a reread for me, not only because it’s truly a love letter to the thriller genre, but also because I greatly enjoyed the process of getting to the end. I heard the purring of a bookstore cat, touched the spines of some classic novels and felt the bitter wind on my skin. This book was definitely an experience, and now it's the easiest 5 stars from me!
allymckee3's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
scorposh's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
amkozy23's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I liked that it made fun of stereotypical tropes in mystery and thriller books. I also enjoy the way that Peter Swanson writes and found the characters to be intriguing. I took one star away because the person who was revealed as the murderer was so forgettable that I didn't even remember hearing their name until the narrator explained who they were.