A Kirkus Best Fiction Book of the year
"Swanson rips us from one startling plot twist to the next... A true tour de force." --Lisa Gardner
Fiendish good fun. --Anthony Horowitz
From the hugely talented author of Before She Knew Him comes a chilling tale of psychological suspense and an homage to the thriller genre tailor-made for fans: the story of a bookseller who finds himself at the center of an FBI investigation because a very clever killer has started using his list of fictions most ingenious murders.
Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genres most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crack--which he titled "Eight Perfect Murders"--chosen from among the best of the best including Agatha Christies A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmiths Strangers on a Train, Ira Levins Deathtrap, A. A. Milnes The Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Coxs Malice Aforethought, James M. Cains Double Indemnity, John D. MacDonalds The Drowner, and Donna Tartts The Secret History.
But no one is more surprised than Mal, now the owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February. Shes looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mals old list. And the FBI agent isnt the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading. The killer is out there, watching his every move--a diabolical threat who knows way too much about Mals personal history, especially the secrets hes never told anyone, even his recently deceased wife.
To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects . . . and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesnt count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead--and the noose around Mals neck grows so tight he might never escape.
