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Saturday, May 23, 2020

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, Autumn Secrets by Susan C. Muller

It seems like almost everyone has read Eight Perfect Murders, and there isn't much I can add without spoilers. 

from description:  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.

What's to love:  Malcolm Kershaw owns a bookshop.  A narrator who is holding some things back.  Plenty of twists that keep Malcolm trying to unravel who is killing people based on his own list of perfect murders.  

Audible.
Mystery/Thriller.  2020.  Print length:  270 pages.



In 2018, I read the three previous books in this series featuring Houston detectives Noah Daughtery and Connor Crawford.  I liked all three, and I enjoyed Autumn Secrets  as well.  

A serial killer has been burying bodies in a field.  When Noah and Conner arrive, they expect only the one body that had been discovered, but a misstep in the muddy field reveals another body and means the use of dogs to see if there are more.  And there are.  (This was interesting because the "borrowed" dogs were being trained to find survivors and become upset when they realize the scents they are locating are not survivors, but the dead). 

A character from the first book, makes another appearance as a romantic interest for Noah.                                                                                                                
This is the final book in the Seasons Pass series.  I hope it isn't the final book for the characters.

Read in April.  

Police Procedural.  2017.  Print length:  276 pages.



16 comments:

  1. I thoroughly enjoyed Eight Perfect Murders — it was brilliant and twisty! Autumn Secrets & the series as well sound very interesting too — i shall definitely be checking it out.

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    1. :) Eight Perfect Murders was certainly twisty! I will be looking for more by Peter Swanson.

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  2. I've enjoyed most of Peter Swanson's books and the Seasons Pass series sound like a good one. :)

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    1. This was my first book by Swanson. I'll check your blog again for some of his other books. I do like the Seasons Pass series and the characters.

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  3. That second description reminds me so much of my first winter living in Houston (1973) when I was driving to work with snow on the ground (a very, very rare event for here) and noticed a bunch of lights shining on a boat storage facility a few yards off the road I was on. Turns out they had uncovered the bodies of more than a dozen teenaged boy runaways killed by Dean Coril. They only discovered the bodies and the crimes because a teenager who worked with Coril on finding victims shot and killed Coril before confessing to police about his roll in the murders.

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    1. I wouldn't be surprised if the incident you describe had an influence on the author, Sam. The author loves Houston, and you would probably recognize places.

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  4. Okay, that gardening quote totally made me laugh! :D
    I'm looking forward to reading Eight Perfect Murders.

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    1. That cartoon probably appeals to many of us who love mysteries and police procedurals. :)

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  5. Yes, Eight Perfect Murders seems to be everywhere right now. I really want to read it. I've only read one of his books and it was excellent so I want to read more!

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    1. I'm interested in more books by Swanson. Don't know how I missed him previously!

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  6. Yup! Eight Perfect Murders is on my radar too. But I want to read all the reference books first. So there are a few classic murder mysteries I need to seek out. But I am looking forward to all of it. Reading the classics and getting to this new book.

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    1. Perfect for you with your love of classics! I'd read several, but not all of the books on the list. Some are so deliciously old-fashioned. :)

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  7. I have Eight Perfect Murders on my TBR pile. It does seem to be a popular read right now. I am glad you liked it, Jenclair! Mulller's series sounds interesting. I am glad you have enjoyed it! That cartoon made me laugh. I need that. :-)

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    1. We all need the opportunity to laugh right now. I find cat videos and memes especially amusing, too. :)

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  8. I'm looking forward to reading Eight Perfect Murders! I've really enjoyed Peter Swanson's books. Will keep the other series in mind as well.

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