#29// blogging murders

murders & web detectives

Dear Reader,
Greetings on April Fool’s day. Were you a prankster? I was. I loved playing pranks — nothing mean, I am against mean pranks. They are no fun — and today I miss my old colleagues. There is something about playing pranks and laughing all afternoon instead of working. Just for the record, I hate pranks being played on me and am known to dive into wild rages when that happens. Yes, I have a temper. Talking about pranks, how about an addictive read that combines pranks and murders? Books too.
 

Read

Every now and then a book pops up on your reading list and it does not let you stop turning the pages. That was Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson to me. (Also known as Rules for Perfect Murders). A bookshop employee Malcolm leads the quiet life. He works at a mystery bookstore Old Devil’s; widower, has a bookshop cat, a happy life, gave up reading crime fiction but remains updated by synopsis on blogs to help him chat with customers. One day (the first chapter!) an FBI agent Gwen Mulvey chats with him about murders in fiction. There’s talk of Agatha Christie and the like, nothing too fishy, but why? —something’s not right. Because turns out that somebody has been killing people based on a reading list Malcolm posted on the bookshop blog years ago, when he was a new employee!
 
I was glued from the first chapter. Especially as someone who runs a blog and also writes a fair amount of reading lists, can you imagine the adrenaline rush? Then onwards we are in for a wild ride — lots of references to old crime books (there are spoilers. There were books in the list that I haven’t read but I really didn’t mind. Most are classic crime reads and the way Swanson explores the books makes Eight Perfect Murders so bingeworthy), twists upon twists, detectives getting suspended and reassigned, BOOKS, and many murders. There are so many murders being solved (or tried to be solved) because it is a freaking reading list that the serial killer is sticking to (if at all he exists; is it a prank? Is it a far-fetched theory because the theory is kind of weak). Years ago Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith, Donna Tartt and other writers wrote fictional murders and now somebody seems to be executing them.

Some twists were predictable, but the way the mystery solving happens in full force and the arrival at climax makes up for it. I didn’t expect the climax and it felt like a forceful dip in sinister waters when the reveal happens. Also you’ll find homage to different crime books here (so good!). After all, not an everyday thing to be blogging about murders and getting mixed up with suspects, dead bodies and suspicious detectives. The only downside is I am C-R-A-V-I-N-G for thrillers that aren’t too deep but clench you in their jaws (email me you recos pleaseee!) after this book. I am desperate. Eight Perfect Murders was cozy, addictive. A perfect weekend read if you are looking to forget the burning world around you. Loved it. 5 stars.
 
PS: The audio version (Scribd) narrated by Graham Halstead is great. But I was too impatient and switched to an e-copy to read faster. And my! was it worth it!

Watch

No recommendations to Watch because I simply can’t find anything that captures my interest. Not even K drama. Is it me? Is it the pandemic? Who knows!
 

Amazing Links

• Inside the online world of amateur detectives (Ellie Abraham, The Observer)
60% women, 40% men! If you’ve loved mystery novels as a child, you’ll love this story.
• The wannabe food influencer wanted by the FBI (Andrew Anthony, The Guardian)
• This thread about Twitter’s advanced features, some of which I knew about and some of which I had no idea, is lit
• Some amaze recommendations in these compiled book lists — What to read for spring? (Buzzfeed)
 • The strange undeath of Middlebrow (Phil Christman, The Hedgehog Review)
 • Spring workshop series for writers (Free, over Zoom)

For books — new, classics, translations, indie press titles — and movies,
Sign up for TWO months of FREE Scribd using my Invite Link. 

Until next time,
Resh x


(This newsletter may contain affiliate links which might earn me a very small commission at no extra cost to you)


If you liked this newsletter, the best way to show support would be to forward the subscribe link to a friend or share via your favourite  social media.