Rules for Perfect Murders - Malcolm's List of Books

Rules for Perfect Murders - Malcolm's List of Books

I have been promising this post for a little while. A few weeks ago I reviewed Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson. I loved this book namely because it was set in a bookshop, at Christmas and was about crime fiction. As I read the book, I made copious lists of books that I had not heard of, wanted to read, or had read and wanted to read again.

Read my Review of Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

In the novel, bookshop manager, Malcolm Kershaw, is visited by the FBI, when a number of murders are committed that seem to echo a blog post he published detailing 'Eight Perfect Murders'. If you are in need of a little reading inspiration then this may inspire. There were certainly books in the list that I certainly haven't come across.

Malcolm Kershaw's List of Eight Perfect Murders

  1. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
  2. Malice Afterthought by Francis Iles
  3. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
  4. Double Indemnity by James Cain
  5. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
  6. The Drowner by John Macdonald
  7. Deathtrap by Ira Levin (a Play)
  8. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Malcolm also mentions another post, and this is included below. Perfect for snowy nights!

Malcolm Kershaw's Mysteries for a Cold Night

  1. The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
  2. The Nine Taylors by Dorothy L. Sayers
  3. The Corpse in the Snowman by Nicholas Blake
  4. Tied up in Tinsel by Ngaio Marsh
  5. The Shining by Stephen King
  6. Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
  7. Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
  8. A Simple Plan by Scott Smith
  9. The Ice Harvest by Scott Phillips
  10. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

Along with these two blog posts, Malcolm also talks about a wide range of lovely crime fiction. I thought it would be fun to compile this into a list as well. I do love a good list!

Other Books Mentioned

  • A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
  • And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
  • B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
  • The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
  • Bleak House by Charles Dickens
  • The Burnt Orange Heresy by Charles Willeford
  • The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
  • The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
  • Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  • The Hawk in the Rain by Ted Hughes
  • The Hunter by Richard Stark
  • In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes
  • The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
  • A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
  • Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
  • Macbeth by William Shakespeare
  • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
  • Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
  • The Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman
  • Shake Hands Forever by Ruth Rendell
  • The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
  • The Spy who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre
  • Started Early, Took my Dog by Kate Atkinson
  • Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout
  • We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
  • When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Laurence Block
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

And that's the list! Are there any on the list that you fancy reading? Or any that you would particularly recommend? Please do let me know!