From Booklist (starred review): "The skillfully conjured Boston winter creates the perfect atmosphere for breeding paranoia, which kicks into high gear with the introduction of Cherney's Rear Window-like flashbacks. Swanson … introduces a delicious monster-under-the-bed creepiness to the expected top-notch characterization and steadily mounting anxiety."

Booklist calls this "A twisty tale of warring sociopaths [and] a good companion to similar stories by Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn." Booklist calls this "A twisty tale of warring sociopaths [and] a good companion to similar stories by Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn."

This psychological thriller set in the world of books and bookstores is an homage to classic mysteries. Years ago, bookseller Malcolm Kershaw wrote a little-read blog post about the “Eight Perfect Murders” in the classic mysteries he loves. He says he hasn’t thought about it since—until an FBI agent shows up on his doorstep to ask for his help. A murderer is on the loose, and appears to be using Malcolm’s blog post as a guide. This meta take on the genre will be best appreciated by fans of those classics, like Strangers on a Train and The ABC Murders, but be warned—spoilers abound for the older books in this plot.

From the publisher: "Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke—until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list. First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor, and they’re located all over the country. So why are they all on the list, and who sent it? FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next."