Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi

Eight Detectives

by Alex Pavesi

Discover the most original murder mystery which will have you guessing until the very last page . . .

'One of the year's most entertaining crime novels' SUNDAY TIMES

'When did you last read a genuinely original thriller? The wait is over' A. J. FINN, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

'Grips like a vice' SOPHIE HANNAH

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BARRY AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
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All murder mysteries follow a simple set of rules.

Grant McAllister, an author of crime fiction and professor of mathematics, once sat down and worked them all out.

But that was thirty years ago. Now he's living a life of seclusion on a quiet Mediterranean island - until Julia Hart, a sharp, ambitious editor, knocks on his door. His early work is being republished and together the two of them must revisit those old stories.

An author, hiding from his past, and an editor, probing inside it.

But as she reads the stories, Julia is unsettled to realise that there are parts that don't make sense. Intricate clues that seem to reference a real murder.

One that's remained unsolved for thirty years . . .

If Julia wants answers, she must triumph in a battle of wits with a dangerously clever adversary.

But she must tread carefully: she knows there's a mystery, but she doesn't yet realise there's already been a murder . . .
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**Winner of the Capital Crimes Reader Award for Debut Book of the Year**

'A box of delights . . . Pavesi's revelations are completely unexpected, right up to the end' New York Times

'This super-smart homage to the Agatha Christie tradition is a must. Stylish, ingenious and great fun' Sunday Mirror

'Has an intricacy rare in modern crime fiction. Alex Pavesi deserves huge applause for his plot, constructed with all the skill of the old masters' Sunday Express

'So, so clever. Agatha Christie would take her hat off to this one - bravo!' Sarah Pinborough, author of Behind Her Eyes

'Ingenious . . . perfect for fans of Agatha Christie' Best

'An ingenious exploration of the crime genre' Literary Review

Reviewed by Ashley on

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I stopped reading about halfway through.

Eight Detectives just wasn't what I expected. The synopsis sounds really good to me… an editor meeting an author/mathematician… the possibility of a real murder. I'm intrigued!

What was unexpected to me was that the book would actually feature these crime fiction novellas. So in between reading about the “real time” relationship between the editor and the author, we actually read the eight(?) short murder stories. Now I'm not a fan of short stories. The short length makes it hard for me to get invested. And given that the book is at least (if not more) 50% short story… I struggled.

I was really curious to find out what happened in the present time, but I couldn't bring myself to keep going.

This was definitely a “me" issue. If it had been clearer to me that a big chunk of this book was actually living those short stories, I probably wouldn't have picked it up to begin with. But if you are a fan of short stories then this book might really appeal to you!

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Reading updates

  • 20 September, 2020: Started reading
  • 20 September, 2020: on page 0 out of 352 0%
  • 20 September, 2020: on page 155 out of 352 44%
  • 21 September, 2020: on page 184 out of 352 52%
    Ugh I might put this down...
  • 21 September, 2020: Finished reading
  • 21 September, 2020: Reviewed