An audio book.
The first-person PoV, Malcolm, has been married (his wife died 5 years ago), is nearly 40, and owns (with Brian, a novelist) a New England bookshop - "Old Devil" - where there's a cat Nero. He's read so many whodunnits that it affects his perceptions. In a blog he listed 8 novels/plays with perfect murders. A detective (agent Gwen Molvy, FBI - young, academic) interviews him. She's noticed that a series of recent murders emulate the methods in his list. They both start re-reading the books. Just how close does a crime have to be to the novel version to count as an imitation?
He knows about unreliable narrators and "The Girl on the train". He admits to knowing more about the murders than he's let on. He points out earlier clues about this in the text. We learn that his late wife Clare had come from a rich family, had left college because of drugs, and had died in a car accident. An Arts sponsor, Atwell, liked Clare's tattoo documentary. They had an affair. He re-introduced her to drugs. She was driving from his home, high, when she had the accident. Matthew decided that Atwell should die. Using the internet he found someone who wanted someone to die. As in Highsmith's "Strangers on a train" they exchanged details. Atwell was killed while Matthew's in Florida. Then Matthew killed as part of the deal. At the murder scene (where he left DNA in a fight) a cat stared mournfully at him. He left with it, and took it to the bookshop.
He feared that his accomplice would track him down. He wonders now whether the accomplice is the serial murderer (codename Charlie). He begins to track down his accomplice. He contacts Marty, a retired cop. He and Gwen search a victim's house and discover the 8 books together on a shelf.
He's told that Gwen Molvy is suspended. The police ask him for alibis for several murders. He meets Gwen secretly after. She knows that her father molested Clare when she was a schoolgirl. He asks Gwen if she thinks he's the murderer. There's another death, of someone Malcolm thought might be the serial killer.
He visits Brian and wife Tess (who's much younger than Brian - a treasure-hunter? He finds in their cellar a brand of Scotch that he saw in a victim's room. He thinks he might be murdered. He leaves, Tess giving him a pre-release version of Brian's next book, dedicated to him. His accomplice phones him, calling him "Malc" and saying he's going to kill again. Malc returns to Brian and Tess's house. Marty's there with a gun. He explains everything. He gives Malc the gun, inviting him to kill Brian or him, Marty. He kills Marty and phones Gwen.
He killed Clare, running her off the road. He thinks readers might believe that he made up Marty. He admits to having trouble after Clare's death trying to work out what was dream and what was real. He decides to kill himself.
I liked the plot, though Malc's rather too cold blooded, and Marty's motivations are hard to believe.
No comments:
Post a Comment