Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Girl with a Clock for a Heart | 2014 | Peter Swanson | Buy |
| 2 | Her Every Fear | 2017 | Peter Swanson | Buy |
| 3 | All the Beautiful Lies | 2018 | Peter Swanson | Buy |
| 4 | Before She Knew Him | 2019 | Peter Swanson | Buy |
| 5 | Eight Perfect Murders / Rules for Perfect Murders | 2020 | Peter Swanson | Buy |
| 6 | Every Vow You Break | 2021 | Peter Swanson | Buy |
| 7 | Nine Lives | 2022 | Peter Swanson | Buy |
| 8 | Kill Your Darlings | 2025 | Peter Swanson | Buy |
Peter Swanson’s standalone novels form the largest part of his catalog, with eight books published between 2014 and 2025. His debut, The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, set the template: dark premises, characters hiding things from each other and the reader, and plots that shift underneath you. Her Every Fear followed with a woman who moves to Boston and immediately discovers her neighbor has been murdered. Before She Knew Him put a couple next door to a man they suspect of being a killer.
Eight Perfect Murders is one of Swanson’s most clever setups. A bookseller writes a blog post listing the best fictional murders, and years later a real killer starts copying them. Every Vow You Break, Nine Lives, and Kill Your Darlings continue the pattern of sharp, contained thrillers built around a single dangerous situation. Swanson writes books that move quickly, punish trust, and end in places you do not expect.