Perfect Crime Party

by Kel McDonald (Editor)

Genres: Graphic Novels

300 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[Sophy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short stories centered around different types of crimes, each one unique and offering a fresh perspective on the genre. Some of the stories are lighthearted or even cute, while others are much darker and more intense. Because each story is written and illustrated by different creators, the art styles and tones vary greatly, which makes the collection even more interesting.

It’s an engaging read for those who enjoy crime anthologies and short-form storytelling, but it’s definitely geared toward an older audience due to the mature themes and varying levels of intensity.

[Leah Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder, mystery, and absolute mayhem.

This was a confusing read. I was expecting a series of stories that would link up at the end for a grand mystery. Instead, Perfect. Crime Party is an anthology of different tales. None of those stories are depicted on the cover art, which was a choice. There weren't many that I would buy the book for. Most of the stories are too short to really be anything. For some of them, I was hunting for the mystery but was left disappointed.

The individual art style of every story was gorgeous and gave a unique feeling to each one. This is a good gift for a mystery lover who will read just about everything else.

[Neurospicy Potato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect Crime Party is a collection of short comics with one thing in common: Crime.

Each story has a different art-style, so I can not really comment on that. The only thing I can say about it, is that it helps set the stage and give each story its own vibe. Even though they are collected in one volume, they really do feel like their own stories. We go all over the place, from the 1800s, to the modern times, to outer space in the future. Each story is different and has its own unique sound.

There are 25 stories in total, but these are my favourites:
- Prym & Burn
- Sideswiped
- Reap What You Sow
- Bluedolf the Dead-Nosed Reindeer
- The Plague of the Living Rest Benches

And these were my least favourites:
- Racked
- The Crime Beat
- The Heist
- Play It Again

This comic displays a wide variety of stories, but they aren’t all equally as good. You really notice the difference between one story and another. That is fine, because unevenness is very common in Anthologies. Some art style is more appealing than the other, but that all comes down to taste. Though, some were easier to read than other typography wise. I’ve been noticing this a lot with comics, and not all the typography is consistent.

That being said, none of the stories is horrible. I would rate my least favourites a 2 out of 5, so there really is not a one star story in it.

My favourite art style was the one from The Heist, but the story didn’t make sense to me. Sadly, it will have to go into my least favourites. I also liked the art work of The Swinevald Pearl a lot! With a favourite art-style also comes a least favourite. For me this was The Cloud Thief, for sure. The art-style hurt on my eyes, which was a shame because I quite liked the storyline. But it was almost impossible to read. A little further into the story it became a little better, but if I wasn’t reading this as an ARC, I would have skipped it after seeing the first page.

All with all an enjoyable collection of comics! A solid 4 out of 5 stars for me! There were more comics that I enjoyed than ones I didn’t enjoy, so it did a really good job at keeping me entertained.

Disclaimer:
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Lex Ophiuchus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spirit Duplicator: 5/5
Reap What You Sow: 5/5
Grand Theft Octopus: 5/5
Racked: 1/5
Sideswiped: 4/5
Trevor & Derrick: 5/5
The Good Word: 3/5
The 21-Foot Rule: 2/5
By the Horns: 4/5
The Ninth Life of Tabitha Tuxedo: 4/5
Prym & Burn: 3/5
Play It Again: 3/5
The Crime Beat: 4/5
The Heist: 2/5
Bluedolf the Dead-Nosed Reindeer: 4/5
Smugglers Abroad: 3/5
The Plague of the Living Rest Benches: 4/5
Psikotika Will Strike at Midnight: 4/5
Polyphonic Funk: My Outlaw Melody: 3/5
Written Off: 5/5
Sincerely, a Lady: 2/5
The Swinevald Pearl: 3/5
Joke Theft: 3/5
The Cloud Thief: 4/5
Darling Doesn’t Know: 3/5

[Diana Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a decent anthology of different mystery/crime stories told by numerous authors/illustrators. Admittedly, I did skip a few if the graphic style wasn't appealing to me.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the advanced reading copy. On sale: July 8, 2025

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthologies are always uneven , and this is no exception, but there are some real gems here, including Sideswiped and Reap What You Sow. The art is definitely the highlight though, with a variety of talent on display

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.