The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh is a dark and atmospheric psychological thriller that explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the lengths one woman is willing to go to protect her new life. The story follows Helen Appleby, a woman recently released from prison after serving time for the manslaughter of her partner. Eager to leave her troubled past behind, Helen opens a quaint bookshop, hoping it will provide the fresh start she desperately craves. Surrounded by books, she believes she can finally find peace and escape from her past mistakes.

However, the calm and solitude Helen seeks is short-lived. As she settles into her new life, it becomes clear that someone is determined to sabotage her efforts and ruin everything she’s worked for. The tension escalates as Helen realizes that, despite her best efforts, her past may not be as easy to outrun as she had hoped. And when her future is threatened, she finds herself forced to confront her darkest instincts—willing to go to extreme lengths to protect her second chance at happiness.

Keogh's writing is sharp and engaging, expertly building suspense and keeping readers on edge. Helen’s character is complex, and her struggle to reconcile her past with her desire for a fresh start adds depth to the story. The twists and turns are unpredictable, leading to a gripping conclusion that will leave readers questioning how far someone can go to hide their past and preserve their future.

The Bookseller is a page-turning thriller that will appeal to fans of psychological suspense, filled with tension, dark secrets, and unexpected revelations. It’s a compelling exploration of redemption and the price one may pay for it.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood books.

Helen is recently released from prison after killing her partner and decides to open a bookshop with an inheritance from her parents. Helen is extremely paranoid, some of which maybe to be expected but she also hasn't been completely truthful with the criminal justice system and is obviously worried about being found out. She also eats an inordinate amount of pizza!

I personally found the sexual abuse uncomfortable to read and it was clear that Helen had suffered a very difficult childhood.

My favourite quote:
"Before she discovered that death was a good place to end something, and an even better place to start."

The ending is good and I enjoyed the characters and found Helen to be really interesting. I loved the writing style and the twists were good. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Valerie Keogh,Boldwood Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Wasn’t able to read this one digitally but I did order a copy of the book so will be reviewing it after I’ve read it. I’m really excited for it as I’ve only heard great things about it.

I received this book through NetGalley, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to discover new authors and share my thoughts.

The Bookseller was a captivating and intriguing read. Valerie Keogh’s writing is atmospheric and engaging, drawing you into a world filled with mystery and suspense. The plot was well-paced, with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing. The characters were well-developed, and I found myself invested in their journeys. It was a story that blended tension with a sense of discovery, making it a truly enjoyable experience.

Thank you again to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Good book! Keep me wanting to keep reading! My first by this author and i will read more !! Highly recommend this author !!

When I started this i was bit undecided but it did pick up pace.

Really enjoyed the story line, content and characters.

2.5 stars. This was my first book by Valerie Keogh. The cover and title is what drew me in but the book is marketed as a suspenseful thriller and for me it was a miss for that genre. It took me a long time to get into the book. I would classify this as more of a slow burn mystery and the mystery you are trying to solve doesn't seem clear until the end. The plot was good but it didn't suck me in. I found the FMC frustrating and there were things missing from the storyline (that I won't go into detail about so as to avoid spoilers) to make this a 3 or 4 star read for me. I would recommend this to those looking for mystery not an edge of your seat thriller. That said mystery isn't my first pick of genres so it's likely why this was a miss for me. I recommend giving it a try for yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy.

𝑰𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒕, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.

Helen has just been released from prison, having served time for the manslaughter of her domestic partner. Determined to leave her past behind, she decides to follow her dream of opening a bookstore. Of course, someone doesn't want her to be happy and is determined to sabotage her dream.

There were chunks of the plot that were gasp-worthy and other parts that were filled with extraneous details and mundane tasks that would have been better left out. There was a lot going on in this book, and despite the multiple layers of plot, this was still somewhat of a slow burn and ended up being more of a mystery rather than a thriller. Did I hate it? Absolutely not, but I would have liked more focus on the events that led up to the MC's incarceration. That initial flashback to Helen's childhood was SO important, and it was kind of glossed over; additionally, more flashbacks between her and her partner would have benefited the narrative.

Overall, this was an above average read, and I have rated books by this author much higher, so I think this one may just be a fluke. Thank you to Boldwood Books for my reading copy. This title published March 3, 2025.

I will start with, the beginning of this book caught me by surprise. I didn't remember the summary and it starts out with a very sexualized scene with a parent. I was thinking, was this a spicy book? Then it becomes clear that it is just some background for the plot. It was a slow paced mystery. The ending was interesting but not very shocking. Of course any story centering around books is a must for a book lover! The audiobook has an excellent reader and I loved her crisp speech.

I found Helen a bit silly and frustrating, and it just seemed a bit... over the top, at times. I did enjoy the ending, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if the books had been brought in more from the beginning.

The shop itself is wonderful, though. I would love one of my very own!

2 and a half stars rounded up.

I enjoyed this suspenseful mysterious book that was absolutely unputtdownable. The inclusion of books into the story was delightful to this reader. Thank you to Net galley, the publisher and to the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.

Helen, has recently been released from prison for the manslaughter of her live-in boyfriend. She is of the hope she will start over by opening her own bookshop. She loves books and hopes to live a quiet safe life starting over surrounded by the books and her customers. Her life holds many secrets and when problems from her past threaten her she may again have to go any length to save her own life and free herself from her past.

The suspense was palpable. The main character quite interesting albeit naive . The bookstore a delight and the discussion of books always special. to readers. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

I enjoyed this book. I did think there could have been more depth exploration to our main character (Helen Applby) when it came to her trauma and why she murdered her partner instead of attempting to leave. I also don't blame Helen for self defense. It was also good representation of the struggle of readjusting back to civilian life. Most wouldn't even get the opportunity to start a business after prison life. I will add that the bumps and twists were great. There absolutely was a character arc to Helen and it was great to see familial healing as well.

The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh is a slow burn page turner full of mystery and secrets.

Helen Appleby has just got out from prison after serving half of her sentence for the murder of her partner in self-defense. Out on parole, she has decided to fulfill her lifelong dream of opening a second hand bookstore. She knows that striking out on her own was going to be hard but with some inheritance money she has been able to find the perfect shop. After a surprisingly busy opening, things for Helen are looking up, until she starts to hear strange sounds, her neighbors are acting strange, and her shop and home get broken into. With her parole officer making unexpected drop-ins everyday, Helen begins to realize that her dream of owning her own shop is quickly turning into a nightmare.

I haven't read anything else by Valerie Keogh before but I was definitely interested in a book about a bookseller! This did feel like it took a while for me to get into the story, but overall I did enjoy it. There aren't too many shocking twists or anything like that, just an overall mystery that I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Valerie Keogh, and Boldwood Books for this ARC. Publication date was March 3rd 2025.

An nerve-racking psychological novel set against the welcoming background of a bookstore. I appreciated the attention for detail in expressing the tormented feelings of the main character, as well as of her environment, but on the other hand I felt the need to have a representation of her, a visual description that was missing though.

This book gave me so much anxiety and at the time of finishing it I hated it 🤣 but upon reflection I really enjoyed it and I think the anxiety inducing storyline only proves how good it actually is!
I have only read one of Valerie’s previous book (The wives) which I really enjoyed although it wasn’t as anxiety inducing as this one so I was a little bit shocked at the state the book worked me up into.
It’s such a good storyline though and I really enjoyed the characters and how they developed. I really love books that include book, bookshops and authors etc so I did really like that aspect of the story too!
I cannot wait to read more books from Valerie and be an anxiety riddled mess in the future! 🤣
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Release Date - 3rd March 2025

Every so often I like to read a psychological thriller and with this title, I had to plunge in. In fact, Helen's new job as a Bookseller and her Book Shop dominates the story. The creaks and bangs in the building add to the atmosphere and the shop offers her the chance of a new future with a sense of menace lurking in the background.

There is a variety of characters who either help or hinder Helen in setting up her new venture. Her probation officer seems to have a malevolence that she cannot understand and she see-saws between acting like a best friend and being ultra officious. Helen senses that she could be going back to prison if she does not toe the line. There are reminders of Helen's previous life in the house she returns to and we know from her thoughts that she can still have murderous and paranoid thoughts.

In setting up the shop, Helen meets different customers who all seem difficult to deal with. You are left double guessing on their motivation as well as that of the brothers who live next door. Lastly Helen has a complicated relationship with her sister who reminds her of her difficult childhood yet who on the surface seems genuinely to want to help her to settle into a new life.

This is a story full of unreliable characters which keeps you on edge and second guessing everyone. If you want a tense read with all the action taking place in the mind, this is the one.

In short: edgy reading in a domestic setting

Helen Appleby just wants a quiet life. Recently released from prison for the manslaughter of her partner, she's trying to forget her past mistakes – all of them - to rebuild her life and move on.
When she decides to open a bookshop, she’s certain this is the perfect new start. Here, amongst the quiet shelves of her shop and between the covers of her books, she can hide away from the real world and begin again. The world of books is the perfect place to find happiness - even if it is all lies.

I enjoyed this easy read but it wasn’t quite as pacy as her previous work. It’s a good and easy to read but I did find it slow in parts but not enough to detract from the story. Its has a good twist in the end too.