This book had me engaged from page 1. I felt her anger, sadness, and fear while she felt it. The mystery changes and evolves as the story unfolds, keeping you engaged until the very end. One of the best books that I’ve read!

Tʜɪs ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴘʀᴇᴍɪsᴇ ᴀɴᴅ I ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀᴅᴏʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴇᴇʟ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋsʜᴏᴘ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ. Hᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴀsᴘᴇᴄᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ғᴇʟᴛ ᴜɴʀᴇᴀʟɪsᴛɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟᴇᴠᴇ ( ʟɪᴋᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʙᴜsɪɴᴇss ᴘʟᴀɴ ) ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ɪᴛ ᴅɪғғɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ.
Oɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴜs sɪᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ sᴏᴍᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛᴡɪsᴛs ᴀɴᴅ
ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴀs ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇ.

I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀ ғᴇᴡ Vᴀʟᴇʀɪᴇ Kᴇᴏɢʜ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀs ϙᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʀ ᴜsᴜᴀʟ ᴘsʏᴄᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ sᴛʏʟᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ sᴛᴀʀᴛɪɴɢ ᴏᴠᴇʀ, sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʜᴏᴏᴅ ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ ᴡᴀs ɪɴғᴀᴄᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ. Aɴᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴏʀᴇs?

I ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴇғɪɴᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜɪs ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡᴀsɴ'ᴛ ᴀ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ.

Tʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ #netgalley
Aɴᴅ #boldwoodbooks ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ᴀʀᴄ. Mʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴡᴀs ᴠᴏʟᴜɴᴛᴀʀʏ.
3.5 ⭐️

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The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh is a tense psychological thriller about guilt, trust, and second chances. Helen Appleby, fresh out of prison for murdering her boyfriend, opens a bookstore to start over. But things quickly go wrong, and she doesn’t know who to trust. Suspenseful and unsettling, this is a great read for fans of dark, twisty thrillers.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley.

The only thing better than reading a book, is reading a book about books. Really enjoyed this and boy was it dark in places. An unusual and exciting story, markedly different to anything I've read recently. Loved it.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

‘The Book Seller’ is a new book by Valerie Keogh. It is the first book I have read from this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The plot surrounds a youngish woman, who has recently been released from prison, as she begin a new life. Much of the book is written from her point of view. Her recollections, thoughts and feelings. We learn about her background; family and upbringing. We also learn about her violent crime, the court case, sentencing and now release on parole.

The author presents the protagonist sympathetically and the reader will most probably identify with her, in particular her ambitions. She has a small inheritance and plans to open a bookshop on the outskirts of Bath, a charming English city. For many people who enjoy the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a bookshop, especially one small and intimate, they will immediately develop fond feelings towards this young woman and her plans to move on from a violent past.

The nature of her crime and what happened is not in doubt. She killed her partner. Manslaughter. The reasons and motives appear relatively straightforward. Her short sentence and parole seem justified.

Nevertheless, this is a troubled woman. Paranoid, thin-skinned and quick to anger. Still, the reader will be patient and if not forgiving, then understanding and hope her new life works out well.

Which of course it doesn’t, at least not initially. It seems that someone is out to disrupt her future, or at the very least create difficult circumstances which may threaten her parole.

This is not one of those quirky British books, based around kindly ‘bookish’ characters, quaint expressions and cups of tea. Although there is a little bit of that in parts. But ultimately it’s not “84 Charing Cross Road”. It’s darker, more modern and involves several complex relationships. Our protagonist has issues with people close to her. Neighbours, family and her parole officer to name a few. She is paranoid, prickly, sensitive and suspicious. She mistakes kindly gestures as insults or criticism. Still, the reader will give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, who doesn’t believe in rehabilitation, especially one involving a cozy bookshop. Even if there are hints that she might again commit a violent crime. But only is absolutely necessary, mind you…

The plot and characters develop nicely as she buys, renovates and opens the bookshop. But also a sense of dread builds as things start to go awry. Our protagonist is unnerved and untrusting of some of the people who come into her life. Her thoughts give hints as to what she has done and what she might do again.

I began to feel a little uneasy about our bookseller. Her past crime seemed relatively clear, but could she, would she do something similar again if it was necessary to safeguard her new life ?

Without giving too much away, there are plot twists and an ending that is breathtaking. Revelations and a resolution of sorts with closure provided. A satisfying ending to a memorable book. Until you think about it a bit more. And then maybe the ending is not so appropriate, not so clear-cut.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As will anyone who enjoys the atmosphere of a small, intimate bookshop, a tale of struggle, perseverance and redemption. Characters are well portrayed, and believable. Particularly our bookseller, who we come to know well from her thoughts and recollections. The plot and plot twists are feasible, perhaps a little dramatic, but to be expected and indeed enjoyed in a psychological thriller. But, this is a book that stays with you after you have read it. And I can’t help but reflect on the main character and think a darker, perhaps more nuanced or uncertain ending might have been more appropriate, albeit less satisfying.

A small quibble and I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story of modern life, with elements of crime, punishment and redemption. Or even if you just enjoy visiting your local bookshop. I wish the author and publishers all the very best with the release of this book. I must read more from this author.

Again a title with the word book in it got my attention and this coupled with the authors previous books had read knew was for me

But, take a breath, this is not some cozy little story about a book seller finding romance or happiness in her twee book shop, no, this dark and clever read is about a woman who is on parole for manslaughter of her partner…the partner she flourished under at first as they shared a love of, well, I will leave you to find that out but lets just say there is more to Helen Appleby than you would think

We meet some luridly unlikeable characters and a special shout out to Moira the parole officer who every time she turned up rankled Helen and me as she played her superb part and also a mention for dear old Dilly who isen’t quite as dear as makes out

It’s a really interesting concept of second chances vs nature, manipulation vs need and of course books are in the forefront, I daresay more than me will be checking their books after reading this one……

Loved the line re psychological thrillers!

A bold, sassy, fiery read

This was a good book. I felt sorry for some of the characters and boy is Helen a piece of work and very unlikeable, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Loved it! Valerie Keogh has done it again. It took a couple of chapters to get invested but once the story got going there was no putting it down. Who doesn’t love a book about selling ‘previously loved books’, a dose of revenge and some karma thrown in? This page turner with short, fast paced chapters was a quick one day read for me. I’m already looking forward to Valerie Keogh’s next title.
Thank You to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Valerie Keogh for this widget - to read and thoroughly enjoy this ARC.

Book #7 in the books by Valerie Keogh. “The Bookseller” is her latest thriller and I think it’s her best book to date. Helen has a dark past but she starts her life over and opens a book store. I would love to open a book store. I enjoyed all the characters in the book and couldn’t wait to see how it ended. Twists and turns at the end that I did not see coming was the “icing on the cake”. Great book! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review. To be published March 3, 2025.

The Bookseller - Valerie Keogh

Keogh is a new author for me but I am always keen to find new thriller authors.

Helen, recently released from prison after murdering her partner Toby, dreams of opening a book store and rebuilding her life. After a turbulent childhood and an even more turbulent adulthood, Helen is determined to find happiness amongst the shelves of her own bookstore. But will the darkness that lives inside her derail her plans? And did Tony's murder play out the way they all thought or was there more to it?
Helen finds it hard to trust people in the wake of her prison stint and Tony's murder but is her distrust in the new people in her life unfounded or bang on the money?

This book is a slow burn. The action is relatively slow moving but the sense of mystery, suspense and intrigue is well maintained throughout. Helen's paranoia about the various characters she encounters is contagious and I found myself quietly assessing them and searching for hidden intentions and motives. Keogh is very good at posing questions throughout that you're keen to find the answers to and while the slow reveal does little to satiate my need for insant gratification, it's a clever technique that keeps you reading until the end. When you think you have it all figured out, you don't.

A fast paced thriller which is a one sit read. Helen is just released from prison, she was in for killing her husband. Her dream is to own a bookshop and when a lovely shop is on the market, she pounces. Someone doesn’t want her to be happy though, but who? Loved the plot of this story, it’s an easy read with great characters. The book keeps you guessing at who’s out to get Helen to be put back into jail and I liked the little twist in it. A 4.5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

“The Bookseller” is a thriller by Valerie Keogh. This book follows Helen, who has left prison after serving two years for murdering her boyfriend. Helen just wants a quiet life - where she can start over. She decides to open a used bookstore as she’s always enjoyed escaping into books. As she settles into her new life (or tries to), strange things begin happening - the store is broken into, then her house, then there are the strange noises - who can Helen trust? For me, this was an okay read - I found the beginning section a bit slow, but then set-ups with background usually are. I’m a sucker for books set in a bookstore or library, so I liked reading about that - including how Helen thought out her displays and pricing. This is a very character driven book and at times it was frustrating because I wanted to shake Helen by the shoulders (how could someone who spent two years in prison be so trusting of others?). I found the twist actually believable, though it bugged me a lot too (it seemed sloppy in execution). Overall, this book was engaging and a fast read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh had a promising premise, but it was difficult to stay engaged. The story had intriguing elements, yet the pacing felt slow, making it hard to stay invested. While the writing was solid, the plot didn’t build enough tension to keep the pages turning. Overall, it was a good idea that didn’t fully hold my attention

A gripping novel about a female killer who opens a book shop in Bath. It plays on themes of deception and trust and explores human connections and first impressions. A true psychological thriller! Deliciously dark and twisty… Will have you locking all the doors and flipping pages in order to find out what happened…

A lovely read by Valerie Keogh once again.

When Helen is released form prison she is determined to opena second hand book shop, we follow her journey in achieving this but with a few bumps along the way

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for this arc

4 stars

Honestly? I loved this book!

The writing was captivating, the characters were flawed but immensely likeable, and the twists were twisty. Exactly how I like it

I was drawn in almost immediately, wanting to know more about the characters' history, and it kept me turning the pages by only giving away just enough. I did think I had it all figured out, but I could not have been more wrong

I finished this off in a couple of evenings. It was an easy but engaging read. If you want a lovely cosy weekend read about books and strong females, then this is your guy!

Many, MANY thanks to Netgalley for the eArc

This was a quick and easy read, and although I kept turning the pages to find out what happens, I'm not sure it met my expectations.

The main character had recently been released from prison after murdering her partner Toby. There was lots of potential and I loved the idea of opening a second hand bookshop (but the business plan didn't seem very realistic...) I didn't really warm to her - and there was a psycho-sexual aspect which felt strange and unnecessary. There were quite a few twists in the story but I didn't find them particularly scary or dramatic.

I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC the publisher Boldwood and the author Valerie Keogh



I don't know how to describe it in words I'm lost in words. I had a hard time putting it down! The twists kept coming, making it impossible to guess what would happen next the suspense the tension this is my new favorite thriller



once again thank you so much

2.5 Stars

This one did not make my heart pound as the blurb promised. Am I getting harder and harder to please, thriller-wise? Because yet another book with raving reviews from a reliable author failed to suck me in. There was nothing wrong with the writing with this one at all, Keogh continues to be at the top of her game. But I couldn’t get invested in the characters and I couldn’t sit long with it. It may have been a little too slow building for me.

I found much of this book hard to believe and implausible on many levels. I tried to relate to the main character but found it impossible; I just wanted to shake her until she made sense. Yes, it all comes together in a dramatic conclusion, but once the big reveal occurred I started to feel a little bored and that is never a good sign.

Did I enjoy it? Well, I kept reading because I wanted to see what happened in the end. Let me say that I still don't buy it but I had a couple of hours of entertainment while reading. Just make sure that if you read this you can have a serious amount of skill in suspension of disbelief. But please, do not take my word for it. Keogh is a popular writer and the book has a 4.15 rating at the time of this review, but this one was just not for me. Maybe I'm just jaded from having read so many similar books and I'm an outlier one again. This isn't the first book by this author that I've read, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

I enjoyed this second chance slow burn thriller. I found this book to be unique and I really enjoyed the authors writing style. I felt a lot of different feelings throughout this book and I was definitely not expecting that. I am definitely going to check out more of this authors writing and I would recommend the same!