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.

Helen Appleby is released from prison after serving two years of her sentence for the manslaughter of her partner. All she wants is to open a bookshop and put the past behind her, but it seems that someone is trying to sabotage her plans for a new start.

The Book Seller is a character driven book and unfortunately I didn’t really like the main character. Helen was both paranoid and somewhat gullible as well as being prickly and too sensitive. These are all understandable considering she’s just been released from prison, but it does make her hard to warm to.

Helen buys a rundown building, which she renovates to turn into a secondhand bookstore, however issues arise almost immediately. She doesn’t trust the guys who own the pizza shop next door, her parole officer pops by too frequently and then there’s an incident that could end up sending her back to jail. It appears someone is definitely trying to destroy her fresh start.

My main issue with The Book Seller, besides Helen being unlikeable, is the pacing. For the first half of the book I was waiting for something exciting or dramatic to happen but thankfully the second half of the book overcomes that issue as the separate plots come together and secrets are revealed.

This is not a fast-paced thriller where you’re furiously turning the page to find out what happens next, more an amble through Helen’s life post prison release with some interesting side characters and mysteries to solve. The groundwork for the reveal at the end of the book is cleverly laid out early on, you just don’t realise it at the time.

Overall an enjoyable read which I liked, but didn’t love.

I did not expect this book to start that way. It’s interesting though as Helen realized her dream of owning a bookstore despite the obstacles, some imagined, others very real. I half expected Jess to have a twist to her role here but no. Then I wanted to see how she and Helen got along after finding all the answers to why things happened to her.

Happy to have gotten an arc about this.

The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh is a gripping psychological thriller set in a small, picturesque town. The story follows Kate, a bookseller who moves to the town and gets involved in the local community, but soon finds herself tangled in a web of secrets and danger. As Kate uncovers the hidden lives of those around her, she is forced to confront her own past, leading to an unexpected and thrilling climax.

Keogh’s writing is engaging, with a strong focus on suspense and building tension throughout the novel. The characters are well-developed, with Kate’s complex emotional journey adding depth to the story. While the pace is steady, the twisty plot keeps readers invested, with plenty of surprising moments.

Overall, The Bookseller is an intriguing, fast-paced thriller that will appeal to fans of suspense and mystery, offering a good mix of psychological tension and plot twists.

Very pleased with this read. Some great characters. It was gripping from the beginning and the end was a real surprise. A perfect thriller. Would definitely recommend to other readers

The premise of the books sounded so good in hindsight. The execution was a little rocky. The first 50% of the book read more like a Fiction book than a mystery. All of the characters didn’t seem to have any significance for the first 55% which caused me to completely loose interest and be extremely confused as to how these people and anything to do with the overall plot. I like to be kept on my toes & made to think a little but I don’t enjoy being this confused throughout more than half the book. It also seemed to be quite repetitive.

All in all, did I enjoy the book? I did. Once we got to the conclusion it all started to make sense. So if you’re thinking of reading the book, just know that it does get better. You just truly have to push through until the very end.

The Bookseller had me captivated from the very beginning and each chapter left me wanting more. Although the twist was very anticlimactic it was still a solid thriller. Overall, I enjoyed this one and am excited to read more from this author!

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for the Arc in exchange for a fair and honest review. 2 things drew me to this book...the title and the author. Our main character is Helen, she has recently been released from prison after serving her sentence for stabbing her then partner, in what she claims was self defense. Does she deserve a second chance at life that she has served her very short prison sentence? This was a slow-burn mystery explores the idea of having a fresh start and starting over. Helen hopes she has found sanctuary in the opening of her second hand bookstore. This has long been her dream, and now becoming her new reality. I wouldn't call this an edge of my seat kind of thriller, but it was a well written mystery that held my attention and had me wondering just what was going on and had Helen's best interests at heart and also who was trying to sabotage her new life and why. It was a character-driven story with a constant sense of foreboding and bookish elements (which I of course love) that drive the gripping mystery to unfold. We have some unlikeable characters, some of course likeable characters and the mysteries all surrounding her bookstore and the case that she was convicted of. A thoroughly enjoyable read I loved that it still managed to surprise me along the way, even when I thought I had it all worked out. #valeriekeogh #thebookseller #netgalley #boldwoodbooks #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #getlitsy #thestorygraph #fable #mystery #bookqueen #bookstagram