Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Book Seller by Valerie Keogh due to be published March 3, 2025.
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. She opens a bookshop to begin again, but her past can’t stay hidden. She killed once; will she be willing to kill again?
Love Valerie Keogh’s books (see below), and this was no exception. I’m always a sucker for books about book clubs or bookstores so this one drew me in immediately. I felt I knew Helen from her love of books. It was a roller coaster of a ride – couldn’t put it down!
Also recommended by Valerie Keogh: The Wives, The Mother, The Mistress
#NetGalley #ValerieKeogh #BoldwoodBooks #TheBookSeller

I rated this 3 stars on good reads. It was a cute story and I loved the premise of it. However, I feel like it was dragged alone. It was not a heart pounding thriller nor did the end have any crazy twists or anything. It was still very cute and enjoyable! Thank you for allowing me to read it.

Loved everything about this book from the storyline, the characters, the smooth easy flowing writing and the twists that kept on giving. Highly recommend.

I loved this book! The characters are well written so that you can really relate to most of them. There was enough going on in the story to keep you guessing and wondering what will happen next (and nearly all of it is unexpected!)

It's wonderful. If you’re a fan of twisty plots, masterful storytelling, or just great fiction in general, "The Bookseller" is a must-read. Valerie Keogh has proven herself to be a writer who knows exactly how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats. And once you’ve experienced her unique brand of storytelling, you’ll be eager to see what she does next. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This is a fast paced read from Valerie Keogh, full of mystery and suspense. Helen has been released from prison on license, she killed her partner Toby. was charged with manslaughter. Her sister who she was not close to previously has picked her up and is offering her support which Helen is glad of. Helen has always had a dream to own a second hand book shop, she has the funds from an inheritance to do so and takes on a property which needs a lot of work, but it’s all been worth it as opening day approaches and she sees her dream becoming a reality.
From day one things start to go wrong, the shop is broken into, her home is broken into and tossed to look like a burglary, she doesn’t trust the two guys in the pizza shop next door, her parole officer is calling at the shop regularly, either making threats to have Helen sent pack to prison or posing as her friend. Helen feels she can trust no one, she is filled with paranoia! Someone is trying to destroy her dream and her fresh start!
Some different characters throughout the story, which I enjoyed, including the story of the books getting to the shelves. There are some good twists to the story and I was rooting for Helen throughout.
An enjoyable read.

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, among 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.

But the past can never stay hidden. As she settles into life as an apparently timid bookseller, it seems that someone is determined to sabotage Helen's new life and ruin everything she's built.
But Helen has killed once before. And to protect her future, she could be willing to kill again.

Fun exploration of second chances! Like all of Keogh's books, this was a fun read. She does a great job building the suspense. This felt more slow burn than most of her other books for me, but I still really enjoyed it! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book was a great read . Lots of twists that you don't expect . I will definitely read more from this author again brilliant read.

Helen was recently released from prison for the manslaughter of her ex. Deciding that she wants a quiet life, she decides to open a used bookshop. Someone breaks into her house and the bookstore, leaving Helen convinced that someone is after her.

I cannot even begin to say how boring this was. I am normally a huge fan of Valerie Keogh's books. This one was just not it. I would not even classify it as a thriller. I kept waiting for it to get better. it didn't. After I finished, I was like, "what did I just read?!". A massive disappointment. So much was undeveloped. It had the potential to be a great read but it was super boring. I also found the MC super annoying, which always makes for a difficult read.

If you are looking for a thriller, this is NOT it. Nothing happens and it's beyond boring. I won't give up on Valerie Keogh, as I have really like many of her other books (ie the Widow and the Mistress).

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📘𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐡 ~ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫

Thank you @netgalley @theboldbookclub for this advanced copy of The Bookseller.

“𝒷ℴℴ𝓀 𝓁ℴ𝓋ℯ𝓇𝓈 𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝑔ℴℴ𝒹 𝓅ℯℴ𝓅𝓁ℯ“

Not only is this my first ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) but Valerie Keogh’s The Nurse was my first book of the year in 2025 and my first ever review on Bookstagram. Full circle moment in a short month ☺️ @valeriekeogh2

Now back to the book…..
From childhood Helen Appleby had established an unhealthy link between pleasure and pain.

Helen is seeking the quiet life of a secondhand bookseller after her release from prison for manslaughter of her partner, Toby.

Helen finds trust extremely difficult after her relationship with Toby and the traumatic ending, she questions everyone’s intentions. This leaves you as a reader suspicious of every character you are introduced too.

Someome is trying to sabotage Helen’s new life but why and who can she trust!

This book had nice short chapters allowing the pages to turn easily. Bingeable and exhilarating.
This is my second book of Valerie’s and I can’t wait to read more.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 3.5/5

You know that feeling when the writing style clicks from the first sentence and you can't wait to devour the book whole? This was one of those times.

If you've ever dreamed of owning your own bookshop, this book is for you! Helen gets out of prison and opens a second-hand bookshop, while the memory of her partner who she'd killed still looms over her life. The novel is very well-written. The author uses evocative descriptions as we follow Helen in her day-to-day life as she prepares to open the bookshop. It felt like I was right there with her—the excitement of opening a box of books, and the satisfaction of seeing the shelves slowly populated by more and more of them.

As for the story, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Helen starts her life over from scratch and tries hard to suppress every dark memory from her past, but it’s difficult when they seem to keep haunting her. She only has her sister to rely on, but they have unresolved issues that go back to their childhood. I was constantly worried for Helen, but also for the people around her. It's difficult to tell who is a friend or foe until the very end, and that makes for a very suspenseful read.

Now the reason this isn't a five-star read for me is that the ending felt rushed. Everything was resolved a bit too quickly without enough breathing room for each revelation to be completely satisfying. But ultimately that doesn't take away from the book in any big sense. I look forward to reading more from Valerie Keogh!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Let me start with what I enjoyed... The setting! A bookstore selling preloved books? What's not to like? The main character was trhing hard to rebuild her life and this was a nice idea. However, this book is longer than it should. It drags for too long and the twists come towards the end one after the other. It kept me wanting to read but not immediately, every time I put it down I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue. I guess I wanted to know who was doing all the bad stuff but could have been shorter.

* Thank you to the publisher, Boldwood Books, for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *

4.5 ★

I was hooked on the story from the first page. Every page and chapter left me wondering what would happen to Helen next. I wondered if Helen would be able to start her life fresh or if she would end up in prison again. From the beginning, I felt conflicted about Helen. Sometimes I really liked her, but her decisions throughout the novel made me wary of her. I also thought she was a little paranoid about everyone. I can understand why she was distrustful, especially given what happened with her boyfriend, Toby. Still, she appeared wary of everyone, including those attempting to help her and make her feel welcome. I was afraid that she would get in trouble that way, especially if she accused the wrong person.

Moira, I didn't like her from the start. Something about her didn't seem right to me. She kept showing up at Helen's bookstore and overstaying her welcome. It did not appear professional to me, as if she was there for a completely different reason than checking up on Helen. Of all the book's characters, I was most suspicious of her. I liked the suspense in the novel; it kept me on the edge of my seat, and I made a few guesses about who was behind it, but I appeared to be wrong every time.

I was intrigued about what Helen was hiding on the night she killed her partner. I even tried to figure out what it was. Of course, I liked the concept that it was set in a bookstore; I love reading books about books. This was my first book by Valerie Keogn, and I'm excited to see what other adventures she'll take us on. I strongly recommend it to any thriller fans!

This author is always a hit or miss with me. The Bookseller follows Helen who is recently released from prison after 2 years for manslaughter. She wants to make a fresh start and decides to buy a second hand book store. She does have a parole officer and Helen is trying to do everything right so that she doesn't violate her parole. Unfortunately, someone breaks into Helen's bookstore and her home. She believes someone is out to get her.

So this book started out really slow. More than half was slow going. Helen is a very flighty character who spends most of the time wringing her hands. She needed an alarm system and keeps forgetting. She was annoying to me. I'm a big thriller reader and there wasn't anything that shocked me or any twists that spun me around. It was an OK book.

Thank you to Boldwood books and Nergalley for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. I do recommend this book as many seem to like it.

The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh is my first book by this author but will not be my last.
Helen, released from prison, on license, opens a second-hand bookstore, trying to put the past behind her. However, the past haunts her dreams and future success is not guaranteed, especially when Helen doesn't know who she can trust.
I read this book in one sitting, transported, by the writing, to Helen's bookshop and hoping for a happy ending for her.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Helen is a murderer. Does she deserve a second chance? This slow-burn mystery explores the idea of starting over. Helen hopes she has found sanctuary in the opening of a bookstore. This has been her dream, and now it's close to becoming reality. This character-driven story has a constant sense of foreboding and bookish elements that drive the gripping mystery. I was rooting for the protagonist to live out her dream and begin a new life. I could imagine myself frequenting her bookstore, becoming reacquainted with long-time favorites. The story hooked me immediately all the way until the satisfying conclusion. Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

Thank you so much for this ARC! This was my first Valerie Keogh and it certainly won't be my last.

The writing captured me immediately, the characters were well thought out and the twist surprised me. The ending was also a shocker!

Excellent book from Valerie Keogh and first time read from this author. A interesting story line..Helen is released from serving two years in prison for killing her abusive boyfriend. She decides to open a used book store and get her life on track. However, things don't go quite like she expected. Loved the whole aspect of mystery, and the ending it perfect.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boltwood publishers for the advanced reading copy. Great reading and reviewing.

4stars - Really enjoyed this book, thanks Netgalley.
Full of suspense.
Well written.
The characters gel.
Easy to follow, keeps you guessing.

This was an engrossing thriller and an easy page turner. I felt for Helen and really wanted her to succeed. Each and every character is unreliable and untrustworthy, and I couldn’t guess who was behind the misfortunes Helen suffered.

I give this 3.5 stars because I felt too much was given away about one characters motives too early (Dilly) and there was some repetitive language used which I thought could have been sharpened up (example being Dilly repeatedly calling Jess annoying).

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.