Blog tour ~ book review: The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh

I am delighted to be on this tour today ~ thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for organizing.

Follow my fellow bloggers on the tour ⤵

3⭐
Genre ~ psychological fiction
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ March 3, 2025
Publisher ~ Boldwood Books
Est Page Count ~ 287 (p+ 44 chapters)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 30 minutes
Narrator ~ Rose Robinson
POV ~ single 3rd
Featuring ~ slow burn mystery

Helen has just gotten out of the slammer for killing her abusive boyfriend. She’s just trying to get her life back on track, so she decides to open up a second hand bookstore. How fun! I love me a good deal and she was selling the books at a good price, but an unrealistic one really for just starting out.

I have to note that Helen seems like the name of a sweet older lady, not someone who’s been in the slammer for murder.

This is more of a slow burn mystery and not a thriller as advertised. Day in and day out Helen is putting books on the shelves and going to grab donations to sell, all while being under the watchful eye of her parole office, Moira. There are illusions at the end of chapters of what’s to come, which tried to build up the suspense. I really couldn’t wait to see what this person was going to do, but it took too long for anything to actually happen in my opinion.

Loved the bookstore setting and I did like how Helen was desperately trying to put the past in the past, but I didn’t like her as a person. I needed her to be more on the ball with things, namely getting an alarm. She frustrated me with her forgetfulness. All in all a bit too much of a slow moving book for me, but plenty of others have loved it so be sure to give it a shot if you think it might be your cup of tea.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, just giving the above info for reference.

Grab your copy on Amazon ~ https://amzn.to/3DjWJID

Add to your never ending TBR  ~ goodreads

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it.

Book blurb:

A woman with a dark past…

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 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…

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/thebookseller

Author Bio –

Valerie Keogh is the best-selling author of The Nurse. She lives in Wiltshire with her husband and a huge black cat, Fatty Arbuckle. She grew up reading Agatha Christie and initially wrote crime novels – she now writes psychological thrillers.

The Little Lies was shortlisted for the Crime Fiction Lovers Award 2021

Valerie has a BA in English and an MA in American Literature.

She is currently published with Boldwood Books.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @valeriekeoghnovels

Twitter: @ValerieKeogh1

Instagram: @ValerieKeogh2

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/ValerieKeoghNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valerie-keogh