By: Valerie Keogh
Narrator: Rose Robinson
ISBN: 9781805494546
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pubication Date: 03/03/2025
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
The BRAND NEW gripping thriller from NUMBER ONE bestselling author Valerie Keogh. Meet the bookseller...
'What an ending. I was not expecting THAT to happen!!! Enthralling, and deliciously wicked!' Bestselling author Rona Halsall.
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 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...
Don't miss another page-turning, nail-biting read from the queen of psychological thrillers, Valerie Keogh! Perfect for fans of J.A. Baker, Keri Beevis and Nina Manning.
My Review
Valerie Keogh returns following The Wives with her latest twisty, domestic suspense thriller, THE BOOKSELLER. When a woman is released from prison and opens a bookshop to start over fresh, her past meets the present, keeping you glued to the pages until the satisfying conclusion.
About...
Helen Appleby spent two years in prison and was released, spending the remainder of her sentence on license. Books were her childhood escape, and she decided to use the money her mother had left her to buy a second-hand bookshop.
Helen's past is shrouded in suspense, with a blurred line between pleasure and pain, and a deep-seated childhood issue. Her act of killing Toby, a monster, is a clear crossing of a line, but the reasons behind it are not so straightforward.
On this side, she wasn't sure who she was anymore. A victim? A murderer? An Ex-con or a pathetic fool. Her sentence was reduced to involuntary manslaughter and now she has to ensure a good, perfect life so she is not sent back.
She had not planned to kill. She just happened to have purchased a knife and it was in her hand. She led her sister and others to believe she was trying to protect herself. However, she is hiding dark secrets.
She had a traumatic childhood and for years Helen had harboured resentment for the way her older siblings had excluded her when they were children. There is a ten-year difference between her and her sister, Sarah. However, she is there for her now and offering her support.
As Helen embarks on her new venture, the history of the bookshop she's purchased remains a mystery. The property, which had been on the market for over two years, holds secrets Helen has yet to uncover.
Helen's parole officer, Moira Manson, is a constant source of unease. Her unpredictable behavior swings between friendly and threatening, keeping Helen on edge and unsure of her true intentions. (This was one creepy woman).
Soon after opening the shop, all sorts of mysterious things occur. Her home gets broken into, and there are mysterious noises at the shop and the pizza owners (Alex and Zander) next door. She is unsure of their motives, and some student customers steal her money at the store. Plus a key is missing.
She receives a donation from an elderly woman booklover, Jen, who is moving into an apartment. Later, her grand-nephew, Jared, bugged her that some things were missing and asked her to let him know after she had gone through the boxes. This proves to be the highlight of the book.
In the meantime, Moria is driving her nuts, showing up all the time at the shop, acting weird, and then another elderly woman, Dilly, is selling her many books at a very low price since her ex was a booklover, so she is excited.
However, when she returns to the remainder of the books, the woman's warm personality is different and hostile, leading to another visit from the cops.
Then the gal shows up after she finds out money was stolen, and brings back some of the money, and wants to help her out at the shop, and she winds up allowing her to stay in one of her bedrooms.
But little does she know who is out to make her pay and would love to see her go back to prison. But the past can NEVER stay hidden…
What is going on? Does someone not like ex-cons? How are all the puzzle pieces connected?
My thoughts...
THE BOOKSELLER is highly entertaining (with cozy mystery vibes), with humor, and a flawed protagonist you will root for. I enjoyed the fun literary references, and the bookshop setting —while trying to solve the mystery and how the pieces would come together. Who is trying to set her up and frame her?
When you start reading the story that's about to unfold, it will command your attention—I read in one sitting. You get clues, but you will not find Helen's real secret until she confesses towards the end.
A former prisoner navigates life on the outside while revisiting a traumatic childhood that has carried over into adulthood. Helen is an interesting character for anyone who's ever experienced trauma and wished to turn their life around. Reinvention, second chances, and tackling the obstacles.
Full of characters and all a suspect. Another gripping psychological suspense from Keogh. I like her writing style and the short chapters with tantalizing teaser last sentences.
Helen does not seem like a murderer. She is paranoid and doubts everyone's actions due to Toby. Someone is out to destroy her and her new life. I enjoyed all the side characters: Moira, Jen, Sarah, Jared, Dilly, Zander, Alex, and Jess!
I have read many books by the author, and this was my favorite, with a mix of domestic, psychological, humor, and cozy mystery. I wish it had a little more snark and dark humor; however, still entertaining.
I enjoyed the wicked fun ending and how it all worked out. Funny and smart, twisty and surprising. I would love to see Helen again with more adventures and her charming bookshop in future books.
Recs...
THE BOOKSELLER is for fans of the author and those who enjoy popcorn thrillers and works by Keri Beevis, Freida McFadden, Daniel Hurst, Emily Shiner, and Miranda Rijks.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an advanced digital review copy for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Mar 3, 2025
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5
Praise
Readers LOVE Valerie Keogh!
‘Keogh is the queen of compelling narratives and twisty plots’
—Jenny O'Brien
'A wonderful book, I can’t rate this one highly enough. If only there were ten stars, it’s that good. Valerie Keogh is a master story-teller, and this is a masterful performance.'
—Bestselling author Anita Waller
'Keogh is no. 1 for a reason, and this is another perfect slice of domestic noir. A definite 5 stars.'
—Bestselling author, Keri Beevis
About the Author
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. INSTAGRAM
Order of publication:
Deadly Sleep (2016)
Twisted Power (2016)
Bitter Business (2017)
Wicked Secret (2018)
Secrets Between Us (2018)
The Housewife 2019
The Dublin Murder Mysteries (2020)
The Three Women (2020)
The Perfect Life (2020)
The Little Lies (2020)
The Lies He Told (2021)
The Couple in the Photograph (2021)
A Taste of Deceit (2022)
The Lodger (2022)
The Widow (2022)
The Trophy Wife (2023) (previously published as Exit Five from Charing Cross)
The Librarian (2023)
The Nurse (2023)
The Lawyer (2023) (previously published as The Deadly Truth)
The Housekeeper (2023)
The Mistress (2024)
The Mother (2024)
The Wives (2024)
