Death of a Bookseller starts off as a narrative about two strangers awkwardly working together at the same bookshop, but develops into a one-sided stalking fascination by one character, nicknamed Roach, in the other, Laura, that is reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley books and the rather rapid collapse of the house of cards that Laura has erected as her life, exposing how fragile the plans of mice and men- and more broadly, people -are. The world largely feels very insular, which works for the story. There are places and spaces where the narrative seems to make leaps over plausibility, and makes a couple of stark tonal shifts, but on the whole, it’s a brisk and adept thriller that I stayed up to finish. It does try to have things both ways by walking back events at the end, but the reader can avoid the epilogue, if they prefer a colder, more “realistic” finish. On the fringes, the book gives space for conversations about the mechanics of the true crime genre and the book industry that are informed and thoughtful in a way that affirms a history of bookselling by the author, while coming over as ever so slightly pandering to librarians and booksellers. Overall, it’s a strong debut by an author I will keep tabs on.

On paper, this should have been an ideal read for me - morally ambiguous characters, dual narratives, the world of book selling. I stopped the story about a third of the way through because both women were so unlikeable and I was repulsed by each of their narratives - how stuck up and selfish Laura was, how weird and cringy Roach was. Adding to that, it was really repetitive. I got the dynamic between them and why Roach was enthralled with Laura, and why Laura was repelled by Roach…but it felt like they had the same interaction time and time again. It made me feel depressed. I skipped to the end of the book, read the epilogues and felt like I hadn’t really missed anything by skipping two thirds of the book. The last chapter is good but not worth slogging through the book to get to it. It’s not a book I could recommend to my fellow fans of thrillers or book themed reads. Thank you to the author, her publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I buddy read this book with Susan over at Novel Lives & we were both excited by the potential but, unfortunately, despite the story building and building it didn't really go anywhere and left us both pretty disappointed.

The story alternates between the POV's of Roach and Laura. Roach a bookseller at the Walthamstow branch lives a lonely life, her time spent between work, looking after her pet snail and devouring any true crime novel she can get her hands on. She's the sort of person who goes ott in their fascination, the person just that little too interested in the details, the person who takes more interest in the person committing the crimes than the victims who inevitably get forgotten about.... she's basically a psychopath, but we only see the truly dark side of her start to come out when she meets Laura. Laura is everyone's favourite bookseller. She reads all the bestsellers and would love nothing more than spending time with customers making sure they leave the shop with the perfect book. But she also carries a dark secret, a secret that she only shares with those she trusts, and Roach would certainly not fit into that category. She isn't a good person, in fact she is incredibly complicated and not at all likeable throughout the story.

The characters were one part of the story that really shone for me. Slater's ability to make us question who the real 'bad guy' was is truly well done. We know that Roach is a psychopath, she has an obsession with Laura that goes beyond the normal, and we know that nothing good will come from it. But Laura is a bitch, in so many ways. She's entitled, likes getting her own way and living beyond her means, blaming the world when things don't go her way. There are a multitude of side characters, but they were all a little meh for my liking, none played a pivotal role in the story and, despite how much page time they got, I didn't feel they were developed as well as they could be.

I'm spending a lot of time talking about the characters because Slater takes up the majority of the book talking about them, allowing us insights into their minds, their wants and needs, their histories, and through them she builds this sense of anticipation that something will happen... a feeling that never really panned out for me. Don't get me wrong, something big does happen at the end, but did I feel that it was worthy of all the build up, absolutely not. Throughout our buddy read, both Susan and I said that the ending would make or break this book, you couldn't spend that much time on your characters and to give us a half arsed ending, but that's exactly what we got. Could it have been the perfect ending of the first book in a duology, possibly, but I'm not sure I would have picked up the second book even if it was. Instead it built and built and built to nothing basically and just made me feel like the effort put into the first 80% of the book was wasted.

I can't mention so much about this book because of spoilers, but suffice to say it didn't break the mold in anyway. I did enjoy Slaters writing style, it had an intensity and almost lure to it that managed to keep me hooked, despite nothing actually happening in the story. There are a couple of twists, but this book just felt predictable and not in the good way. I will say that I didn't see the ending coming, but it wasn't a great ending, a little too open for my liking, especially for this kind of book, and kind of allowed our characters to get away with, almost absolving them, or their actions throughout the story.

This is a story of the dangers of obsession, and for those who like a heavily character driven story with little to no plot, this is certainly your read. But for those who need at least a little plot to their stories, despite how well the MC's are written, you might be a little disappointed.

As always, thank you to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. *Spoilers in review*

An honest review this shall be. I was not a fan of this one and really, I was so excited for it. True crime? Books? Murder? Sounds right down my alley. Perhaps I went into it expecting too much but even with lower expectations, I do not think it would have lived up to them.

In Death of a Bookseller, we are immersed in 2 booksellers' lives: Roach, the true-crime obsessed, macabre, and off-putting seller; and Laura, the color-coordinating, upbeat, driven woman with a past that haunts her.

When we begin the book, it alludes to Roach's love of true crime podcasts, documentaries and everything dark. She quickly becomes obsessed with Laura when she finds out that she might also secretly enjoy the darker side of life. Turns out, Laura is not really a fan but her own mother was murdered by a serial killer when she was a teenager and she writes poetry to highlight the victims and un-romanticize true crime. Not exactly a match made in heaven.

Throughout this book, Roach becomes increasingly problematic up to but not excluding: stalking, breaking and entering, stealing, and plagiarizing. I'm not sure if the author was going for shock value or not but there were some descriptions of her hygiene, appearance, sexual encounters and actions that literally made me cringe - and not in a "wow, this is some really great writing of some body horror novel," just in a…gross way. I don't blame Laura for her disgust in Roach. The best thing about Roach was that her pet snail had an adorable name: Bleep. Seriously, not even the snail. Just the name.

Our other POV is Laura. There are unlikeable characters that you love to hate and then there are unlikeable characters that make you roll your eyes, make books almost unfinishable and just…no. Can you guess which one Laura is? Alcohol abuse, making passes at an unavailable co-worker, and ultimate self-destruction are her only character traits. Yay, so much fun watching her do the same thing day in and day out. The repetitiveness in this book was ridiculous.

The writing was fine. The best part was when something actually happened at the end and Roach was almost caught in Laura's apartment but 25 pages at the end was only enough for this to be moved from a 1 star to a 1.5 star from me. The epilogue wrapped up the 2 storylines but the journey to get there was not worth it.

Biggest spoiler: no death of a bookseller in this book. *eye roll*

This is a darkly funny book about a true crime obsessed bookseller who becomes obsessed with a co-worker. This book will make you examine society's obsession with true crime and who gets to tell those stories.

A story of obsession told from two points of view, Death of a Bookseller is a tense story from the get go. Roach and Laura work at the same bookstore. At first, Roach doesn't like how put together and pretentious Laura is, but as the story progresses, we see her fall into an obsession with her, going to lengths to infiltrate her life. Laura, on the other hand, has not liked Roach since she first set foot into the same room as her, with no clear explanation as to why.

Roach is an avid true crime fan, and Laura couldn't dislike it more, so as a reader, you can see how they clash, but as the story develops, you learn things about each girl that does offer an explanation as to why they feel the way they do about one another.

I found myself disliking both of the main characters, and I really hope that was Alice's (she/her) intention, as I would feel terrible for disliking someone who was written to be likeable so much! While on the subject of the main characters, I feel like there are a lot of side characters who wouldn't have made a difference to the story if they weren't there at all. I think some of them were only names to fill the bookshop employees up. The ones that do add to the story, however, could have been developed a bit more in order to understand who they are expect from side characters in Roach and Laura's lives respectively.

From what I'd read of the blurb and online, I thought that there would be a lot more action to this one, and not just the small snippet we are given; I went in thinking that there would be a death needing to be figured out, but the path the book took was interesting nonetheless. I understand why each girl feels the way they do, and maybe I was somewhat hopeful in the same sense as Roach, that they'd become friends eventually, which means that I never saw the final few chapters coming.

I commend Alice on keeping me guessing until the last page, and while that last page may have been obvious to some, it wasn't to me. I love when I finish a book with last minute shock.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this title in exchange for an honest review.
A story told from two perspectives, Roach, our true crime obsessed loner and Laura, Roach’s newest co-worker at Spines Bookstore. When Roach sees a true crime book among Laura’s belongings she thinks maybe she’ll finally have someone at work to connect with; she couldn’t be more wrong. Thus begins this thriller about obsession and the downward spiral that can result from the tragic loss of a loved one.
I am very picky about what thrillers I read after being burned by the predictability I’ve run into over the last 5 or so years but as a career bookseller I couldn’t resist one set in a bookstore. I am so glad I took that chance since it led to my first 5 star read of 2023. Watching Laura’s slow descent into depression while Roach’s obsession grows created an extremely bingeable read. The secondary characters who fill out the staff of the bookstore as well as the scenes of day-to-day bookshop work help to keep the story from feeling too dark. While the climax felt a touch predictable the falling action had just enough tension kept me hooked all the way to the last page. Overall, a delightfully dark tale that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning.

Completely unputdownable. A must read for any Waterstones Bookseller, or anyone who wants a look behind the scenes … This is such a compelling and gripping thriller that you truly can’t tell where it’s going to do. I devoured it.

0.75/5 stars! I don't even know what to say about this book. The author clearly intended to make the main character super unlikable, but I think there are lines, and they were crossed in this book. The author wanted us to root for a monster of a human who is evil and vindictive and uses her love of true crime as an excuse for wanting to be able to steal from and murder people for NO GOOD REASON! It was just a horrid read and no work was put into making the other POV 3-dimensional and supported. I really disliked this book and cannot recommend it.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

An utterly dark story if Roach, a serial killer obsessed young bookseller working in a failing bookshop. In comes a team to redo the ship and Roach falls Iinto an unusual obsession with a female manager. Dark bars, dark streets, and a general darkness permeate this book. Even the relationships are dark. I wanted to love it but just didn't. I do want to know what Dark Fruits taste like after hearing of the drink so much. Other than that, I was happy when the book ended.

From the cover and description, I was expecting a fairly fun mystery from Death of a Bookseller, but it's so much more than that. Brogan Roach is a "true crime fan." She can tell you exactly how Jeffrey Dahmer tried to paralyze his victims and what kind of car Ted Bundy drove. Her new colleague at the bookstore, Laura, isn't into true crime as a hobby or an interest because her life has been directly affected by a local serial killer. When Brogan misunderstands Laura's intentions, things start spinning out of control for both women.
There's a theme that's been popping up more and more in literature that's been really satisfying to read—the interrogation of true crime "fandom" and how stories about murder can be consumed ethically or if, in fact, they can be at all. Death of a Bookseller is adding to this conversation in an important and thrilling way. I was left unsettled and uneasy (complimentary) by the story and how close Roach and Laura come to a different kind of resolution. That second epilogue is a doozy.

Thank you so much for copy. Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the sheer unlikable characters. It made it so hard to read. :(

Ahhh! this was so close to the bone. Maybe not the slightly crazed stalking, but certainly life in the bookshop/being a bookseller. We're a bit of an odd bunch, but maybe not QUITE this crazy. You can absolutely tell that Alice has lived through returns, revision guides and rudeness. I absolutely recommend this and thought it was brilliant reading as a bookseller.

It kept me up wanting to know the fates of the characters (and also worrying about BOGOHP on revision guides). Brilliant, loved it, I hope Alice writes more bookshop noir!

I loved the premise and I requested the book because of the title but I wasn’t a fan of the way this book went. I wanted more action or mystery but all I got was a stalkerish girl who was weird.

a weird one for sure. But it worked for me! brief synopsis: back & forth between the perspective of two booksellers. one (Brogan) is obsessed with true crime and “loves serial killers.” the other one (Laura) lost her mother who was murdered by a serial killer. she understandably finds the true crime junkie offensive & off-putting. fascinating commentary on what happens when someone fetishized someone else’s pain. But for the true crime junkie, it’s also an obsession & passion that gives life meaning. But she’s un-likable & rarely sympathetic. notable quotation: “good friends and cold wine, a guitar, and the gentle crackle of flames. warmth and love and laughter, with nowhere better to be.” dark, quirky, & unmistakably funny at times. really landed the ending! content warning for stalking.

I tried to give this book a fair shake but man is the main character unlikeable. She radiates judgement and rudeness and I couldn't get past that. There's too much negativity in the world already without reading an entire story that way and I do love my snark and my sarcasm but this was too much.

This thriller has a snarky and morbid protagonist named Roach. Her pet is a giant African land snail, and she is obsessed with serial killers and murder podcasts. She is slovenly and crude and as delusional as the serial killers she follows. Her foil is introduced in an excellent opening hook. Laura Bunting is blonde, perky, smart, and fashionable. These differences will drive the plot.

The fictional world, characterizations, and relationships in this novel are well done and interesting. And, on the topics of hooks, here’s a Jeff Lindsey moment: “Under her watchful white eye, a cataract in the blanket of night, I could finally breathe. The moon kept me tethered; I’d always felt a real affinity with her. She was of the night, just as I was of the night.” It also happens to be an example of her unique writing style, at least when Roach isn’t being snarky or unintentionally funny such as when she thinks this: “I felt light-headed. I put on a murder podcast to ground me.”

Slater has a fresh and entertaining voice. She has a future in this business. My rating doesn’t reflect this because the book is a thriller and is missing key elements expected of the genre—tension, action, and pacing. The action and tension, if they can be called that, are centered on fixation issues that slowly play out. I’m not sure in which genre this book would fit, but it’s not a thriller. That’s too bad. This author is a talented storyteller.

Many thanks to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

A brilliant literary thriller focused around the mudane world of bookselling. Slater captures the intricacies of interpersonal relationships in workspaces and illustrates a vivid picture of two women who fail to understand themselves and each other. The true crime discourse is woven seamlessly into the story , presenting the reader with complex ethical questions with a light and witty touch. Short chapters that switch POV make for a forceful reading experience.

Wowza! I knew from the synopsis that I would likely enjoy this book. After all, I love watching a true crime series with a cup of tea in hand. This book promised to be a thriller with a nod to true crime and from the very beginning the book is scattered with references to famous crimes and infamous serial killers. This book was addictive and I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

Our two main protagonists are Roach and Laura. Roach is obsessed with true crime and has an affinity for serial killers. Laura seems to the the very opposite to Roach on the outside – a fluffy, children’s bookseller. Roach is drawn to her for unknown reasons but as she uncovers more and more about her, it becomes clear that Roach’s fascination with Laura is becoming dangerous. I didn’t expect her to adapt full stalker mode but that is exactly what happened and I’ll admit that the darkness of it all thrilled me! It was interesting to read from both points of view as both Roach and Laura are far from perfect. They both make a myriad of poor choices and definitely had their faults. I love a book with unreliable and imperfect narrators so this was perfect.

As the course of the story develops I found myself hooked to both sides of the story. Roach’s obsession becomes dangerous whilst Laura’s own behaviour seems risky and dangerous too. The colleagues around them can sense there is something not quite right with both of them and this culminates to a peak at the end of the book. I was maybe left feeling slightly flat by the end of the book which is why this isn’t quite a 5* read but I did thoroughly enjoy my time learning about (and fearing) Roach and Laura whilst spending time immersed in their bookselling world, which of course I loved!

Death of a Bookseller is addictive and chilling. How does one become so dangerously obsessed with another? Pick this up in April and find out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but it certainly wasn't what I ended up reading.

Death of a Bookseller is a critique of true crime that explores grief, trauma, and obsession--among other topics--from the perspectives of two very different coworkers in a small Londonian bookshop.

Slater has a knack for creating unlikeable characters, one of whom is a main narrator, Roach. As much as I hated Roach, I had to admire, in a way, how her (albeit depraved and unhinged) character was represented. She actively repulsed me with the way she thought and acted. She reminded me of a serial killer, with the way she adapted to other people's behavior and learned their habits. And yet sometimes, I still sympathized with her--even against my will. Was she realistic? Maybe not, Was she likable? Definitely not. But she certainly evoked strong emotion in me, which is more than most characters can claim.

Laura Bunting, the other main narrator, was definitely more sympathetic but perhaps not as well fleshed-out as I would've preferred. I did like how she raised the issue of how true crime is connected to and profits off (female) grief and trauma. Until now, I hadn't really been aware of it, seeing that I'm not a consumer of true crime. I'm not sure--I feel like something was missing from her portrayal that disconnected me from her a bit. That disconnection was furthered by the fact that there were jarring tense shifts between her and Roach's POVs--Roach was in past tense but Laura was in present tense. I'm sure there's a reason the author chose it to be that way, but for me, it wasn't justified.

The plot itself somewhat decreased my enjoyment of the book. I feel like it was quite repetitive, with the same events occurring over and over again. Combined with slow pacing, I often had to force myself to pick it up and keep reading. I enjoyed seeing the inner workings of a bookstore, which the author is clearly familiar with. Looking at the book as a whole, I find myself wishing for a bit more when it came to quality and a bit less when it came to quantity. 2.5 stars.