Helen Appleby has spent two years in prison for manslaughter. She has served her time, and all she wants now is to live a quiet life, and follow her long time dream of opening her own bookshop. It would be a new start for her, doing a job she has always wanted, with her beloved books.
She finds the premises she wants, has the renovation work and decorating done, and soon settles into her life as a bookseller.
However, several disturbing events cause Helen to wonder if someone does not want her to succeed in her new venture. She starts to think about the people in her life, even those she thought to be the closest to her, and wonder if she has been too trusting. She has killed before, and she reasons with herself that if she has to, maybe she could kill again.
I enjoyed this book very much, the plot was full of twists and turns, a fantastic psychological thriller. 5 stars.

Hellen Appleby has just been released from prison for killing her boyfriend. We learn that Helen has some issues that stem from her childhood and her relationship with her father. She grew up estranged from her older brother and sister. However, her sister visited her regularly in prison, and stood by her during the trial. Sara (her sister) is now helping Helen get her feet on the ground. Helen wants to use inheritance money received from her mother to open a used bookstore. As Sara is driving her home, she spies the perfect location and building- although it will need work- for her store. As she puts the store together, she gets to know the two brothers that own the pizzeria next door. Right before her big opening, her store is broken into- but nothing is taken. Helen is convinced that someone does not want her to succeed and is determined to make it.

This is a quick read. The plot flows along fairly smoothly. Helen's character started to annoy me, because she is paranoid and untrusting of everyone. There are a few characters in this circle that could be out to get her- the brothers, Alex and Zander, Dilly- the lady who gives her books but suddenly hates her, Moira- her parole manager, Justin- the nephew of another lady who has given a lot of books to Helen. While dealing with trying to keep her store afloat, Helen is also struggling with a secret she is keeping about the crime she committed. This all adds up to a very anxious, untrusting main character.

I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on, and enjoyed the setting of a bookstore. There ended up being at least 3 "mysteries" happening with the characters- but it was weaved together nicely. The ending was very satisfying. I found that I needed something that wasn't too deep or dark, was easy to follow, and a quick pace/read and this fit the bill perfectly!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
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Helen has been in prison for two years for the tragic loss of her partner. But what lies she told had not freed her from heartache. All she wants is a fresh start. A new beginning. She opens a bookstore and is excited to finally start over, but what she doesn’t expect is the paranoia to the people who actually care. Will she be able to start over? Or will the complexity of her life and the lies that are intertwined within become to much to handle?
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This book was hard to put down. I found myself having a hard time following it in the beginning, however once I became more engrossed within the pages, I had no trouble at all. It was very well written and I would recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers in any capacity!

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood books for this arc.
Nicole is released from. Prison after she murdered her boyfriend in self defence, or is there more to it??
Nicole has a dream to own her own bookshop, when money is left for her in a will, she starts looking for the right place.. she finds a rundown shop haggled on the price and Applebee books begins. Only someone is playing tricks on her.......... she has a break in at her home and somebody gets into the bookshop, but who? Is it personal?? This was gripping, I was sorry it ended, lots of twists along the way.. Another cracking read by this author

I love mysteries set in bookstores, so wanted to read The Bookseller. The story is part mystery/part psychological thriller, with a full cast of suspects--all with suspect motives--and a determined, though quite flighty, heroine.

Helen has just been released from a two-year stint in prison for killing her boyfriend, Toby. The light sentence was due to the bruises and scars on her body, which we learn right up front were due to her sadomasochistic sexual proclivities but which she lied about after the murder. Determined to start fresh, Helen buys an old property and fixes it up into a second-hand bookstore. Along the way, we meet the owners of the pizza place next door, Helen's parole officer Moira, various elderly ladies wanting to donate books to clear their own homes, a college student named Jess, Helen's sister Sarah, and the nephew of one of the elderly book donors. As the much-too-forgetful and naive Helen works to prepare her store to open, then to run it, the store is broken into, her home is broken into, she continues to forget to get an alarm installed, her motives are questioned left and right, and she hears noises at night...all pretty standard fare. Helen must learn to stand up for herself, quit wringing her hands, and determine who is out to get her before Moira (suspect herself) sends her back to prison for violating her parole terms.

While the premise of this story was okay, and there were numerous suspects to consider, the flighty behavior Helen exhibits throughout made me care much less for her plight. I did enjoy the ending, as things were wrapped up nicely, but the story was slow-moving and depressing otherwise.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t put this down! This was a solid thriller with a very good premise—Helen is restarting her life by opening a second-hand bookshop after just being released from prison for killing her husband-but spooky things keep happening, what happens if someone pushes Helen too far?

Valerie Keogh really doesn’t disappoint!
Helen Appleby is released from prison, she has served her sentence and is trying to rebuild her life. But someone is determined to derail her plans. She is determined to open a bookshop, amid the quiet shelves she is hoping to blend into the background and perhaps find happiness. Her life was blighted by trauma but Helen is trying to start afresh. But a series of break ins and some strange noises increase her paranoia!
Enthralling and suspenseful.

The Bookseller✨| ARC review

This was a solid thriller with a very good premise—Helen is restarting her life by opening a second-hand bookshop after just being released from prison for killing her husband-but spooky things keep happening👀

This was decently spooky and had a great build up, but the ending fell flat for me :(

Overall a 3 star read for me

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read and review ahead of time!

Pub date March 3, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Recently released from prison for killing her abusive partner,Helen, is determined to restart her life and fulfil her dream of opening her own book shop. However not everyone in her life is as supportive and someone is out to make her fail.

This was a very subtle psychological thriller, the pace of the story was good but there were no major dramas/events throughout. Most of the plot relied on misdirect and a cast of characters with hidden motives. This made it unpredictable as to who was out to sabotage Helen or why.

The twists at the end were good although it felt like they all landed at once, Overall this was in interesting story and was quite gripping.

Helen Applebee has recently been released from prison for murdering her partner. Wanting to start a new life she opens a used bookstore which has been a dream for years. But then strange things begin to happen. Who is behind all this and why are they doing it. So the mystery begins.

What an enthralling read! If you’re a fan of thrillers, a little twist of the psychological, and the possibility of second chances, this book is for you! I got lost in the pages of this book, and couldn’t put it down! The Bookseller is definitely a must read!

I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC of The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning, and I had a hard time putting it down! The twists kept coming, making it impossible to guess what would happen next—which I loved. I never enjoy a book as much when I can predict the ending, and The Bookseller kept me on my toes the whole way through.

The mystery itself was engaging and well-paced, with just the right balance of intrigue without feeling over-the-top or cringy. I especially enjoyed following Helen’s journey and feeling immersed in her life. The relationships she formed along the way made the story even more enjoyable—I found myself worrying for her, rooting for her, and celebrating her wins.

If you're looking for a mystery that keeps you guessing with a well-developed protagonist and an engaging plot, The Bookseller is a must-read!

#TheBookseller #NetGalley

Valerie is one of my favourite authors and I always look forward to her books. This was another great read overall but did lack the nuances and slick writing of some of her other novels. I enjoyed it on on the whole and was eager to see how it would develop. A good read,but lacking in places.

This was my first Valerie Keogh but certainly won't be my last.

A gripping novel about a female killer who opens a book shop in Bath. It plays on themes of deception and trust and explores human connections and first impressions. A true psychological thriller!

This book did not have Valerie's normal suspense in my opinion. Helen is released from prison after killing her significant other and wants to start a book shop. It seems like people are against her: co-workers, probation officers etc, but why? Just seemed slow and wasn't grabbing my attention.

After Helen is released from prison she decides to use some money left to her bu her mother to open a bookshop.

Helean has not had an easy life and now just wants to sell books and live quietly... but it seems someone is trying to ruin her life once and for all..

This is an easy read. it has an intrguing plot and I loved watching Helen trying to keep her dark side under control.

I could not got into this book. Her books seem to be amazing or dull for me. Helen is released from prison after killing her partner. She opens a book shop. Things start to happen. People start to get suspicious. Ending wasn’t what I expected but I just didn’t find it suspenseful.

Oh I totally love Valerie Keogh’s books! This was fantastic! So many great characters that kept me flipping pages long into the night. This was captivating from beginning to end. Tension, mystery and intrigue throughout. Don’t let this gem pass you by. Excellent storytelling.
Thank you NetGalley, Valerie Keogh and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It opens with a prologue that immediately grabbed my attention. Fast forward and Helen Appleby is now an adult but the behaviours of her childhood have coloured her life choices. It was a one sitting read for me as I had to know what happens to Helen, short chapters and quite a quick and easy read.

Briefly, recently released from prison after serving two years of a four year sentence for manslaughter Helen has decided to use the money her mother left her to open a second hand bookshop. She finds a property and soon the bookshop is up and running but from the start someone seems to be out to scupper her plans.

There are some difficult issues dealt with in the book - particularly sadomasochism and coercive control - which are dealt with sympathetically. Helen is a difficult character, I initially didn’t like her a lot. She is quick tempered, suspicious and unforgiving but as the book progressed a softer side is evident and she was right to be suspicious. There are a number of characters who raised my suspicions, but that was a moveable feast! Some really good twists and turns and an ending I definitely didn’t see coming. An excellent psychological family drama. Very enjoyable.