Exceptional read from this superb writer. Can she ever
rewrite her deadly past.
Helen Appleby is a woman with a dark past that is not easy to forget.
A new start she has done her time, now opening a bookshop called simply Appleby Books, just wanting a quiet life, but life isn't always that simple, she's killed once can she kill again to protect her future.
The past can never stay hidden.
Oh this book is definitely ready to be discovered to readers, the characters family, friends and enemies, blending into ever chapter to savour, it's a fantastic story, as we learn all about Helen and her dark fears that becomes everyones nightmare.
I totally loved everything about it.
It's going to be a best seller in the making.
Fabulous!!!!

I just finished a great book. The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh was an engaging book that kept me turning pages until the very end.

I have read many books by Valerie Keogh, so I was excited to be given the opportunity to read this ARC.

Jess has recently been released from prison, and she wants nothing more than to start her life over. She decides to follow her dreams and open a used bookstore. This is where things start to take a turn.

I tried really hard to like the main character, Jess, but it was so difficult to root for her. She seemed very unappreciative, rude, and brusque.

As with the author's other books, this was a quick and easy read. I did enjoy it, but it wasn't one of my my favorites by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

Valerie Keogh is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for a quick read. The Bookseller did not disappoint! I was able to devour the book in under 24 hours.

Really tense thriller which will have you turning the pages to find out what is happening. Without giving away the story there is so much going on. Helen is out of prison on license and opening a bookshop to move on with her life after years of domestic violence. The characters that surround Helen as she struggles to cope with the challenges, grappling with guilt and suspicion, make the reader wonder who is actually who and what is going on!

Great read and one I would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC.
A woman just released from prison is able to open a bookstore with the money from an inheritance. It's a dream come true.
Things are not going well to begin with, the poor woman has to deal with some ominous happenings that kept me glued to my Kindle.
Excellent read with a great ending!

Valerie Keogh has delivered another fantastic psychological thriller. She is one of my favourite authors, so I was really looking forward to reading this new book. It certainly didn’t disappoint! It’s another fantastic read and one that I’d definitely recommend.

Helen Appleby is starting over after being released from prison for killing her partner. Due to her portion of the
inheritance from her mother, she is able to purchase a building and open a second hand bookstore. However, it
appears that someone is not eager for her to succeed. Suspicious of most people she comes in contact with,
Helen is prepared to kill again to protect her new life. Helen has never dealt with how her upbringing has distorted
her relationships. Help from an unexpected source will helps her to move forward.
#TheBookseller #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley

What a wonderful book. It made my heart happy that things go right for someone who needs a second chance. Perfect blend of different characters that made the book come alive.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Helen dreams of opening her own used bookstore two years in prison for manslaughter of her abusive Boyfriend.
After finally getting the bookstore going.Strange occurrences such as knocking sounds in the walls someone breaking in to and vandalizing both her Apartment And the bookstore and receiving threatening messages.She does not know who to trust.
Helen meets a number of interesting people including a woman donating b Books name dilly and a student customer named jess. Helen also receives daily visits from her parole officer Moira.
Seems to be out to Get her.
Fast pace and Suspenseful as helen tries to put Her wife back together a few twists and turns and an interesting ending make for a quick read.

Helen Appleby is released from prison and opens her dream bookstore, but it doesn't go as smoothly as she hoped.
There are break ins and not only in the shop, but at her home as well. Someone is searching for something or trying to hound her out of town.

An absolute page turner! I was totally transfixed by this story, and read this in one sitting, late into the night.
Loved the creepy feel, and Helen's over active imagination.
She really is a very trusting and naive person!
She doesn't realise her past had a big part to play in her future.
The ending will make the reader gasp, it is so unexpected.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the DRC.

Now this is the book to read for unexpected twists and turns. Every assumption, understanding you learn is all shown to be wrong by the end. A cleverly written intriguing book. Recommended read.
My thanks to Netgallery for offering me an advance copy for my unbiased review

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Helen has served 2 years in prison. Now out on licence , she uses her inheritance I set up a second hand non shop. But someone has it in for her and doesn’t want their to succeed.

This was really good. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the process that went into opening the book shop. The slow reveal details of Helen’s crime kept me reading. Helen was definitely a flawed character, but likeable all the same. Other characters were very real in head, but it was definitely hard to trust them.
Recommend this.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and thought it was well written, however I did not feel that it was much of a thriller but rather a cosy mystery. I read this book in one sitting as I it was an interesting and enjoyable read, I thought the plot twists at the end were well thought out and not expected.

Valerie Keogh knows how to compose complex characters navigating thrilling and twisting plot points. I’ve read and enjoyed many of her books and this one yanked me out of my 24 hour book slump wherein I was struggling to find something that instantly grabbed my attention.

But grab my attention, it did! The prologue had me immediately intrigued and I was glued from beginning to end.

Helen is working hard to carve a bright and positive future for herself after serving two of her four year prison sentence. While serving her two years, she brainstormed and dreamt about the second hand bookstore she longed to open using the inheritance left from her mother.

Just as Helen tentatively begins feeling good about her life, unexpected events make her realize she can’t shake the feeling that everyone around her might have nefarious feelings or plans.

Between the two guys running the pizza place next to her shop, her pesky and irksome parole officer who shows up much too often, the grandson of a woman who donated lots of books to Helen demanding to look through them, and the shady college students who stole from her, she doesn’t know who, if anyone, she can trust. Maybe she hasn’t yet paid the price of her crime.

One of the many reasons I loved this book is because it was one where I thought “HA! I know how this ends!” and “ohhh I’m so smart and figured out who the antagonist is!” just to be proven wrong time and time again.

If you’ve not read anything from Valerie Keogh yet, you’re missing out! She has an amazing catalogue of delightfully thrilling and twisty reads available to binge!

I’m enormously thankful for the opportunity provided from NetGalley, Valerie Keogh, and Boldwood Books to read this ahead of the proposed release date of March 3rd, 2025 in exchange for an honest review!

Well…this was different, and in so many ways! A woman recently released from prison for committing a violent act has her hopes on opening a secondhand bookstore. When her dream finally comes true, she’s the victim of break-ins both at home and in the bookstore. She has customers steal from her. We learn some very interesting things about her personal preferences….theres just soooo much! And warning: there are references to some very spicy behavior. However, and this is a HUGE however….somehow, Valerie Keogh turns this madness into a fascinating story that I simply could not put down. Well done!

Love this author she never lets me down.
Helen Appleby wants a quiet life after being released from prison.......she certainly doesn't get it!
Wonderfully written characters and a really fast paced action packed thriller.
Lots of possible villains which made for a very suspenseful read.
I read this rather to quickly over two sittings.
One tiny negative was that i felt the ending was a little abrupt.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from NetGalley.

Helen, recently out of prison for man slaughter, wants to make a fresh start by opening up a used/previously loved book store and have a quiet life.

That's when the fun starts for the reader. Without giving spoilers, there were plenty of twists to this wonderful story all the way to the last page.

This was my first book by Valerie Keogh and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more of her books.