Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC.

Valerie Keogh’s The Bookseller is a masterclass in quiet menace—a psychological thriller that trades high-octane action for slow-burning dread, and in doing so, delivers a narrative as claustrophobic as it is compelling. It’s a story where every book on the shelf seems to whisper secrets, and every character is a chapter waiting to be misread.

The protagonist, Helen Appleby, released from prison after committing manslaughter merely desires a small, quiet life. She owns a quaint bookshop in a sleepy village—a setting that should evoke comfort, but instead of what comes to follow begins to feel like a trap. Keogh’s genius lies in how she weaponizes the ordinary: the creak of a floorboard, the glance of a neighbor, the arrival of a mysterious customer. Helen's life begins to unravel not through grand events, but through subtle shifts.

Helen is a woman defined by routine and solitude. As the novel progresses, her sense of self begins to fracture. Keogh explores how isolation can distort reality, and how identity can be both a refuge and a new prison.

Helen is not your typical thriller heroine. She’s quiet, introspective, and emotionally guarded. Her internal monologue is rich with self-doubt and subtle paranoia, making her both relatable and unsettling. Keogh doesn’t ask us to like Helen—she asks us to understand her, and that’s a far more interesting proposition.

Secondary characters are sketched with deliberate ambiguity. The enigmatic customer, the overly friendly neighbor, the estranged sister—each one feels like a potential threat, yet none are overtly villainous. This ambiguity fuels the novel’s tension, keeping readers guessing not just about what will happen, but about who they can trust.

Keogh’s prose is restrained but evocative. The pacing is deliberate, with tension accumulating like dust on a forgotten shelf. The first-person perspective is crucial—it traps the reader inside Helen's mind, forcing us to experience her confusion, fear, and doubt firsthand.

The structure is linear, but the emotional arc is anything but. Keogh uses subtle shifts in tone and detail to signal Helen's emotional temperature.

The Bookseller is a quiet thriller with a loud echo. It doesn’t rely on twists for shock value—it builds a mood, a mindset, and a mystery that lingers long after the final page. Valerie Keogh proves that suspense doesn’t need spectacle; sometimes, all it takes is a woman with a past, a bookshop, and a creeping sense that something isn’t quite right.

Pick up a copy of this excellent psychological thriller as soon as it hits the shelves, I loved it!

I absolutely love all of Valerie Keogh’s books and The Bookseller was no exception, what a page turner. Set around the planned opening of a bookshop who has a past which involved a prison sentence for murder. Can she leave the past behind her and start her life over again in the bookshop or will her past catch up with her? An addictive read that I could not put down. Counting down to Valerie’s next book as I know I will love this too.

The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh is a dark and compelling thriller that drew me in from the very first page. Helen’s struggle to escape her past while facing new threats creates constant tension, and the twists kept me guessing throughout. I enjoyed the gripping plot and the unsettling atmosphere, and I rated it five stars.

Valerie Keogh is one of my favourite authors, and The Bookseller did not disappoint. Like all her books, this one was gripping from the start and kept me hooked right to the end.

The story was full of suspense, with well drawn characters and a clever plot. I really enjoy the way she builds tension without overcomplicating things, it's always just the right pace. Every time I think I’ve worked it out, there's another twist.

Another excellent read from an author who never lets me down. Highly recommended.

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...

Loved it. Found Helen easy to relate to. Found the plot to be well written. Will recommend to others.

Entering the book, knowing that Helen murdered someone, you expect the trouble she will be experiencing to be related, but very fast, you are set onto another trail. Is she maybe overly paranoid? Just really unlucky?
Valerie Keogh builds her book in a very smart way, intertwining the issues Helen is facing in such a way that the twists do not feel forced at all but fall into place nicely. You feel for Helen, who does not know who she may trust. There was no real tension throughout a book, more of a discreet expectation, for what will go wrong next.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Valerie Keogh
The Bookseller

Why did it take me so long to read this one? I’m usually the first in line to read any new books by Valerie. This one somehow had slipped through the cracks. But I’ve finally read it and – what can I say – she doesn’t disappoint.
Also – not a book to give to your friend who sells books just because the title says it’s all about selling books, because that’s not what the book is. Thank me later 😆

Oh my, it was such a ride reading this book ! I went from thinking it was someone messing up with the bookseller to another person to another. Never getting anything right 🤣. Absolutely recommend reading yet another amazing book from Valerie keogh. She never disappoints.

Helen has just been released from jail after killing her husband, and moves to Bath, setting up a bookshop. Her parole officer is always on her tail, waiting for her to make one wrong move so she can send her back to prison. The owners of the takeaway next door are also a little shady, and seem to want her out.

Is Helen being paranoid? And did she really kill her husband? Does her parole officer want her to make a mistake - and if so, why? Is she being watched and followed - and if so, who is doing it, and why? These are themes that run throughout the book, as Helen, desperate to stay out of prison and have a successful bookshop, tries to make sense of the behaviour and actions of others.

I read it and enjoyed it, but it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat. A slow-burner of a book, a little too slow-in parts.

As the intro states, helen is released from prison for the manslaughter of her partner and wants to live a quiet life as a bookseller. Helen has her parole officer watching her, but she also has someone else watching her and trying to sabotage her new life.
The book is defiantly a slow burner, but not enough to deter me from any of her future books.
Thank you to NetGalley for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book was good but not at all what I expected. Still trying to decide if it was more than expected or a total failure.

When I initially read the description for this book I thought ‘Books on books/book adjacent things sprinkled with the right amount of suspense and chilling elements to keep me on the edge of my seat? Absolutely, sign me up.’

Unfortunately, this fell short for me. Don’t get me wrong, this book was written well, but I found my self disinterested in the story and the FMC was just not particularly likeable. A lot of the introduced side characters did nothing for me in ways of pulling my interest or getting me thinking.

Quite a lot of the story and the direction this book went, I had guessed or I wasn’t taken by surprise when plot points unfolded.

Will I read other books from this author? Sure. I’ve been recommended a lot of books within their catalogue and I would be willing to give them another shot.

Will it be soon? Probably not. I need a small break before my next thriller.

Thank you NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for giving me this arc and the opportunity to review this.

The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh is a thriller with a certain edge to it, making you turning the pages again and again while wondering where the lies will lead us to. The pace of this book is a bit slow and makes the story seem longer than it has to be, however, the ending was such a surprise. There are a few twists, specially throughout the end.

This book explores themes of guilt and forgiveness with an amazing setting. It feels cozy and nice on the surface but there's an eerie undercurrent that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I recommend it to fans of character driven thrillers with suspense.

A fantastic psychological thriller! Edge of your seat reading from the very first chapter… full of twists! I really enjoyed this and would definitely read more from the author. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my arc

It had taken me a week to gather my thoughts about this book. I'd read a description when I requested an ARC, but it had faded from my memory by the time I started reading, so I went completely blank into this story. And I have no idea what to male out of it now. Like, what is it supposed to be? Thriller? I wasn't thrilled? Motivational story? Miss. It was a story of a woman who had killed her husband, but now she is a little innocent lamb who gets dragged around and is annoyed by it. Oh, and don't forget angry. She is angry all the time and constantly planning on killing anyone who does as much as to loo at her funny.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with this book

Can she rewrite her dark and deadly past...?

After devouring "The Mother" by Valerie Keogh a couple of weeks ago, I was keen to rekindle that same thrill and adrenaline rush with this one. But not every book is the same, as I was reminded. One reviewer aptly wrote "She's (Helen) paranoid, sure, but not in a compelling, edge-of-your-seat way. More like a frustrating please just do something way." I have to agree BUT - and it's a big BUT - that is not to say that I didn't enjoy it. I did. In fact more than I thought I would given it's slow-burn-style-of-not-too-much happening. Although plugged as a psychological thriller on that I would have to disagree. While it does have some thriller elements, it's more of a tale of one woman's dark past and her path to redemption through second chances.

Helen has just been released on licence (parole) after serving two years of a four year sentence for the manslaughter of her boyfriend Toby. She is keen to forget the past, to rebuild her life and move on. Her dream since she was a child was to open a book shop. Not just any bookshop but a second-hand bookshop. She's not interested in first editions or rare books but more in the lives books have had and the stories they could tell through their pages and those who have read them. She loves the chance to give books a second chance, just as she had been granted, and to pass on her love of books through the sharing of them - both new and old.

She finds the perfect place and puts in an offer which, after some haggling, is accepted. And thus Helen begins the process of clearing and renovating the dilapidated premises. She advertises for unwanted pre-loved books which she sets about buying and before long, her dream has become a reality. Appleby Books has opened.

No sooner has she opened her doors than she gets a visit from her probation officer who is meant to visit her on a monthly basis but as Helen is to find out, it's whenever Moira likes. In this case, it's every day - sometimes with her best friend vibe and at others in her official voice. And here in her bookshop as if she were soiling her private sanctuary when she is meant to visit her home.

But Moira is just one spanner in the works of her new-found freedom. There's the incessant knocking seemingly coming from the staircase and usually after dark. Then her bookshop is broken into and not long after, her home is too. And the mess left behind is enough to bring tears to her eyes. But she will not crumble.

However, someone is determined to sabotage her second chance. But Helen has killed before...what will it take to make her do so again? And will she, if it comes to that?

Again, I don't think this qualifies as a thriller though there is a certain edge that keeps you turning the pages wondering where Helen's lies will lead us. Yes, Helen has the habit of lying, for which she spends just as even much time covering up or keeping track of the lies she's told. Of course, this could have all been avoided if she could only tell the truth. Having said that, as the reader you still want her to come out on top - of whatever (or whoever) it is she's fighting. And yet despite this, she is still so difficult to like. If only she could tell the truth. Unsurprisingly, Helen finds it incredibly difficult to trust others. Maybe that's why she continues to hide the truth and instead, well, lie.

The supporting characters in her older sister Sarah and incomer student Jess were indeed likeable - despite the diatribe Helen's internal monologue would describe growing up with her sister. Sarah, even if she was hesitant and Helen misread that, was always supportive of Helen throughout her venture. And towards the end a light was shone on the childhood the sisters had shared and the difference in each of their persepctives was contrasting to say the least. And Jess. Well, she entered the story in a rather dubious way and Helen, naturally (as she is always wont to do), distrusted her. And yet Jess says it best. For someone who has been through so much, Helen sure is gulliable. And she is. Maybe she is yearning for that connection she lost with the death of her father. Maybe she feels a driving need to be wanted and loved, as most of us do, but in essence is actually quite lonely. I loved Jess. She went from quiet mousy bookish Jess to fearless spirited sparky Jess!

The unlikeable characters are in the form of probation officer Moira, sneaky Jared Clough and dear old Dilly who doesn't appear to be quite what she seems. There are the cockney twins Alex and Zander from the pizzeria next door who feature from time to time ane Helen is so paranoid she fears they are plotting against her. But are they really? Or is she just paranoid?

The main atmosphere of the book is one of dread throughout. It is a slow burn and feels a little longer than it is probably due to Helen being so difficult to like. The ending was a surprise. I turned the page and there it was! I was kind of expecting a sense of forboding, something unexpected to pop out in a last minute twist...but then if I was expecting it then it wouldn't be unexpected, would it? Still. The ending was just a bit sudden, I found. I thought everything would pan out (particularly with the Hemingway find) and be tied up nicely but instead, even half an hour after finishing, I forget how it did end. Except that it was sudden. Still...I did enjoy the read, as different as it was. And despite her being unlikeable and through her lies, I was still rooting for her to come out on top.

After reading this, should we be lucky to come across a second-hand bookstore (especially in this digital age), we will be checking those books for any finds that could be lurking the pages within...

I would like to thank #ValerieKeogh, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheBookseller in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Helen, our lead, is supposedly strong enough to have killed someone... yet spends most of the book dithering, doubting herself, and being led around like a lost puppy. She's paranoid, sure—but not in a compelling, edge-of-your-seat way. More like a frustrating "please just do something" way.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

There are plot twists and an ending that is breathtaking. Revelations and a resolution of sorts with closure provided. A satisfying ending to a memorable book. Kept me thinking even after I was finished. This is my first book by this author but wont be my last. Thank you for the advance copy.

Valerie Keogh’s The Bookseller is an engaging psychological thriller that explores themes of guilt, forgiveness, and starting over. The story follows Helen Appleby, a woman trying to rebuild her life after serving time in prison for the death of her partner. She opens a secondhand bookshop, hoping it will be a peaceful place to make a new beginning—but it quickly becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her to move on.

The setting is one of the book’s biggest strengths. The bookshop feels cozy on the surface, but there’s an eerie undercurrent that keeps you on edge. Keogh does a great job creating a sense of tension that mirrors Helen’s inner struggles. Helen herself is a complex character—she’s not perfect, but she’s compelling, and readers will likely find themselves rooting for her despite her past.

The people around Helen are just as intriguing. From family members to neighbors, everyone seems to have secrets, and this uncertainty keeps the suspense high. You’re constantly wondering who can be trusted.

If the book has a downside, it’s that the pace can drag a bit in places, and a few twists feel slightly forced. But overall, it’s a gripping story with emotional depth and plenty of mystery.

The Bookseller is a strong, character-driven thriller that will appeal to readers who enjoy psychological suspense with a focus on redemption and the weight of past choices!