Thank you so much for this ARC! This was my first Valerie Keogh and it certainly won't be my last.

The writing captured me immediately, the characters were well thought out and the twist surprised me. The ending was also a shocker!

Excellent book from Valerie Keogh and first time read from this author. A interesting story line..Helen is released from serving two years in prison for killing her abusive boyfriend. She decides to open a used book store and get her life on track. However, things don't go quite like she expected. Loved the whole aspect of mystery, and the ending it perfect.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boltwood publishers for the advanced reading copy. Great reading and reviewing.

4stars - Really enjoyed this book, thanks Netgalley.
Full of suspense.
Well written.
The characters gel.
Easy to follow, keeps you guessing.

This was an engrossing thriller and an easy page turner. I felt for Helen and really wanted her to succeed. Each and every character is unreliable and untrustworthy, and I couldn’t guess who was behind the misfortunes Helen suffered.

I give this 3.5 stars because I felt too much was given away about one characters motives too early (Dilly) and there was some repetitive language used which I thought could have been sharpened up (example being Dilly repeatedly calling Jess annoying).

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

This was my first book by Valerie Keogh.
Helen has just been released from a 2 year stint in prison after she killed her partner. All she wants to do is open a second hand bookshop and claw back some normality. But it seems not everyone is willing her to succeed.
A great read and the authors love of books shines through

Excellent book! I loved reading this novel and will look out for more books by Valerie Keogh. The ending was perfect!

this was just so good this author never disappoints. Helen killed her partner Toby self-defense; she got two years prison sentence. And the day has come she is out and a new life her sister is there waiting for her. Helen wants to open a bookshop, and she finds a run-down property in a perfect spot. with the help of her brother-in-law and his friends the shop looks amazing. but someone does not want her to have a happy ending. Helen starts to trust no one it's a very addictive read.

It appears that I am in the minority when it comes say that this book just wasn’t it for me. The premise had great potential and I feel it could have been so much more. I feel like it ended out of nowhere. In all honesty I thought I was at the middle of the book when it ended. So much just ended out of nowhere. The Moira storyline could have been done with so much more detail and thrills, same with Jess. It was a slow paced and I hate to say it, but boring read.

2⭐️⭐️

A Dark, Twisting Thriller That Had Me Hooked!

From the very first page of The Bookseller, I was completely enthralled. Valerie Keogh has a knack for creating flawed yet utterly compelling characters, and Helen Appleby is no exception. A woman with a past she can’t escape, a new life built on fragile foundations, and a creeping sense that someone is watching—this book had me racing through the pages, desperate to uncover the truth.

The setting of a quiet bookshop was sheer perfection—a seemingly safe haven, filled with stories, yet laced with an underlying tension that simmers beneath the surface. Helen is trying to move on from her past, but when small, sinister events start to unravel her new life, the suspense tightens like a noose. Someone knows what she’s done. Someone wants to see her fall. But the question is—who?

Keogh masterfully plays with the reader’s emotions. I felt torn between sympathising with Helen and fearing what she might be capable of. As the story progressed, I found myself second-guessing everyone, scanning every interaction for hidden motives. The twists were razor-sharp, the pace relentless, and the ending? Absolutely chilling.

If you love a psychological thriller that keeps you on edge, The Bookseller is a must-read. Gripping, unsettling, and filled with unexpected turns, this is Valerie Keogh at her absolute best. I devoured it in one sitting—and I suspect you will too!

I found this book a bit of a struggle to begin with, but it definitely picked up around the middle. I certainly had my concerns about some of the themes, and I struggled to connect with the main character from time to time. It did get a little convoluted at times, and sometimes things did seem to come out of the blue. However, I did eventually get into it properly and found myself far more invested than I thought I would be. This was definitely a fun, interesting read, with some clever writing and a good use of dramatic irony. I did end up really liking it, reading half the book across two days. I do recommend this.

Valerie Keogh always delivers spectacular thrillers. The Bookseller hooked me from the very first page, as Helen.Appleby’s quest for a quiet life, starts to unravel around her. As always, Keogh’s writing is sharp, immersive and utterly addictive. If you love thrillers with a chilling edge, this one is a must read.

Really enjoyed this book. Lots of twists that kept me guessing and interested. Have read others by this author and always find them an engaging read. Would recommend.

This was my first book by Keogh. I immediately requested it due to the cover art and the fact that it had something to do with a bookstore. I enjoyed it, but I think I have just read too many "thrillers" recently about female serial killers. I'm a bit worn out by that trope. I didn't care to much for Helen's character, honestly. I wish I would've loved this one, but I didn't. 3 stars.

Love a story set in a bookstore, love a main character who loves books as much as I do. That's about the end of my love for this one - I think I'm an outlier but this was not for me. I could not deal with Helen. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes March 3

What a great book! I absolutely loved how twisty and clever this one was! I was totally engrossed from beginning to end and would definitely read from this author again, So, so, so good!

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I was hooked and couldn't put it down. kept me guessing all the way through

This thriller's main character Helen has just been released from prison and is looking for a second chance at life. She opens a second hand bookstore and faces a series of break-ins. She begins to wonder if her past is catching up with her. The first part of the book was a bit slow. It started to pick up about halfway through. I read a lot of thrillers so I found this to be a bit predictable. There were not any surprising/shocking twists revealed.

Helen Appleby has loved books her entire life, so when she was released from prison, she desperately wanted to open up a used bookstore. Though her crime was manslaughter, she was given only two years, plus two years of probation. With the help of a sizable inheritance, she was able to make her dream come true, but her past kept getting in the way of her future. Helen never felt safe in her new bookstore, nor at home. Strange happenings were occurring and she needed to get to the bottom of it, or lose everything.

I really enjoyed this book, though I didn’t love it. It was a bit slow and predictable. I rate it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced reader copy.

All the necessary ingredients for an intriguing thriller featuring some very complex women. It all revolves around a second hand book shop, which Helen has opened after her stint in prison for murder. Apple cheeked old ladies are highly suspicious, as are students, her liason officer and the two cheeky Cockneys running next door's pizzeria. Everything that can go wrong just about does. Great pacey writing by Valerie Keogh. I loved the way some of the Boldwood and Storm stables of her fellow authors got name checks.

I have read many of Valerie Keogh's novels previously and always found them a joy to read.

The Bookseller was an interesting read, not my favourite but still a good read. We follow Helen who has just got out of prison for killing her partner and she desperately wants to open a bookshop. She follows her dreams and finds her shop and sets about renovating and filling the shop with books.

But life is not exactly running smoothly for Helen, things start to happen and Helen is left wondering who and why someone is targeting her.. I enjoyed reading about Helen, her sister and the brothers in the pizza shop next door which added a little extra in The Bookseller.

A good read from Valerie Keogh. 3.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.