This book was very good, a recent parole opens a second hand book store and the mystery starts.......

I found The Bookseller to be an OK read. I really didn't like the main character which always means I struggle to get into a story as I just don't care about them or what happens.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I found this thriller captivating, as it offered deeper insights into human behavior than I had anticipated. True to the genre, it is filled with numerous twists and turns, and despite being a convicted murderer, the protagonist is portrayed with sympathy. Helen Appleby simply desires a peaceful existence. Recently released from prison for the manslaughter of her partner, she is striving to move forward and rebuild her life. Her decision to open a bookshop feels like the ideal fresh start. Within the serene atmosphere of her shop and amidst the pages of her books, she can retreat from reality and embark on a new chapter. The world of books appears to be the perfect refuge for happiness—even it is founded on lies. However, as she adapts to her role as a seemingly meek bookseller, it becomes evident that someone is intent on destroying Helen's new life and undoing all her efforts.

If you like a thriller that is not too bloody thirsty and has a sprinkling of humour then this is the book for you. Some of the characters are over the top but that is because the story is told through the eyes of Helen who is terrified that she will be returned to prison if she puts a foot wrong. Her slightly off-key judgement leads to some fantastic misunderstandings! With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book.

I actually enjoyed this book a lot. It was a little different than my normal thrillers, but it was still really good. I love the ending and I loved how it was written. I do recommend this one. I also enjoyed how the chapters were. They weren’t terribly long. Some of them were short, but it kept really good details overall and it was very well put together.

Just finished The Book Seller by Valerie Keogh—and WOW, what a ride! 😲📚 This was my first time reading anything by Keogh, and let’s just say, it won’t be my last. From page one, I was hooked by this gritty, emotionally charged psychological thriller with a twisty heart.

The story follows a young woman recently released from prison, trying to rebuild her life after serving time for killing her partner. Yep, you read that right—manslaughter. But before you go all judgmental, let me tell you: this character is complicated, raw, and so incredibly human. Most of the story is told through her voice, and I loved being in her head—messy thoughts, insecurities, paranoia and all. She’s prickly, guarded, and a bit too quick to assume the worst… but I found myself rooting for her anyway.

She uses a small inheritance to open a cozy little bookshop on the outskirts of Bath (dreamy, right?!)—but don’t expect a warm, fuzzy, teacup-filled escape. This one is darker, more intense, and filled with uneasy glances, suspicious neighbors, and the constant fear that someone wants to ruin her fragile new beginning. And honestly? Maybe she would lash out again—if pushed too far.

What I loved most was the tension that slowly simmers under the surface. You can feel the dread building as things start to go sideways, and I kept wondering… is she spiraling? Can she keep it together? Or is history about to repeat itself?

The ending—oh boy, the ending! It totally knocked the wind out of me. 🫣 Just when I thought I had it figured out, Keogh hit me with a reveal that was both satisfying and deeply unsettling. Like, I closed the book... and then sat there questioning everything.

If you love psychological thrillers with a moody atmosphere, complex characters, and the kind of story that lingers long after the last page—The Book Seller delivers. And now I absolutely have to raid Valerie Keogh’s backlist. Highly recommend! 🔪📖💥

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy! I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

This is one of the forst books i've read by valerie keogh
the writing was good and it got my interest from the beginning however i found it hard too find an interest in the main character Helen with her distrust and thoughts and some bits were really hard to read...

The Bookshop is a dark, twisty, and thoroughly engaging thriller that had me hooked from the start. Helen Appleby, freshly released from prison and determined to start over, is a compelling character—haunted by her past and cautious of those around her. While her paranoia can feel intense at times, it makes perfect sense given her circumstances, and it adds a layer of tension that keeps you turning the pages.

Her dream of transforming a rundown building into a charming secondhand bookshop gives the story an unexpected coziness—until things start to go very wrong. Mysterious noises, suspicious neighbors, and break-ins quickly turn Helen’s fresh start into a maze of unease and doubt. Her relationship with her parole officer, Moira, adds both humor and drama, constantly keeping Helen (and the reader) on edge.

Told mostly from Helen’s point of view, the story slowly unravels the mystery surrounding her new life. With several surprising twists and a satisfying conclusion, this is a slow-burn thriller that delivers. I’m so glad I got to read this one early—thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity! If you love psychological thrillers with morally complex leads, this is a great pick.

I absolutely love a book about books and I feel like The Bookseller really lived up to my expectations. I felt like I could really connect with Helen and I felt like we had a lot in common (not the convicted murderer part, I promise) but the fact that she finds her escapes in books. She dislikes most people and being social. And she has a dream to own her own bookshop. She is just perfect. I really enjoyed seeing her develop as a character and I really found that I was routing for her throughout. I wanted to see her set up a new life for herself and be at peace. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you so much for providing me with a copy of this book to enjoy. I only finished last night and I have already recommended it to a friend!

A fast paced story with a few twists and an ending that I loved. Another great story from Valerie Keogh . Loved it
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

Helen Appleby has been released from prison, she served two years for killing an abusive domestic partner. She now wants to just live a normal life and open her own used bookstore. Helen finds the perfect place and sinks for life savings into it, as she starts to procure books for her bookstore she meets several interesting people.

Helen’s problem is she can’t seem to get out of her own head, she thinks everyone is out to get her. As it turns out, someone may actually be trying to ruin her new future with her bookstore Helen needs to know who to trust and who not to trust before everything she’s worked so hard for is gone and she’s back in prison.

This was an okay book; the main character Helen drove me crazy. She jumped all sorts of conclusions with no real facts. She was a pushover all of the time and never stood up for herself. There were a few twists to the story, but overall it wasn’t very shocking. I have read better books by this author, but it was still enjoyable.


Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house, and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review, based upon my honest opinion.

I will always gravitate towards books about books or libraries or book shops and i have not read a thriller in this vain till now. I liked. Ot kept me guessing and i did not figure out the twists. A solid thriller.

This was a true thriller that had me rushing to the end. The story and characters were great and kept me guessing. I didn't want it to end

Another great read from this author. Perfect and a must read for lovers of psychological thrillers.
a must read and perfect for lovers of psychological thrillers.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this and it kept me interested from the beginning, however I didn't really like the main character, Helen.
I felt sorry for her because of her past however her dark thoughts and suspiciousness of everybody made the story darker.
Worth a read with a slightly different ending.

Helen had an old kind of twisted upbringing. Harsh love, punishment with afterwords of affection. A child being used to violence. Even her partner Toby was an violent person, so he had it coming.
Being convicted to the crime of manslaughter, Helen was lucky to only be sentenced four years. But going back, dreaming of freedom and owning a bookshop is a future to fight for.

As the premise, this novel includes abusive behaviour and relationship. It's a dark trip that made my head spin. Keogh is amazing showing the human side of the victim and not necessarily victimising Helen. It's an easy thing to do, making the love easy and romantised. But not here. Helen kind of knew what Toby were, saw his darkness but still blinded by love. And that her abusive father kind of love were twisted. But it had some senses. It was something she was used to and connected to love. Which phycologist would sigh to and say, it's a sign of PTSD.
And that's true, this is a dark trip, a thriller novel about abuse and freedom. A story of a woman that has a hard time to see past the past and trust someone.

Books is just the right kind of escape and owning a bookshop is a future that Helen wants to fight for. Books are highlighted throughout the book, and I truly enjoyed that. But as time pass, Helens paranoia grows. Who can she actually trust? It seems that someone is breaking in and searching for something... And people are having wicked sides in Bath.

Bath, it's such a nice and friendly city. Only been there once but it's touristy and peaceful, in comparison to London and bigger cities.
But not here. Bath has it's dark secrets and dangerous edges. The neighbours, maybe not so friendly, after all.

The Bookseller are such a mysterious novel with thriller suspension. Helen's journey of gaining her peace was such an amazing ride. This novel contains so many interesting aspects and even when there occured scary suspense scenes, it was well balanced with pizza, wine, nice neighbours and warming moments

The premise of The Bookseller sounded so promising—a second chance, a mysterious bookshop, and a dark past that won’t stay buried. But unfortunately, the story just didn’t live up to the hype for me. While the writing was fine, the plot felt repetitive, and I found the main character, Helen, frustrating with her constant overthinking. Nearly every character was dishonest, which made it hard to root for anyone. It wasn’t terrible, but it just didn’t keep my interest the way I’d hoped.

Straight away the title of this book attracted to get this book. I have always dreamed of owning my own bookstore. This book moves at a great pace and the ending was actually the best part of the whole book for me. Loved it! Highly recommend.

Valerie Keogh's 'The Bookseller' is an engaging and suspenseful psychological thriller that successfully sweeps the reader into the dangerous new life of its heroine, Helen Appleby. Having just been released from prison after serving time for manslaughter, Helen is resolute about making a new start by opening a small, peaceful bookshop. But her dreams of a peaceful life are soon destroyed as ominous events start taking place, hinting that someone is determined to ruin her new life and pull her back to her dark past.
Keogh skillfully weaves an air of tension from the very start. The reader instantly identifies with Helen's need for forgiveness and a peaceful life amidst the soothing presence of books. This makes the following odd events and sense of being stalked all the more effective. The use of suspense and mystery by the author is well done, as it keeps the pages turning with the reader always wondering who could be making the threats and why. One of the novel's strengths is the fact that it has well-developed characters. Helen is an interesting protagonist, flawed and tormented by her past, but strong and determined. Her inner conflict and the pervasive paranoia she feels as things happen are real. The secondary characters are just as interesting, each of them having possible secrets and motives for wanting to make Helen's life difficult. This builds a web of suspicion that keeps the reader guessing until the last moment.
The atmosphere of the bookshop itself provides an additional interesting and atmospheric element to the narrative. The peacefulness of the shop stands in stark contrast to the danger and tension that Helen is exposed to, and thus it becomes a seemingly tranquil refuge that is slowly invaded by threat.
Though the pacing is, in general, well-handled, some may find the opening build-up too slow as the atmosphere is being set. This slow build-up, however, pays off by adding to the growing suspense and making the subsequent twists and turns more effective.
Overall, 'The Bookseller' is a well-written psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Valerie Keogh has provided a chilling and compelling novel with a vivid heroine and ingeniously woven story that will have you on edge until the denouement. If you appreciate thrillers steeped in discomfort, fascinating personalities, and sinister turns of fate, then 'The Bookseller' is most definitely worth your while. It is a testimony to Keogh's talent for writing and a cementing of her status as an author of riveting works.

The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh is a dark and atmospheric psychological thriller that explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the lengths one woman is willing to go to protect her new life. The story follows Helen Appleby, a woman recently released from prison after serving time for the manslaughter of her partner. Eager to leave her troubled past behind, Helen opens a quaint bookshop, hoping it will provide the fresh start she desperately craves. Surrounded by books, she believes she can finally find peace and escape from her past mistakes.

However, the calm and solitude Helen seeks is short-lived. As she settles into her new life, it becomes clear that someone is determined to sabotage her efforts and ruin everything she’s worked for. The tension escalates as Helen realizes that, despite her best efforts, her past may not be as easy to outrun as she had hoped. And when her future is threatened, she finds herself forced to confront her darkest instincts—willing to go to extreme lengths to protect her second chance at happiness.

Keogh's writing is sharp and engaging, expertly building suspense and keeping readers on edge. Helen’s character is complex, and her struggle to reconcile her past with her desire for a fresh start adds depth to the story. The twists and turns are unpredictable, leading to a gripping conclusion that will leave readers questioning how far someone can go to hide their past and preserve their future.

The Bookseller is a page-turning thriller that will appeal to fans of psychological suspense, filled with tension, dark secrets, and unexpected revelations. It’s a compelling exploration of redemption and the price one may pay for it.