Death of A Bookseller by Alice Slater Review

Title: Death of A Bookseller

Author: Alice Slater

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 384

Release Date: 27 April 2023

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Hello fellow book lovers! Today I'm back with a review for the absolutely incredible, Death of A Bookseller by Alice Slater.

Morbidly atmospheric yet thoroughly mesmerising, Alice Slater’s debut cleverly delves into the world of True Crime, and the problematic exploitation of real crime (and the deaths of real people) for entertainment. Trust me, crime thriller fans you don't want to miss this one!

Synopsis

A BOOKSHOP. A TRUE CRIME CASE. A DEADLY FRIENDSHIP.

THE UNMISSABLE DEBUT THRILLER.

Roach - bookseller, loner and true crime obsessive - is not interested in making friends. She has all the company she needs in her serial killer books, murder podcasts and her pet snail, Bleep.

That is, until Laura joins the bookshop.

Smelling of roses, with her cute literary tote bags and beautiful poetry, she's everyone's new favourite bookseller. But beneath the shiny veneer, Roach senses a darkness within Laura, the same darkness Roach possesses.

As Roach's curiosity blooms into morbid obsession, it becomes clear that she is prepared to infiltrate Laura's life at any cost.

Review

Told from the perspectives of two very different but equally unlikable characters, Death of A Bookseller is a suspenseful tale of toxic relationships, and obsession that follows the lives of two booksellers at a struggling bookstore in Walthamstow.

Purple haired and fascinated by virtually anything macabre, serial-killer fanatic Roach is quite possibly one of the (very few) characters to ever make me feel soo uncomfortable.

With an uncanny ability to say the wrong thing (and genuinely just creep everyone out with her laser like fixation on death) Roach is a bit of a loner, which she seems perfectly happy about-until model employee Laura joins the branch and charms everyone around her.

Including Roach, who, after hearing one of Laura’s poems at a mic night (in which she aims to honour the victims of violent crime instead of dehumanising them) believes she has found a kindred spirit and becomes obsessed with the idea of their friendship.

But Laura (our other POV and the object of Roach’s obsession) has no interest in being friends with her. Having suffered from the trauma of losing her mother at the hands of a serial killer, Laura is physically repulsed by Roach’s fascination with murderers and avoids all overtures of friendship.

I did find her perspective far more palatable to digest, but she’s by no means good or likeable either. She can be selfish, jealous and incredibly petty at times (particularly when it came to a fellow co-worker's relationship) but her ability to project herself as a happy, almost perfect person despite the messy, emotional wreckage of her private life was incredibly intriguing.

And the unease with which they circle one another-coupled with their conflicting opinions on True Crime, really injected a sinister layer of tension that had me on edge wondering what would happen next.

It is a bit of a slow-burn, but the creeping uncertainty that pervades every inch of both Laura and Roach’s POVs really brought a sense of depth and realism to their characters, and the cat and mouse game that unfolds between them. For a while there I wasn’t sure how things would end but I couldn’t look away from the cringey disaster that began hurtling towards us as both their lives (and obsessions) began spiralling out of control.

I loved the grittiness of Alice Slater’s writing and vividly rich imagery that made such mundane everyday tasks feel interesting. I definitely enjoyed the behind the scenes glimpse into life as a bookseller.

Also, I would’ve loved to have seen more of Bleep (Roach’s pet snail) though I did enjoy the snail trail chapter openers that follow along with the story.

The ending was also really good and I enjoyed the open-endedness which allows us to come up with our own interpretations. Though, if you prefer your thrillers with more finality and closure then you may come away a little disappointed.

Overall a dark, intense and incredibly compulsive read that needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated. But if you enjoy dark, character driven psychological thrillers then I definitely recommend picking this up! (but do check the TWs first.)

Also a huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the incredible physical proof.

 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author

Alice Slater is a writer, editor, podcaster and former bookseller based in London. She co-hosts the What Page Are You On? podcast with Bethany Rutter. Death of a Bookseller is her first novel.

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