Highly enjoyable thank you and a really good listen that kept me coming back t o hear more : funny and dark

I really liked the main character’s dark and quirky personality. Books about books, bookshops and booksellers are always a great hit - and this one has added murder so what’s not to like? Would recommend to someone who likes cosy crime and is looking for something a little darker.

This book was bloody great, and the narrator done a great job.
I felt a huge amount of sympathy for Roach but at the same time she freaked me out quite a bit! In fact both protagonists had my sympathy at one point or the other, but both were equally unlikable also!
It was a fast paced read with just the right amount of creepiness that stayed with me long after I stopped reading. A great book for people that enjoy thrillers or true crime.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

This book follows Laura and Roach who both work in Spines bookshop, both with an obsession with true crime but for different reasons. But when Laura opens up more about her personal tragedy she finds that Roach’s obsession starts to turn towards her.

I got completely sucked up in this book from minute 1. As someone who is currently obsessed with true crime books at the minute this was just the perfect book to pick up right now.


Neither of the characters are likeable but they are not supposed to be and both are written so vividly that you really feel like you knew both of them personally.

This isn’t your average thriller where there’s twists and turns but this one will still have you on the edge of your seat and constantly wanting more.

I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this book for review.

I thought about dnf'ing this around 10% in but pushed through as I've given up on a few audiobooks before I even started this week, but really I should really have trusted my gut.

This wasn't bad.. it just.. didn't grab me and honestly, I didn't really follow the story, more dipped in and out. I was expecting more of a mystery but instead it felt like a running commentary of these two women and I just did not care.

A fascinating thriller set in the heart of the bookshop! I enjoyed the pace, the drama and the overall writing style of the text. A great read and I'll certainly be adding this author to my watch list.

The audiobook was absolutely perfect for this story - both actors did such an amazing job in making the characters sound and feel so real. I loved the inside look of bookselling and you can tell the author was one herself, however the story did lack a bit at the end for me!

Please see the ebook version for my full and honest review of this book I left in exchange for this wonderfully lovely audiobook. I still give it five stars to say thank you.

This was a page-turner. Roach, the anti-hero, is possibly one of the most unlikeable protagonists I've encountered and yet it was impossible to turn away. Recommended.

I really liked this story, it was very unique and I liked the back and forth of alternating chapters. I thought it was perfectly paced and it kept me hooked throughout.
On the flip-side the characters were unlikeable and the narrator was super annoying, only adding to the feeling.
I still have it four stars as I really enjoyed the story itself but another narrator would have improved it.

Colleagues, Roach and Laura couldn’t be more different. Roach is sullen, morbid, obsessed with true crime while Laura is approachable, enthusiastic and pleasant. However, Roach believes she sees something in Laura, a dark secret that connects them, so why won’t Laura acknowledge it?

As a bookseller and a true crime junkie I read this with muscles tensed, hoping that that’s where the similarities between Roach and I ended. From the outset we can see that she’s an unlikeable character, but we soon discover that under all of her outward affability Laura isn’t very likeable either. If you need to root for the characters you’re reading about you might want to skip this one. For me if the story is gripping enough I’ll be happy either way. I really enjoyed the commentary around the morals of true crime. How it can glorify serial killers and overshadow the victim’s story. How it is now seen as a form of entertainment with podcasts, TV shows and books dedicated to relaying horrible things that happened to real people. The story was slightly too slow moving to make it anything more than a three star read for me, but it was a very solid debut from Alice Slater.

I was approved for the audiobook after I had finished reading the kindle version, but I do believe that the experience of reading this would have been heightened by the dual narration.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and have already felt compelled to reread. The two main characters are very interesting and the ethical questions raised about the true crime community and people who make true crime their personality was fascinating. My only negative is that I hate the cover and feel like it doesn't represent the novel at all. I wouldn't have read this based on the cover alone.

I love audiobooks, the ability to be immersed in a story as you're doing your weekly shop or on your commute or out for a run means you never have to put the book down. But it does mean that they have a harder job gripping the reader from the start because one element of narrative is chosen for you; the narrator. Rather than using our imaginations to hear the characters, actors step up to portray the character, and I don't envy audiobook authors and editors' jobs of matching the voice on the page to an actual actor because it's so crucial to getting the book right.

Fortunately, after a period where I've been finding it hard to get into audiobooks, the pairing of narrators to story in this gripping novel was totally perfect. Roach and Laura were cast brilliantly, and their distinctive voices and characters brought the dark and emotional story to life. The plot itself was gripping, and I really enjoyed the development of the characters. I was hooked!

This book sucked me in from the first chapter, and I had a brilliant time. The storyline was gripping eventhough I found none of the characters likeable.

Following the lives of a group of booksellers from a London bookstore we follow the story from dual perspectives through several months.

Although there is a reveal right at the beginning of the book the twist at the end was great and rounded off the book well.

This book included a lot of true crime commentary that I really enjoyed. I highly recommend this book.

**Review: Death of a Bookseller**

I was completely engrossed in "Death of a Bookseller" from start to finish. The synopsis had promised a dark and disturbing read, and it did not disappoint. The protagonist, Roach, is a fascinating character with a love for true crime that borders on obsession. She spends her days surrounded by serial killer books and murder podcasts, with only her pet snail, Bleep, for company. Until Laura enters her life.

With her sunny smile and cute literary tote bags, Laura quickly becomes everyone's favourite bookseller. However, Roach senses a darkness within Laura that she recognises in herself. As curiosity blooms into morbid obsession, Roach becomes determined to be a part of Laura's story - whether Laura wants her in it or not.

The writing is sharp and captivating, with a tense atmosphere that never lets up. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. The book is not for the faint of heart, but if you're a fan of thrillers that make your skin crawl, this is the book for you.

The author, Alice Slater, has crafted a dark and masterful debut that will leave a lasting impression. Slater's writing style is confident and sassy, which makes for a pitch-black thriller. The characters are well-developed and complex, with Roach being the standout character. Her fascination with true crime is both morbid and intriguing, and it adds depth to her character.

The book is not just a thriller, but also a commentary on obsession and the lengths someone will go to be a part of someone else's story. It's a thought-provoking and unsettling read that will keep you on edge until the very end.

Overall, I highly recommend "Death of a Bookseller". It's a tense, addictive, and sticky underfoot read that will leave you wanting more from this talented author.

Sadly DNF’ing this one. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but I had a break from reading it for a couple of weeks (just as I was super busy with work etc) and never found myself keen to pick it back up. From what I did read, I enjoyed the setting (who wouldn’t enjoy a bookshop setting?) and I liked the two main characters and how their different personalities interacted with each other. But sadly I just wasn’t invested enough to continue! Giving 3 stars so as not to skew the rating though!

What a wonderful story and writing for this book. Such a cool concept and was really funny. Will be looking at future releases for this author

This wasn't the most enjoyable audio book to listen to.
Although I think the narration was well done, with two different voices for the two points of view, the story telling was quite long and not particularly engaging.

Some parts of this book were a lot more graphic in places than I was expecting, and considered stopping listening altogether on multiple occasions.

A lot of the story didn't feel like it was building towards anything - it just felt like two women who really didn't like each other, complaining about how awful the other one was. Clearly something was engaging enough for me to listen to the end but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it and I wouldn't rush to recommend it either.

I wanted to enjoy this, I really did, but it just fell flat for me. I didn't like either of the main characters; both Roach and Laura were thoroughly unlikeable and whilst I don't need to like characters to enjoy a book, I had no empathy for either of them. The ending fell flat for me too, and the epilogue was such a disappointment that I wish it had been omitted.

The book wasn't badly written at all and some of the writing was very funny, but I felt that this was one of those books that just didn't live up the high expectations I had of it. It won't put me off reading anything else by Alice Slater though.

A disturbing, unsettling reflection of obsessive thoughts & relationship, true crime fascination and the dark actions this can lead to.