Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Death of a Bookseller

As a reformed true crime fan, this novel was a bit on the nose. Roach bothered the shit out of me, while Laura was a perfect foil that still bothered me. All in all, I tore through this book though. Through all the gross details that had me shaking my head, I’m glad it ended the way it did.

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beth_s98's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Honestly, this book wasn’t for me, and I only finished it partially out of spite. I hated Roach,

and while I think that’s kind of the point, I struggled to get through her chapters.

I liked Lauren, and a lot of the other characters were interesting.

I hate in the end that Lauren doesn’t get true peace, and we are left with Roach walking back into her life.

There were just so many moments that I felt were either unnecessary or just beyond plausibility. I don’t think the writing was bad, but I was not a fan of the story.

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thebookcident's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't often read crime/ thrillers, but I really enjoyed this one. The switching POV helped give me a needed break from each character and added to the tension. I think Slater had done a great job of creating two distinct voices for each character, that each leaves the reader feeling a certain way. Both of the protagonists are heavily flawed and I would say unlikeable, which I quite liked. I don't need to like a character to want to read them.
I found lots of visually evoking imagery was used that rinsed my pallet from the darker themes in this novel.
Also, Slater really captures the feeling of being a retail working over the Xmas period PERFECTLY. 😅
Would recommend as a summer read.

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scarlettreadsbooks's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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mags94's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was very much a character driven book mixed with internal monologue. I did enjoy that. I enjoyed the two POVs but often wished we sometimes got POVs of other main characters. I think that could have added to the character driver book. However I did read this super fast and even though I found the characters annoying at times I think that was the point. I still couldn’t wait to read more about their lives. Overall this was a very enjoyable read to me but not quite a 5 star as I wish we got more views..

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teatunesandtales's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I couldn't put this book down, nor get it out of my head. It's gruesome and raw and I'm unnerved by the ending.

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