Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Death of a Bookseller

A bookseller in their 20s. They are struggling to cope with a family member’s death being in the annals of true crime. They are popular and outgoing but also judgmental, obsessive, and resentful. They cope through social drinking and writing poetry about victims of crime.
A bookseller in their 20s. They are socially obtuse and feeling unheard, unloved, and unseen. They are optimistic and forgiving, but also judgmental, obsessive, and resentful. They cope with their situation by immersing themselves in true crime and all things morbid and macabre.

Atmosphere 👌: Immersive, grim, and intense

Set in a bookstore, and pubs and flats of Walthamstow (London), UK
Contains some festive Christmas season/party vibes for the seasonal reader 🧑‍🎄

Cred Rating: Realistic

Relatable portrayals of how we see (and judge) others based on appearance, hygiene, lifestyle, interests, and sociability (and how sometimes those judgements aren’t wrong!) with realistic consequences of those beliefs and actions.

Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕:

Excellent commentary on true crime consumption. It’s subtle but direct. We aren’t forced to take a side or declare one outlook correct above all others, but it made me think about who has the “right” to talk about true crime and share those stories.
This is a character-driven story that centers on two MCs who are very different, yet very similar in how they view people that fall outside of their “circles”. Both assume they are in the right, and as the reader we have moments where we empathize with or are horrified (even disgusted) by the MCs. Since the narrators are both relatable and unlikeable, you don’t need to “like” one or “hate” the other to stay engaged with the story. That said, if you aren’t a fan of character-driven stories this may be too slow or difficult to get through.
Mild cliffhanger ending. It didn’t break the story or frustrate me – it just made me wish there were more pages after the end!

Reading Journey ☺️: Curled up in a comfy reading nook, lost-in-another-world time-warp.

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Character studies of adults in their 20s still figuring out who they are and who they want to be
Thought-provoking commentary on true crime using symbolism, irony, and realistic consequences and reactions
Retail literary/contemporary drama with touches of unrequited love (and unrequited like), shame spirals, and finding your people
Creepy, discomforting suspense with “stuck together”, “did they or didn’t they?”, “stalker/obsession” tropes

Vibes: 🫢😧🤗

Content Heads-Up: Binge-drinking and self-medicating with alcohol. Death of a parent. Stalking and obsession.

Format: Library Digital via Libby

This was one of my Favourite Books of 2023 😍

Content Warnings

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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.

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 Laura joins the branch, a model employee who manages to charm 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 serial killers and avoids all overtures of friendship.

I did find her perspective for 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 co-worker Eli and his relationship with girlfriend Lydia) 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 POV 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 true rich imagery that such mundane everyday tasks manage conjure and I definitely enjoyed the 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 the I definitely recommend picking this up!

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

Content Warnings

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