Reviews

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

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bookishbeyond's review against another edition

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Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

jennifermreads'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? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"By Christmas, Laura Bunting was gone. And it was my fault."

I picked up Death of a Bookseller during Indie Bookstore Day 2024. This definitely was a “title buy” with the words “death” and “bookseller” screaming from the cover! And, with the bookstore setting, there are a plethora of book titles sprinkled within the context of the story. If you are not careful, your TBR will grow exponentially.

The dual perspective novel will have you rethinking every true crime podcast, novel, and TV show you have ever consumed. With one character obsessed with serial killers and one character begging us to remember the victims, readers are pulled back and forth, teetering on the edge of sense and sanity. I love when I find myself questioning the reliability of a narrator. I also found myself jumping between “I know what is going to happen” and “whoa…maybe I don’t.”

An enjoyable diversion with a unique twist on serial killer storylines.

Content Warnings

junimond's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

elisefarmer's review against another edition

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2.75

Objectively I don't think this book is well-written, but once I'd started I was hooked. Perhaps if you take the whole thing as a sort of pastiche - like Gossip Girl set in the world of chain bookshops, then maybe it has some merit in a high satire sort of way. The plot was pacey though, I genuinely wanted to know what was going to happen, and I raced through it.