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A review by hannahmariebrankley
Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
3.0
This is a debut novel by author Alice Slater, who was a bookseller herself.
Death of a Bookseller follows two very different characters. We have Roach, who is a true crime obsessive loner. Spending most of her day reading true crime or listening to podcasts about serial killers. Then we have Laura, who is the complete opposite in personality and interests, but most importantly, loathes people who love true crime.
But, Roach has become infatuated with Laura, and not in a romantic way…
As the story unfolds, we get to read from both booksellers’ perspectives. I found that aspect really interesting and so well written. You would expect repetition when there are two accounts of the same situation, but the story doesn’t feel like it was just continuously rehashed in a different characterisation.
Trying not to give the storyline away, I found this a great read until I got to the ending. I was really disappointed. The only saving grace was the epilogues. They were definitely needed. If the story had finished without them, I think I would have rated it a lot lower. The epilogues give that kind of ending that answers a lot of questions, but subtly created more. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alice Slater wrote a sequel and, because of that curiosity about what happens next, I would probably read it.
For the book as a standalone, I give it 3.5 stars.
Death of a Bookseller follows two very different characters. We have Roach, who is a true crime obsessive loner. Spending most of her day reading true crime or listening to podcasts about serial killers. Then we have Laura, who is the complete opposite in personality and interests, but most importantly, loathes people who love true crime.
But, Roach has become infatuated with Laura, and not in a romantic way…
As the story unfolds, we get to read from both booksellers’ perspectives. I found that aspect really interesting and so well written. You would expect repetition when there are two accounts of the same situation, but the story doesn’t feel like it was just continuously rehashed in a different characterisation.
Trying not to give the storyline away, I found this a great read until I got to the ending. I was really disappointed. The only saving grace was the epilogues. They were definitely needed. If the story had finished without them, I think I would have rated it a lot lower. The epilogues give that kind of ending that answers a lot of questions, but subtly created more. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alice Slater wrote a sequel and, because of that curiosity about what happens next, I would probably read it.
For the book as a standalone, I give it 3.5 stars.