Scan barcode
A review by wishknots
Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
4.0
Thank you to Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an E-ARC of The Death Of A Bookseller. After a little trouble with the file on my kindle repeatedly resetting to page one, I am happy to say that I did eventually manage to read this book and here is my review;
I found this a very enjoyable read. It is well written and the characters feel extremely real, which in the case of Roach is a little scary. I was hooked very quickly by the story and was 6% in when I hit a snag with the file on my kindle which halted my reading for a couple of weeks. Luckily I was able to reload it and soon got back into the book. I was easily able to visualise the characters and their environment, we quickly learn their personality traits and more gradually, the reasons behind them. The conversations felt natural and reactions quite genuine.
One thing that has stuck with me is the double sided coin that is the true crime industry, because it clearly is an industry in some respects. I have been keenly aware that true crime has been guilty of almost celebrating certain murderers, without consideration for the victims or their families. Some murderers have fans and groupies and dozens of books about them, detailing their lives from birth. Their victims lives are not given as much space on the page as their deaths, which are often described in detail. This book highlights this disparity but leaves room for debate, recognising that interest in true crime isn't always gross morbid curiosity. It has its uses and an interest in crimes, even murder, doesn't make you a bad person.
That being said, Roach clearly has a warped idea of what is acceptable. She does not understand why Laura does not want to be her friend. Roach's actions are extreme but they are well explained from her point of view and so the plot is not totally unbelievable.
I must say that I really loved the bookshop. I could absolutely picture it, smell it, feel it. I have worked retail during Christmas (sadly not a bookshop) and every bit of it rang true. I was very interested in the behind the scenes knowledge. I really want to go and get a job in a bookshop now.
I found this a very enjoyable read. It is well written and the characters feel extremely real, which in the case of Roach is a little scary. I was hooked very quickly by the story and was 6% in when I hit a snag with the file on my kindle which halted my reading for a couple of weeks. Luckily I was able to reload it and soon got back into the book. I was easily able to visualise the characters and their environment, we quickly learn their personality traits and more gradually, the reasons behind them. The conversations felt natural and reactions quite genuine.
One thing that has stuck with me is the double sided coin that is the true crime industry, because it clearly is an industry in some respects. I have been keenly aware that true crime has been guilty of almost celebrating certain murderers, without consideration for the victims or their families. Some murderers have fans and groupies and dozens of books about them, detailing their lives from birth. Their victims lives are not given as much space on the page as their deaths, which are often described in detail. This book highlights this disparity but leaves room for debate, recognising that interest in true crime isn't always gross morbid curiosity. It has its uses and an interest in crimes, even murder, doesn't make you a bad person.
That being said, Roach clearly has a warped idea of what is acceptable. She does not understand why Laura does not want to be her friend. Roach's actions are extreme but they are well explained from her point of view and so the plot is not totally unbelievable.
I must say that I really loved the bookshop. I could absolutely picture it, smell it, feel it. I have worked retail during Christmas (sadly not a bookshop) and every bit of it rang true. I was very interested in the behind the scenes knowledge. I really want to go and get a job in a bookshop now.