Death of a Bookseller

 Death of a Bookseller

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       May 19, 2023

 

Author  Alice Slater

Distributor:      Hachette
ISBN:                 
Publisher:         Hatchette. Imprint Hodder and Stoughton
Release Date:   April 2023  

   Website:   https://www.hachette.com.au

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Infatuation of one colleague for another can be both distressing and annoying, but when it escalates to stalking it is not only disconcerting but alarming. Alice Slater’s debut book “Death of a Book Seller’s narrative is driven by the personalities of two quite different characters, who are thrown together in Spines, a struggling bookshop in Walthamstow. 

Goth loner Roach’s comfortable life as a bookseller is thrown into turmoil, with the arrival of bright, perky Laura, who joins the staff of the rundown bookshop with the aim to rejuvenate it. When true crime fanatic Roach notices that her new co-worker also reads about serial killers and writes poetry with dark themes, she believes that she has met a true kindred spirit; she fantasizes about a mutual friendship.

Although from the title of this slow paced, easy to read book, it would appear to be a murder thriller, however it is more a tale of obsession, crime, and fixation, with the main protagonists eliciting both sympathy and disgust.

As boundaries are crossed the deceptive story unfolds in the run-up to Christmas.  

Crime, Fiction