Death of a Bookseller

by Alice Slater

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Roach loves nothing more than listening to her favorite true crime podcasts. Well, that's not quite true. She loves to dive into true crime novels, too – especially those revolving around serial killers. She's fascinated. Luckily, her job at Spines gives her access to all the books she could ever want.

Enter Laura. Laura is new to Spines, though not to work in bookstores. She's here to help the store turn a profit. Unfortunately, Laura doesn't look too kindly on those who love serial killers – she has a personal reason to find the whole obsession offensive.

My Review:

I really wanted to read Death of a Bookseller for a few reasons. First, there's the obvious – talking about bookstores and booksellers. I know, low-hanging fruit, but I can't resist! Second, I love a good mystery. Third, I love it when said good mysteries have multiple perspectives.

Truthfully though, Death of a Bookseller made me conflicted. The story was very well done – compelling, dark, and delving into ethical debates everywhere. The problem is that I didn't like either main character. This made it a lot harder to relax and appreciate their side of the story.

I did enjoy all the twists and turns. I wish they hadn't been punctuated with so many scenes that made me cringe. It ended up being a book I was relieved to finish – for various reasons. To be clear! I loved the writing itself. If anything, it was too well done, as the characters became so much by the end.

Highlights:
Multiple Perspectives
Literary Cat-and-Mouse
Booksellers

Trigger Warnings:
Stalking
Obsessive Behavior
Abusive Pasts
Serial Killers

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