Best for:
People who don’t need to like … any of the characters in the book?

In a nutshell:
Roach is a true-crime-loving bookseller. Laura is also a bookseller, new to the same shop. She writes poetry somewhat related to true crime.

Worth quoting:
N/A

Why I chose it:
Strong ratings online in this genre.

Review:
This book is entertaining, but I found the character development lacking. Not that the characters weren’t developed, it’s just the direction they went in. Let me explain.

This book is told from both Roach and Laura’s perspectives. We start off from Roach’s perspective, and she’s waiting in line for entry to a live taping of a true crime podcast. Two women hosting, so something modeled after My Favorite Murder or perhaps Wine and Crime. Roach is sort of a walking caricature. She uses this absurd phrase - ‘normies’ - to refer to people who are different from her. Do people really speak like that? Are they so insecure in their own originality that they have to label people who are different from them? Seems bizarre. (Especially after I looked up the etymology and apparently it used to be what disabled people used to refer to people without disabilities, which actually makes sense to me.) She is described a few times as not having washed hair, of smelling unclean, of putting on dirty clothes. I understand there probably are people out there like this, but it all feels a bit like an exercise in a creative writing class to create the most stereotypical ‘alternative’ person out there.

Then there is Laura. Laura is basically the polar opposite of Roach. She is a poet, a writer, wears matching tights and berets, carries a tote bag with a literary quote on it. I’m not sure if we were meant to prefer Laura to Roach, but also I found her to be written as deeply unappealing. We later learn about some trauma she has experienced in her life, and some current challenges she is facing, but she is so judgmental, so fake, and so sad.

Roach tries desperately to be friends with Laura after she learns that Laura writes ‘found poetry’ based on true crime books. But Laura hates true crime, while Roach loves it. Things move from there as Roach tries harder and harder to get Laura’s attention, and Laura tries harder to stay away.

I did appreciate the discussion of true crime and the current obsession with it. How, especially with more modern crimes, podcasters and their fans often seem to forget about the very real victims involved. Same with some true crime books. In the past I listened to a couple true crime podcasts, but not anymore, and I appreciated the discussion about it from Laura’s perspective, though I felt that Roach’s was intentionally absurd so as to make any defense of true crime writing and discussion seem negative by default.

As I said, I found the book to be an easy and engaging read, but it wasn’t one of my favorites.

Minor spoiler here for those who have read the book:
I was wondering, did anyone else find Laura’s reaction to the Roach poem a bit hypocritical? Just as Laura takes (uncredited) lines from true crime books and puts them together and claims them as her own found poetry, Roach took Laura’s poem and added to it to make it her own work. Obviously for very different reasons, but it felt a bit rich for Laura to claim her work is fair use but Roach’s was plagiarism.

What’s next for this book:
Nothing for me - I think I’m good. ( )

I'm quitting this a quarter of the way through. There are chapters from Roach's perspective, where she refers to others as 'normies' constantly and obsesses about serial killers, and then there are chapters from Laura's perspective about how weird and repulsive she finds Roach, and it's all very repetitive and I can see where it is going.

Not for me. ( )

Publication Day!
April 25, 2023

3.75⭐

If you think this going to be a cute cozy mystery set in a bookshop ( I’m partial to stories set in libraries and bookshops), just take a look at that cover (which I love, by the way)!

“I love serial killers.”

Brogan Roach is a bookseller, employed for the last eight years with the Walthamstow branch of chain bookstore Spines, and an avid (read obsessive) true crime enthusiast. Unlike “normies” who have a superficial interest in the subject, Roach (as she is referred to) is a passionate true-crime follower – books, podcasts, documentaries – there is no crime too gruesome nor any criminal too heinous that she flinches from researching in her free time. When Laura Bunting, a fellow bookseller transfers to her branch as a part of a team headed by a new manager, Roach discovers a copy of a true crime book in her bag (which she unashamedly rifles through in Laura’s absence) and believes she has found a kindred spirit.

Laura’s interest in true crime has its roots in personal tragedy. Her mother was the victim of a serial killer who was later caught and is presently incarcerated. Her poetry, which Roach is bowled over by, focuses on honoring the victims rather than glorifying the crime or the criminal behind it. But Laura’s demeanor towards Roach is cold and dismissive, bordering on unkind and cruel. Roach’s forced overtures of friendship and her obvious obsession with true –crime make Laura uncomfortable. However, Laura’s brush-offs only strengthen Roach’s resolve to establish a connection with her.

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater is a slow-burn, psychological thriller that ventures into dark territory. The narrative is shared from dual PoVs of Roach and Laura in alternating segments. The writing and the characterizations are well done and the author gives us an inside look into the day-to-day routine of running bookstores. The narrative does suffer from mild repetitiveness but not so much that you would lose interest. Roach’s thoughts and actions are cringeworthy and to be honest alarming. Laura is depicted as emotionally fragile despite her unkind demeanor toward Roach. The author gives us a window into the psyches of two very different women, exploring their motivations, obsessions, flaws and strengths as they inevitably impact one another’s lives and emotional stability. I can’t say I liked any of the main characters. Laura is far from a well-rounded individual and isn't quite as put together as she projects. I found Roach’s toxic relationship with her boyfriend very disturbing especially based on her reaction to a particularly violent episode toward the beginning of their relationship. A testimonial to Roach’s dark worldview probably? I enjoyed the literary references and found some of the discussions and debates between the employees on different genres quite interesting (though I don’t completely agree with their stance on the true-crime genre). Overall this is an impressive debut and an intense read that will leave you dazed and unsettled.

Many thanks to author Alice Slater, Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )

Nasty, creepy, YOU vibes, and my favorite flavor of self-referential books about books. ( )

Oh dear this book crawled under my skin so bad I thought it deserved a 5 star. It kept me fuming, rapidly turning the pages whilst shaking my head all the time.
Roach is the most disgusting, awful, pathetic, and unlikeable character I have read in a long time. Just yuck.
Laura has got some serious issues going on, and how frustrating was she, yes?
Anyway, Roach is a bookseller in your regular Spines (heavy Waterstones vibes) when along comes Laura, another bookseller who is nothing like Roach.
Immediately, Roach -who is waaaaay into true crime- becomes obsessed with Laura and a secret she holds.
Story chaotically unravels and all you can do is hold on to the book and keep turning the pages.
Glad it’s over, honestly. ( )