Book Review: The Bookseller by Valerie Keogh

It’s my pleasure to be welcoming Valerie Keogh back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest thriller, The Bookseller.

A woman with a dark past…

Helen Appleby just wants a quiet life. Recently released from prison for the manslaughter of her partner, she’s trying to forget her past mistakes – all of them – to rebuild her life and move on.

When she decides to open a bookshop, she’s certain this is the perfect new start. Here, amongst the quiet shelves of her shop and between the covers of her books, she can hide away from the real world and begin again. The world of books the perfect place to find happiness – even if it is all lies.

But the past can never stay hidden…

As she settles into life as an apparently timid bookseller, it seems that someone is determined to sabotage Helen’s new life and ruin everything she’s built.

But Helen has killed once before. And to protect her future, she could be willing to kill again…

Don’t miss another page-turning, nail-biting read from the queen of psychological thrillers, Valerie Keogh! Perfect for fans of J.A. Baker, Keri Beevis and Nina Manning.

*****

Having just been released from prison, Helen wants to move on. With money left by her mother, she feels it’s finally time to realise her dream of owning a bookshop. 

However, when someone breaks in, Helen begins to wonder whether her plan to get on with her life doesn’t quite sit well with someone else. 

To say that I was excited by both the release  of a new book by Valerie Keogh and to be invited onto a blog tour for it would be a BIG understatement. 

I have become such a fan of this author and so I couldn’t wait to get started. 

As usual, I am going to try and talk about this book without spoilers. 

The plot had many twists, turns and then more twists. It became very difficult to put this book down but I didn’t expect anything less. 

The suspense and tension builds and bubbles and you don’t know which character to trust, even Helen. 

Helen is an interesting protagonist with secrets, flaws and nuances. She is trying to move on from her past. I felt a strange protectiveness toward her but at the same time, I held a wariness where she was concerned. 

The surrounding characters were also fascinating and discord is presented well but for the story and for the reader.

The Bookseller is another compelling, addictive novel by, in my opinion, one of the best writers in this genre. It grips you from the beginning and holds you like a vice until the end. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, this book is a great one to add to the reading pile. 

About Valerie Keogh –

Valerie Keogh is the best-selling author of The Nurse. She lives in Wiltshire with her husband and a huge black cat, Fatty Arbuckle. She grew up reading Agatha Christie and initially wrote crime novels – she now writes psychological thrillers.

The Little Lies was shortlisted for the Crime Fiction Lovers Award 2021

Valerie has a BA in English and an MA in American Literature.

She is currently published with Boldwood Books.

Say hello to Valerie on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter. 

The Bookseller was released by Boldwood Books on 3rd March 2025. Click to buy on Amazon and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.