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 back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.