Alice Slater – Death of a Bookseller (2023)

Review

I was really excited about the premise of this book, and the initial introductions to its apparently diametrically opposed characters—Roach (aka Brogan) and Laura—fizzed with the promise of tension.

There was a lack of real menace about Roach, despite her developing stalker behaviour. A grungy quasi-loner, actually longing for connection and struggling to find the right way to go about it, Roach’s low self-esteem and awkwardness really do provoke empathy, and I have to say of the two principals I’d prefer to see Roach make a transformation rather than alcoholic melancholic Laura. But that may say more about me than anything else! Roach falls into a relationship that seems to offer no real fulfilment beyond being able to say that one is partnered, the flip-side of Laura’s desperate and unfulfilled desire for a partner.

Although it hints at an exploration of female friendship, there is relatively little friendship to be had, even amongst Laura and the new booksellers, with whom she’s worked before (and indeed loved before). Instead, this is really a novel about alienation, from family, coworkers, and prospective or even putative friends. What should, perhaps, bring us together does not.

If you are a fan of true crime, there are some interesting echoes in Roach’s behaviour, mined from the sorts of literature and podcasts that she consumes and that, no doubt, may of Slater’s readers consume too. There are some engaging and detailed sketches here of the workplace, based on Slater’s own multiple years working as a bookseller in a similar real-life shop, and these are the sort of characters one could certainly see in a bookshop-set comedy.

If you’re interested in grabbing a copy of this book, please consider doing so on Bookshop.Org, which supports independent booksellers, via my affiliate link: Death of a Bookseller (Alice Slater).

See also

These lists capture other stories and characters that I thought of as I was reading this piece. I won’t explain why, to avoid spoilers, but they’re associations and not ‘if you liked this, then you’ll love…’ recommendations!

• Crime Writers On (podcast)
• Only Murders in the Building (TV series)
• Black Books (TV series)

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Take a look at my short story collection featuring Victorian “lady detective” Meinir Davies; order now! Or check out my academic work about detective and crime fiction (free PDFs available) right here.