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A review by mikkareads
Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story is told from two perspectives, Laura and Roach. Both are women, both are booksellers, the lives of both are tainted by murder. For Laura, whose mother was murdered by a serial killer, it's a tragedy. For Roach, it's a passion, as she spends hours every day immersing herself in true crime.
Let's be blunt: I hate Roach, her thoughts and actions are utterly vile. Just being a true-crime fan doesn't automatically make someone a horrid person, but to practically worship serial killers? And being so utterly unaware of why that is problematic that she badgers a murder victim's daughter for juicy details?! Yikes. I despised her as a person, while appreciating her as an engaging, well-written character.
Sweet Laura, on the other hand, is highly relatable for any book enthusiast, as her love for literature practically shines. Despite still grappling with the pain of her mother's terrible death, she has bravely built a good life for herself. Understandably, she takes an instant, almost visceral dislike to Roach.
The story is very much metafictional. True crime is as mainstream as it ever was, sometimes even marketed as feminist, honouring the female victims. But the genre is actually ripe with a misogynist undercurrent: Male serial killers are celebrated, their mostly female victims treated as mere accessories.
Quote:
»They glossed over each of the dead women’s lives, and I fidgeted in my seat, waiting for the good bit. Who they were and where they came from and how they ended up in Walthamstow Village late at night didn’t really matter, it all blurred into one – but I snapped to attention as the girls detailed each death meticulously: broken fingernails, bruises, signs of a struggle.«
The trajectory of the plot seems a given, but what makes it interesting is not the what and how, anyway, but the why. The psychological entanglements of the whole mess make for a tense and chilling atmosphere. The descriptive writing style and the snappy dialogues carry readers through this remarkable thriller debut, with a hint of social commentary.
At the very end, the author adds a twist that defies expectation.
Let's be blunt: I hate Roach, her thoughts and actions are utterly vile. Just being a true-crime fan doesn't automatically make someone a horrid person, but to practically worship serial killers? And being so utterly unaware of why that is problematic that she badgers a murder victim's daughter for juicy details?! Yikes. I despised her as a person, while appreciating her as an engaging, well-written character.
Sweet Laura, on the other hand, is highly relatable for any book enthusiast, as her love for literature practically shines. Despite still grappling with the pain of her mother's terrible death, she has bravely built a good life for herself. Understandably, she takes an instant, almost visceral dislike to Roach.
The story is very much metafictional. True crime is as mainstream as it ever was, sometimes even marketed as feminist, honouring the female victims. But the genre is actually ripe with a misogynist undercurrent: Male serial killers are celebrated, their mostly female victims treated as mere accessories.
Quote:
»They glossed over each of the dead women’s lives, and I fidgeted in my seat, waiting for the good bit. Who they were and where they came from and how they ended up in Walthamstow Village late at night didn’t really matter, it all blurred into one – but I snapped to attention as the girls detailed each death meticulously: broken fingernails, bruises, signs of a struggle.«
The trajectory of the plot seems a given, but what makes it interesting is not the what and how, anyway, but the why. The psychological entanglements of the whole mess make for a tense and chilling atmosphere. The descriptive writing style and the snappy dialogues carry readers through this remarkable thriller debut, with a hint of social commentary.
At the very end, the author adds a twist that defies expectation.