Crime mystery set in WALTHAMSTOW, London

9th February 2023

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater, crime mystery set in Walthamstow, London.

I picked this title from Netgalley and given the colour combination on the cover, it certainly caught my eye; and besides, which book-loving person could resister a novel with “bookseller’ in the title? It is clear that the author is familiar with the workings of a bookshop environment, so that was a pleasure to glean snippets of daily life in a bookshop.

I listened to this as an audiobook and there were two distinctive voices for the each character (narrated by Emma Noakes and Victoria Blunt), who have alternate chapters dedicated to them. These are two very disparate characters, each from different social backgrounds: Roach and Laura both work in a small bookshop called Spines in Walthamstow. Roach is a curious young woman, with a pet snail (if you needed any convincing that she was an unusual person), who also has a great penchant for true crime and likes to attend events and amass memorabilia. She clearly has her own issues which become clear as the novel moves along.

Laura, in contrast to Roach’s East London accent, has a dedicated posh voice, whose inflection rises at the end of her utterances. She is not only a bookseller but also writes and reads poetry. She spots that Roach has ingrained and questionable issues and, as the days pass, Roach’s beady eyes fall on Laura. Laura spurns Roach’s attempts to befriend her, at which point the latter starts to obsess, and follow and stalk Laura. Given Laura’s specific background (she lost her mother in a terrible way), it is no surprise that she tries to steer well clear of her.

The construct is unusual, as each character delivers her point of view in different tenses. Perhaps Roach already knows what the outcome will be and therefore adopts the past tense; Laura is very much in the present, observing, trying to get on with her life. It felt, though, that this was a bit of an odd, perhaps forced way to tell a story.

Neither character is particularly likeable, there are often mentions of bodily smells which was a strong turn off for me. Coming alongside, as a reader, could at times be a challenge. Repetition became the byword as the story progressed, which made the narrative at times feel laboured.

I had a sense that this story was perhaps written for a younger demographic – both thematically and in writing style – and wonder if that is why I really struggled with this novel. Simply describing why one character examines the other’s lunch box, and then goes on later in the day in the supermarket, to try and deduce which type of salad leaf she had spied in the container, isn’t strong storytelling – there needed to be more of a psychological slant to mitigate the whining nature of both characters. The storytelling felt so often merely descriptive rather than insightful – by this stage we know that Roach is ramping up her need to penetrate multiple parts of Laura’s life.

I found it hard to get a sense of either character as, I felt, they both needed more depth. For me the novel never really delivered and just kept spinning, sucking in important themes, then launching them into the story without offering any real insight or connectivity.

As far as setting goes, the characters make their way around this part of East London and it will be recognisable to anyone familiar with the area.

Ultimately, this book was not for me. There are many early  positive reviews for this book so I will leave you to make up your own mind on this one.

And how is this for a marketing strapline: The Horrible Little Book everyone is talking about? 👇

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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