Death of a Bookseller

January 30, 2023
Brogan Roach and Laura Bunting—the narrators of Slater’s bleak debut—meet when the new manager of the failing London bookstore branch at which caustic Roach has long worked hires chipper Laura to boost sales. The women are like oil and water: Roach wears only black and is obsessed with true crime, while Laura sports colorful berets and thinks true crime is “tacky, exploitative crap.” But when Roach learns that Laura writes poetry about murder victims because her mother fell prey to a notorious serial killer, Roach starts stalking Laura, desperate to convince her they share a “dark connection.” The harder Roach tries, the more her misguided actions repulse and terrify Laura, locking the two in a dangerous downward spiral that threatens mutual destruction. Roach and Laura alternate chapters, their first-person-present accounts imparting tension and urgency. Both characters feel a bit cartoonish in their melodrama, but on balance, Slater delivers a twisty exploration of society’s fascination with the macabre. Fans of Simone St. James’s The Book of Cold Cases, take note. Agent: Caroline Eisenmann, Frances Goldin Literary.

June 10, 2024

Brogan Roach has an unhealthy obsession with murder. Though she usually fixates on podcasts and pop culture, when she discovers that her bookshop coworker Laura has a true crime connection, Roach's perverse preoccupation refocuses on inserting herself into Laura's life. As more amiable attempts to befriend Laura fail, Roach is forced to resort to stalking, sabotage, and, eventually, violence to convince her that their dark connection cannot be ignored. Slater makes her debut with this disturbing psychological suspense. Narrators Sasha Higgins and Rachael Beresford are a dramatic and engaging duo. Higgins, as Roach, has a petulant, immature voice that creepily contrasts Roach's sinister true self, while Beresford, as Laura, has a lovely, lilting voice that reflects Laura's perceived perfection. The intricate plot and multiple perspectives propel listeners through a fast-paced, sometimes frightening audio experience. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking an unsettling, open-ended suspense novel about envy and obsession. A tense and terrifying tale of a true-crime craze gone too far, recommended for fans of A.J. Finn, Lisa Jewell, and Rachel Hawkins.--Lauren Hackert

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