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Mystery Bookshop Tour
144 Plays4 days ago
In today's episode, Brook and Sarah take a virtual tour of mystery-themed bookshops.
Discussed and mentioned
Mysterious Bookshop: https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/
Chronicles of Crime: https://chronicles-of-crime-your-mystery-bookshop.square.site/
Dead Write Books: https://www.deadwrite.com/dw.html
Mystery Loves Company: https://www.mysterylovescompany.com/browse/book
Whodunit Books: https://whodunitbooks.ca/
Poisoned Pen Bookstore: https://store.poisonedpen.com
Sleuth of Baker Street: https://sleuthofbakerstreet.ca/
Crime in Store: http://www.covent-garden.co.uk/SITES/crimeinstore/
Bodies in the Bookshop: https://bodiesinthebookshop.co.uk/
https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/mystery-bookstores
For more information
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Music: Signs To Nowhere by Shane Ivers – www.silvermansound.com
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For a full episode transcript, visit https://cluedinmystery.com/mystery-bookshop-tour/
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Transcript
Shared Passion for Mystery Books
00:00:10
Speaker
Welcome to Clued in Mystery. I'm Sarah. And I'm Brooke, and we both love mystery. Brooke. Hi, Sarah. You know, one of the sad things about not living in close proximity to one another is we've never been bookshopping together.
00:00:30
Speaker
I know it's it's a bit disappointing. um And so I thought maybe we could talk about some bookstores that if we were to go on a tour of bookshops around the world, where we would want to go.
00:00:47
Speaker
If you love reading, you probably find joy in visiting a bookshop. And as a mystery fan, it's even better if it's a mystery themed store. Even if it isn't, there is likely a substantial section devoted to the genre.
Highlight: The Mysterious Bookshop in NYC
00:01:00
Speaker
As the weather turns warmer and we think about summer holidays, let's pack our virtual bags and go on a bookshop tour. Brooke and I have compiled a list of mystery bookshops that we've visited or would like to.
00:01:14
Speaker
So Brooke, where's first on your list?
00:01:18
Speaker
Well, i think that in the U.S. at least, there's no better place to start a mystery bookshop tour than the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City.
00:01:29
Speaker
ah This was opened in 1979 by Otto Pinsler, and it is the oldest mystery specialist bookstore in America. Otto Pinsler actually worked at Ellery Queen magazine for Frederick Danae himself.
00:01:45
Speaker
And Danae, you may remember, is half of the Ellery Queen pen name and the founder of the magazine. ah So spending all that time with Danae and at the magazine, Pinsler is an expert himself in the mystery field, and he still works at the bookstore. So we would probably see Otto if we went in.
00:02:06
Speaker
um i will ah say... Listeners, you must check out his YouTube videos and Instagram as well because he just has such great content. But back to the shop. The interior ah features rich wooden shelves creating a cozy and library-like atmosphere, and they stock the finest selection of new mystery hardcovers, paperbacks, and periodicals.
00:02:29
Speaker
um Like many mystery bookshops, it's arranged in sections by subgenres. You know, there's the crime section, thrillers, suspense. but they also have a large collection of signed modern first editions and rare and collectible hardcovers.
00:02:46
Speaker
Otto Penzler is a huge collector or has been. And in some of his videos, I've learned that he has sold some of his rare and collectible hardcovers for tens of thousands of dollars.
00:02:57
Speaker
So we really better take our checkbook, Sarah. Amazing. Yeah, I would love to visit the Mysterious Bookshop. They also have a section that is um filled with Sherlock Holmes pastiche.
00:03:14
Speaker
So that would be a lot of fun, too. imagine. I think it just would be so inspiring. It just sounds like it's you could spend days there. I know. Where would you like to take us, Sarah?
Surprise: Dead Write in Vancouver
00:03:28
Speaker
So i looked at um several shops in Canada, and a lot of them are actually virtual only. So I'm starting on the West Coast, ah because that's where I am. um But a little further west is Victoria. And that is where Chronicles of Crime is located. And it was a physical bookshop until um ah few years ago, when it moved exclusively online.
00:03:58
Speaker
There are probably few people in the world who know as much about mystery as Frances, who is the bookseller at Chronicles of Crime.
00:04:10
Speaker
I would agree. And of course, Frances has been on the show with us and she is just a wealth of knowledge. So sticking on the West Coast, um i actually was surprised to discover that Vancouver has a mystery fiction bookstore.
00:04:30
Speaker
I have lived in the city for a long time, and I can't believe that I didn't realize this. um But there is a shop called Dead Right, W-R-I-T-E.
00:04:41
Speaker
Um, that is co-located with a science fiction bookshop. And I think that's probably why I didn't realize that it existed. So the, but so the, the science fiction bookshop, and this is the name on the front of the store is white dwarf books.
00:04:57
Speaker
um And so I think that's why I didn't realize that they also have an extensive collection of and mystery books. But what I love about them is that they publish a quarterly catalog of forthcoming titles.
00:05:14
Speaker
it's ah ah It's a very simple document that they publish. So there's there's no book covers. It's just the you know the author, the title, the publisher, and a description.
00:05:26
Speaker
But a really great way, I think, Brooke, for us to get some inspiration for you know potential what would you do books or potential um i potential themes that we could explore in the mystery space.
00:05:42
Speaker
Oh, that sounds fantastic. And I love that shop name. Yeah, there are a few very like punny names that I came across.
00:05:54
Speaker
I did too. And I love that, you know, because so many of the mystery titles are kind of punny. So ah extends over into the bookshop. So that's a lot of fun.
Charm: Mystery Loves Company in Maryland
00:06:07
Speaker
Well, if we were to leave the Mysterious Bookshop in New York, the next stop on my list is only a three-hour drive. So I think we could rent a car, pop in our favorite road trip tunes, and drive to Mystery Loves Company Bookstore in Oxford, Maryland.
00:06:25
Speaker
ah This store is located in a renovated bank building circa 1900. It's beautiful. it has the big pillars. It's gorgeous. And it's located in the beautiful historic waterfront town of Oxford.
00:06:39
Speaker
um Aside from all the usual subgenre sections, Mystery Loves Company also has a vintage paperback collection and a British crime classics selection. And I would love to look through that vintage paperback collection.
00:06:54
Speaker
Um, listeners, if you don't have time to book a trip to Maryland, the shop also has an online store, just like Chronicles of Crime. And, uh, we'll list those in the show notes for you. Oh, that sounds wonderful.
00:07:11
Speaker
And so for the next shop that we're going to visit ah here in Canada, we actually have to board a plane unless you want to drive for a couple of days, but we're going to fly to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and we're going to visit Whodunit Mystery Bookstore.
Customer-Saved: Whodunit in Winnipeg
00:07:30
Speaker
ah which has been open since 1994 and in 2007 was actually purchased by customers of the shop to continue its legacy.
00:07:41
Speaker
And it is, ah I think, the largest specialty mystery bookstore in Western Canada. um And they have a reading club, they have read, you know, readings from authors and and book signings.
00:07:56
Speaker
um It sounds like an amazing place ah that I can't wait to visit. Oh, I want to go with you, Sarah. That place sounds amazing. And I love that customers bought it. You know, you can imagine this, the scenario behind that, that either the earlier owners were older and wanted to retire or for whatever reason, but the community came through and kept their mystery bookshop open. So that's, that's awesome.
00:08:27
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's such a nice story. And man, does that ever sound like such a dream, right? To to run a ah ah bookshop and and um just be surrounded by books all day?
00:08:40
Speaker
Yes, I've often wished that I owned a bookstore.
Events Hub: The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale
00:08:44
Speaker
Well, for this next leg of our trip here in the U.S., we are also going to have to get on a plane because we're going all the way to Scottsdale, Arizona to the Poisoned Pen Bookstore.
00:08:55
Speaker
And this shop was founded in 1989 by Barbara Peters. It's an independent bookstore that carries a wide variety of fiction, but specializes in current and classic works of mystery and thrillers. so And this shop actually hosted the Left Coast Crime Conference in 1995, and most years it has its own mystery-themed conference in Scottsdale.
00:09:21
Speaker
The shop is very welcoming. It has large antique dining tables for its book displays, and it has signed photos hanging from the ceiling of all the famous mystery authors who have visited They also have a web store.
00:09:37
Speaker
ah You can even buy signed copies there and um join their book of the month club. So we'll wil link that in the show notes for you. Oh, that sounds great.
00:09:48
Speaker
I love that they've um hosted conferences. Yeah, they seem to be very active in the mystery community. And and ah this woman who opened the bookshop and her husband,
00:10:01
Speaker
co-founded Poison Pen Press. So they actually have a small publishing company. but That's super interesting because Otto Penzler as well has a ah a publishing arm.
00:10:14
Speaker
That's right. Well, our next stop on the Canadian version of our tour is ah the Sleuth of Baker Street, which is in Toronto.
Mostly Online: Sleuth of Baker Street in Toronto
00:10:25
Speaker
So we're boarding another plane ah to get there.
00:10:29
Speaker
um Now, this shop is, it has an online component, and that's probably your best bet because they're only open a few days a month um and ah limited hours on those days. I think the booksellers have been in business for a very long time, and I'm guessing that this is their, like, easing into retirement, but they carry new and used books, and they're It sounds like, you know, an excellent place to spend a few hours if you happen to be there on one of the days that they're open.
00:11:06
Speaker
Yeah, that sounds fantastic. And again, such a clever name for a bookstore. i think the Canadian shops win that prize.
00:11:17
Speaker
Well, I have two more on my list, Brooke, but these aren't in Canada.
Specialty: Crime in Store in London
00:11:20
Speaker
We're going to have to get our passports and fly over to the UK. And we're going to make our first stop at Crime in Store, which is in Covent Garden in London.
00:11:32
Speaker
And Crime in Store um specializes in crime and mystery books. ah They've got new books. And i don't think that they sell used books, but they do focus on UK and US publications um and carry books from ah the Golden Age as well as ah books that are being released today.
00:11:58
Speaker
ah Something really fun about them is they've got a puzzle that's posted on their website. And if you go into the shop and you've printed off a copy of that page of the website, you get a discount off of your first purchase and get to find out the answer if you haven't solved it for yourself.
00:12:18
Speaker
Oh, that is a great marketing tactic. I love that. Yeah, I thought that was pretty fun.
00:12:27
Speaker
And then the final stop that I have on our tour is in Cambridge.
Atmosphere: Bodies in the Bookshop in Cambridge
00:12:32
Speaker
So we're going to board a train and journey for a short distance to Bodies in the Bookshop.
00:12:40
Speaker
um And this is bookstore and focuses on crime and in the college town or university town of Cambridge.
00:12:52
Speaker
Bodies in the Bookshop is two floors of crime fiction, and they carry new as well as used books and collectibles. um And they're right in Cambridge. So, you know, if you're going to go and tour around the beautiful um town of Cambridge, you can definitely make a stop at the bookshop.
00:13:14
Speaker
Oh, that seems so picturesque and bookish. I bet that's just like a gorgeous setting. I definitely want to go there.
Resource: Sisters in Crime
00:13:22
Speaker
Well, for any of you who might be looking for a mystery bookstore near you or you want to jump on a plane and go visit a special new one, Sisters in Crime has a great reference page that lists ah bookstores in Canada and the U.S. So we'll include that for you.
00:13:39
Speaker
And if you go on any trips to the any of those stores, we'd love to hear from you. Share some pictures and let us know how how your shopping day was. Well, thanks, Brooke. And, you know, i don't think this will be the only time that we talk about mystery bookshops or mystery tours. I can imagine us going on another virtual road trip at some point in the future.
00:14:05
Speaker
I look forward to it, Sarah. But for today, listeners, thank you for joining us on Clued in Mystery. I'm Brooke. And I'm Sarah. And we both love mystery.
Engagement: Podcast Closing & Community Involvement
00:14:17
Speaker
Clued in Mystery is written and produced by Brooke Peterson and Sarah M. Stephen. Music is by Shane Ivers. If you liked what you heard, please consider telling a friend, leaving a ri review, or subscribing with your favorite podcast listening app.
00:14:30
Speaker
Visit our website at cluedinmystery.com to sign up for our newsletter, The Cluedin Chronicle, or to join our paid membership, The Cluedin Cartel. We're on social media at Cluedin Mystery.