I really enjoy a good mystery bookstore. A specialty mystery bookstore is a great place to find books, meet other mystery readers, listen to touring mystery writers, or get together in a mystery reading group. Many mystery bookstores have catalogues, do searches, host special events and trips. I guess I haven't gotten over the joy of touching books, scanning the shelves, finding books I wasn't looking for (but which intrigue me) and speaking with knowledgeable booksellers. I hope you feel the same way about these stores.
I know I've forgotten a few, so if I have, send an e-mail. I have limited this list to independent mystery bookstores with regular hours. At a future time, I'd love to annotate this list. I hope you'll visit some of these stores and let me know what you enjoyed most about them. And, for those of you who find yourself in a new city because of work or travel, remember a mystery bookstore is the perfect place to take a break from your schedule and meet with like minds and make new friends. Although I won't be including them at this time, there are many other general bookstores which have large excellent mystery sections. Get Booked at a Mystery Bookstore near you!!
-Janet Rudolph
Arizona
Scottsdale: THE POISONED PEN, 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd., Ste. 101, Scottsdale, AZ 85251-4335. Barbara Peters. Phone: 480-947-2974; toll free: 888-560-9919. E-mail: sales@poisonedpen.com; web site: poisonedpen.com
Sedona: THE WELL RED COYOTE, 3190 W. Highway 89A (at Dry Creek Road in West Sedona), Suite #400, Sedona, AZ 86336. Kris Neri. Phone: 928-282-2284; toll free: 866-282-9291. E-mail: books@wellredcoyote.com; web site: wellredcoyote.com
Tucson: CLUES UNLIMITED, 3146 E. Ft. Lowell, Tucson, AZ 85716. Chris Acevedo & Pat Davis. Phone: 520-326-8533. E-mail: info@cluesunlimited.com; web site: cluesunlimited.com
Arkansas
Little Rock: SLEUTHS MYSTERY BOOKSELLER, 2915 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205. Laura Underwood. Phone: 501-603-9676. E-mail: sleuthsmystery@gmail.com; web site: sleuthsmysterybookseller.com
California
Berkeley: DARK CARNIVAL, 3086 Claremont Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705-2630. Jack Rems. Phone: 510-654-7323. E-mail: books@darkcarnival.com; web site: darkcarnival.com
Glendale: MYSTERY & IMAGINATION BOOKSHOP, 238 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203-2610. Malcolm & Christine Bell. Phone: 818-545-0206. E-mail: info@mysteryandimagination.com; web site: mysteryandimagination.com
Los Angeles: MYSTERY BOOKSTORE, 1036 Broxton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024-2824. Sheldon McArthur. Phone: 310-209-0415; toll free: 800-821-9017. orders@mystery-bookstore.com; mystery-bookstore.com
Orange: BOOK CARNIVAL: MYSTERY & DARK FANTASY, 348 S. Tustin Ave., Orange, CA 92866-2502. Ed & Pat Thomas. Phone: 714-538-3210. E-mail: bookcarnival@earthlink.net; web site: home.earthlink.net/~bookcarnival
Pasadena: MITCHELL BOOKS, 1395 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104. Phone: 626-798-4435. E-mail: mb4mystery@aol.com; web site: mysteryfiction.com
San Diego: MYSTERIOUS GALAXY, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Ste. 302, San Diego CA 92111-1040. Elizabeth Baldwin. Phone: 858-268-4747; toll free: 800-811-4747. mgbooks@mystgalaxy.com; web site: mystgalaxy.com
San Francisco: ELSEWHERE BOOKS, 260 Judah St., San Francisco, CA 94122. Amy Beason. Phone: 415-661-2535. Web site: elsewherebooks.com
San Francisco: SAN FRANCISCO MYSTERY BOOKSTORE, 4175 24th St., San Francisco, CA 94114. Diane Kudisch. Phone: 415-282-7444. E-mail: sfmysterybooks@aol.com; web site: sanfranciscomysterybooks.com
San Mateo: "M" IS FOR MYSTERY, 86 E. Third Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401. Ed & Jeannie Kaufman. Phone: 650-401-8077; toll free: 888-405-8077. E-mail: info@MforMystery.com; web site: MforMystery.com
South Pasadena: BOOK'EM MYSTERIES, 1118 Mission St., South Pasadena, CA 91030-3212. Barry Martin & Mary Riley. Phone: 626-799-9600; toll free: 800-4-BOOKEM. E-mail: mystery@bookem.com; web site: bookem.com
Thousand Oaks: MYSTERIES TO DIE FOR, 2940 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362. Jane Becher, Deanne Harrington and Heidi Sobel. Phone: 805-374-0084. E-mail: mail@mysteriestodiefor.com; web site: mysteriestodiefor.com
Colorado
Colorado Springs: BOOK SLEUTH MYSTERY BOOKSTORE, 2501 W. Colorado Ave., Ste. 105, Colorado Springs, CO 80904-3000. Helen Randal. Phone: 719-632-2727.
Florida
Illinois
Forest Park: CENTURIES & SLEUTHS BOOKSTORE, 7419 W. Madison St., Forest Park, IL 60130-1502. August Paul Aleksy, Jr. Phone: 708-771-7243. E-mail:
augitraj@aol.com; web site:
centuriesandsleuths.com
Glenview: ALIBI BOOKS, 995 Waukegan Rd., Glenview, IL 60025. Sheri Kraft. Phone: 847-657-7832.
info@alibibooks.com; web site:
alibibooks.com
Peoria: THE MYSTERY NOOK, Illinois Antique Center, 311 S. Water, 2nd Floor, Peoria, IL 61602. Joyce Welsch. Phone: 309-685-3840. E-mail:
mystnook@ocslink.com; web site:
www.ocslink.com/~mystnook
Virden: THE SLY FOX, 123 North Springfield, Virden, IL 62690. George Rishel. Phone: 877-848-3100. E-mail:
slyfox@royell.org; web site:
slyfoxvirden.com
Indiana
Carmel: THE MYSTERY COMPANY closed in early 2010.
Richmond: HOUSE OF MYSTERY, 1115 South A Street, Richmond, IN 47374. Ron or Sandy Weadick. Phone: 765-962-7974. E-mail:
pulptopresent@yahoo.com
Kansas
Lawrence: THE RAVEN BOOKSTORE, 6 E. 7th St., Lawrence, KS 66044-2702. Pat Kehde & Mary Lou Wright. Phone: 785-749-3300. E-mail:
ravenbookstore@aol.com
Mission: I LOVE A MYSTERY, 5460 Martway St., Mission, KS 66205-2915. Karen Spengler. Phone: 913-432-2583. E-mail:
kas@iloveamystery.net
Maryland
Massachusetts
Cambridge: KATE'S MYSTERY BOOKS closed in August 2009, but will continue selling books online. Kate Rogers. E-mail:
Kate.Rogers@state.vt.us; web site:
katesmysterybooks.com
Provincetown: CAPE & DAGGER, 357 Commercial St., PO Box 551, Provincetown, MA 02657-0551. The store is closed during the winter; check the web site for opening times. Diane Johnson & Nan Cinnater. Phone: 508-487-0848. E-mail:
info@nowvoyagerbooks.com; web site:
nowvoyagerbooks.com
Michigan
Minnesota
Minneapolis: ONCE UPON A CRIME, 604 W. 26th St., Minneapolis, MN 55405-3303. Patricia Frovarp and Gary Shulze. Phone: 612-870-3785. Web site:
onceuponacrimebooks.com
Minneapolis: UNCLE EDGAR'S MYSTERY BOOKSTORE, 2864 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55407-1320. Jeff Hatfield. Phone: 612-824-9984. E-mail:
unclehugo@aol.com; web site:
uncleedgar.com
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
Henderson: CHEESECAKE AND CRIME will be closing its store in February 2010, but will continue to sell books online. Pamela Mains and Lendall Mains. E-mail:
clues@cheesecakeandcrime.com; web site:
cheesecakeandcrime.com
Las Vegas: IF BOOKS COULD KILL (Albion Book Co.) closed in early 2009.
New Jersey
New Mexico
Taos: MOBY DICKENS BOOKSHOP, 124A Bent St., Taos, NM 87571-5992. Art & Susan Bachrach. Phone: 505-758-3050; toll free: 888-442-9980. E-mail:
mobyop@newmex.com; web site:
mobydickens.com
Taos: MYSTERY INK BOOKSHOP, 121 Camino de la Placita, Taos, NM 87571. Phone: 505-751-1092.
New York
New York: THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP is now located at 58 Warren Street (between Church and W. Broadway), New York, NY 10007. Otto Penzler. Phone: 212-587-1011. E-mail: info@mysteriousbookshop.com; web site: mysteriousbookshop.com
New York: PARTNERS & CRIME, 44 Greenwich Ave., New York, NY 10011. Marshall Mintz. Phone: 212-243-0440. E-mail: partners@crimepays.com; web site: crimepays.com
Ohio
Westerville: FOUL PLAY MYSTERY BOOKSHOP, 27 E. College Ave., Westerville, OH 43091-2101. John & Toni Cross. Phone: 614-818-CLUE. E-mail:
foulplaybk@aol.com; web site:
foulplaybooks.com
Oregon
Portland: MURDER BY THE BOOK, 3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214-5045. Jill Hinckley & Carolyn Lane. Phone: 503-232-9995. E-mail:
books@mbtb.com; web site:
mbtb.com
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Warwick: MURDER BY THE BOOK, 1645 Warwick Avenue, Suite 202, Warwick, RI 02889-1524. Open by appointment. Kevin J. Barbero. Phone: 401-781-1300. Web site:
www.abebooks.com/home/kbbooks/
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Houston: MURDER BY THE BOOK, 2342 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77005-1512. Martha Farrington, owner; Dean James, manager. Phone: 713-524-8597; toll free: 888-4-AGATHA. E-mail:
murderbk@swbell.net; web site:
murderbooks.com
San Antonio: REMEMBER THE ALIBI MYSTERY BOOKSTORE, 8055 West Avenue #101, San Antonio, TX 78213. Ray Hengst. Phone: 210-344-7776; toll free: 888-272-5135.
Vermont
Brattleboro: MYSTERY ON MAIN STREET, 119 Main St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. David Lampe-Wilson. Phone: 802-258-2211. E-mail:
info@mysteryonmain.com; web site:
mysteryonmain.com
Waterford: KINGDOM BOOKS, 283 East Village Road, Waterford, VT 05819. Open by appointment and for author events; check their
blog for schedule. Beth & Dave Kanell. Phone: 802-751-8374. E-mail:
Kingdombks@aol.com; web site:
kingdombks.com
Virginia
Richmond: CREATURES 'N CROOKS BOOKSHOPPE, 3156 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23221. Lelia Taylor. Phone: 804-340-0277; toll free: 888-533-5303. E-mail:
info@cncbooks.com; web site:
cncbooks.com. This store plans to close its doors on Sept. 30, 2009.
Washington
Olympia: WHODUNIT? BOOKS, 301 E. 4th Ave., Olympia, WA 98501-1106. Phone: 360-252-8252. E-mail:
whodunitsNW@aol.com
Wisconsin
Milwaukee: MYSTERY ONE BOOKSHOP, 2109 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202-1110. Richard Katz. Phone: 414-347-4077; toll free: 800-207-0084.
mystery1@execpc.com; web site:
mysteryone.com
Australia
Maylands: THE CRIME SCENE BOOKSTORE, 190 Whatley Crescent, Maylands, WA 6051, Australia. Phone: 61-8-9471-9244.
crimescn@iinet.net.au
Melbourne: KILL CITY CRIME BOOKS, Basement, 119 Swanston Street,
Melbourne, Australia. Phone: 03-9663-3741. E-mail:
killbks@ozemail.com.au
Brazil
São Paulo: LIVRARIA DO CRIME, Rua Dr. Cândido Espinheira, 738 - 05004-000, Brazil. Diego Landucci. Phone: +55 (11) 3801 4184. E-mail: contato@livrariadocrime.com.br; web site: livrariadocrime.com.br
Canada
Oakville: SCENE OF THE CRIME BOOKS, 2464 Lakeshore Rd., Oakville, ON, Canada, L6L 1H8. (Oakville is about 20 miles west of Toronto.) Open by appointment only. Don Longmuir. Phone: 905-469-6731. Fax: 905-562-7960. E-mail:
murdermysterybooks@yahoo.ca; web site:
murdermysteriesandmore.com Toronto: SLEUTH OF BAKER STREET, 1600 Bayview Ave., Toronto, ONT M4G 3B7, Canada. J.D. Singh & Marian Misters. Phone: 416-483-3111. E-mail:
sleuth@inforamp.net; web site:
www.abebooks.com/home/sleuthbooks/
Vancouver: DEAD WRITE BOOKS, 4374 W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6R 2H7, Canada. Jill Sanagan. Phone: 604-228-8223. E-mail:
whitedwarf@deadwrite.com; web site:
deadwrite.com Winnipeg: WHODUNIT? MYSTERY BOOKSTORE, 165 Lilac Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3M 2S1, Canada. Jack and Wendy Bumsted. Phone: 204-284-9100; toll free: 800-468-4216. E-mail:
whodunit@mts.net; web site:
whodunitcanada.com
England
London: MURDER ONE. Please note: not a brick and mortar bookstore anymore. Office 004,
Kings Cross Business Centre,
180-186 King's Cross Road,
London WC1X 9DE. Maxim Jakubowski. Phone: 44-207-539 8820. E-mail:
murderone.mail@virgin.net; web site:
murderone.co.uk
Germany
Frankfurt am Main: DIE WENDELTREPPE BUCHHANDLUNG, Brückenstraße 34, D-60594, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Jutta Wilkesmann. Phone: 49-69-611341.
Köln: KRIMIBUCHHANDLUNG ALIBI, Hohenstaufenring 47-51, D-50674, Köln, Germany. Barbara & Manfred Sarrazin. Phone: 49-221-244-496.
Munich: KRIMIBUCHHANDLUNG GLATTEIS, Corneliusstr. 31 (Ecke Baaderstr.), D-80469, Munich, Germany. Gabriele Fauser & Monika Dobler. Phone: 49-89-2-01-48-44. E-mail:
Glatteis.krimi@t-online.de
Ireland
Cork: MAINLY MURDER BOOKSTORE, 2A Paul Street, Cork, Ireland. Patricia Barry. Phone: 353-21-427-2413.
Italy
Rome: LIBRERIA SUSPENSE, Via Ceresio 87/89, 00199 Rome, Italy. Phone: 39-6-8535-8291. E-mail:
suspense@tin.it
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wigtown: MING BOOKS, Beechwood, Acre Place, Wigtown, Newton Stewart, DG8 9DU, Scotland. Marion & Robin Richmond. Phone: 44[0]-19884-03241. E-mail:
info@mingbooks.co.uk; web site:
mingbooks.co.uk
Spain
Switzerland
Zürich: AM RAND, Röschibachstr. 73, CH-8037, Zürich, SWITZERLAND. Barbara Schneider. Phone: 41-1-27-12-151.
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