Hey readers, it’s almost Independent Bookstore Day! We enjoy celebrating our favorite indies year-round, but Saturday, April 24th is a special day to recognize the importance of independent bookstores in our communities.
If you can’t browse a local shop in person this weekend, there are plenty of ways to show indie bookstores some love from afar. Don’t have a local indie? You can find plenty of bookstores to support in the comments of this post about YOUR favorite independent bookshops. Plus Libro.fm is celebrating Independent Bookstore Day by giving away a free audiobook when you show proof of a $15 purchase from any independent bookstore (in person or online).
To fully immerse ourselves in the world of books and bookstores, we have a special book list for you today. These literary mysteries take place in antiquarian bookstores, dusty libraries, and modern bookshops. They’ll have you by turns racing to find out what happens next and lingering on nostalgic passages about the reading life.
I find that bookish content often delivers a dose of comfort in a genre filled with murder and crime, but some literary thrillers contain graphic scenes or references. Your experience may differ from mine, so mind your triggers.
I hope you find a mystery to get lost in, readers. Happy Independent Bookstore Day!
12 literary mysteries for book lovers
Magpie Murders
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
The Lions of Fifth Avenue
Eight Perfect Murders: A Novel (Malcolm Kershaw)
The Thirteenth Tale
The Mystery of Henri Pick
The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel
First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen
The Shadow of the Wind
I’ll Be Your Blue Sky
Possession
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
Have you read any great bookish mysteries lately? Or visited any lovely bookstores? Tell us about your favorites in the comments.
P.S. 15 literary mysteries that balance plot and prose, and more books about books and bookstores!
79 comments
POSSESSION is my favorite book of all time!!! And THE SHADOW OF THE WIND! <3
I,too, was so taken w Shadow of the Wind!
I was hoping Mr. Penumbra’s was on this list! I bought it at a local bookstore before my honeymoon because an employee wrote the following review: “This book is great! Nobody dies.” I thought it sounded like a nice honeymoon book! And, I’m encouraged to pick up Shadow of the Wind again.
Shadow of the Wind was one of my “DNF’d but loved it later” books, as mentioned in one of MMD’s earlier blogs. Definitely requires a little patience in the beginning, but once it gets going…
There is a great series by John Dunning featuring bookman Cliff Janeway. I think there are 5 in all, including The Bookman’s Promise, Booked To Die, The Sign of the Book, The Bookwoman’s Last Fling, and Booked to Die
I hoped someone would remember, and mention, this series. Thoroughly enjoyable !
ditto!! (because my memory is a sieve and I couldn’t remember the author or any titles – but the series is memorable!)
The Cliff Janeway series is so great!
I rarely re-read books, but I did this series!! It is fantastic!
I read those years ago and loved them.
However, I could not remember the author or the titles.
I have always wanted to read more of his books. Thanks so much for the memory jog.
Murder at the Library of Congress by Margaret Truman (and you probably have to go to your library to find it)
And “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco was a struggle but worth it – I read and listened at the same time; it was the only way I could get through all the Latin.
The Name of the Rose is such a beautiful book; I am glad I read it while I was in the midst of taking Latin classes in college!
I loved MIDNIGHT AT THE BRIGHT IDEA BOOKSTORE and was delighted that it was included on this list!
Bright Ideas (with an S). 💡 I don’t see an edit option.
I did too
Loving the Hemingway Files by Hal Bush! Takes place in Japan in the 90s. Great setting and lots of literary intrigue!!!
A wonderful book is the Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley. It was written in 1919.
So many good ones & a nice smattering on this list. The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett was a good one I found recently.
What a fun list! We use to live in Minneapolis which has the best kids’ bookstore: Wild Rumpus. If you’re ever in that area, you have to visit! They have cats, birds, an chinchillas that meander the store. So fun! https://www.wildrumpusbooks.com
Oh thanks!!
When we went there they had a tarantula under glass and a chicken wandering around.
We used to live there too! Wild Rumpus is one of my favorite places in the world.
Each time I click on one of these lists, my TBR pile grows exponentially! But how can it be anything but a GOOD problem? This has been my favorite so far!
The three books by Charlie Lovett that Anne mentioned are all fantastic. My favorite is The Lost Book of the Grail.
I just finished The Labyrinth of the Spirits, which is the fourth book in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series by Carlos Ruiz Zafon – it’s a true testament to the power of a good story and very atmospheric with a cast of memorable characters.
Having read The Shadow of the Wind years ago, I had no idea it was #1 in a series. A thank you for the heads-up. More books for my TBR😊
They are all absolutely fantastic!!!!
I loved Shadow of the Wind but couldn’t get into the others like the first.
I was the same way. Shadow is on my top 10 all-time favorites list, but I couldn’t get into the next one. I may try again.
So is Shadow the first in the series?? I didn’t know!! I must find the others!
Yes! It’s the first one. There are four of them.
I love The Eyre Affair and the rest of the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde!
You just loaded up my to-be-read list! Between your list and suggestions by other readers.
I found The Haunted Bookshop to be a better title than a book. His other book, Parnassus on Wheels, is a much more charming book. And in keeping with the subject; it’s a traveling bookshop.
Jenny Colgan has a series about bookshops as well: The Bookshop on the corner and The Bookshop on the Shore.
Some of my favorites were on this list and I added all the others to be TBR files. This blog is always dangerous territory for me!
I had forgotten all about Possession. It was required reading for a class on research techniques I took in graduate school for my M.A. in Literature. At the time I wasn’t thrilled to read it because I was working full time while going to graduate school and it just seemed like extra homework that wasn’t important to the class. I might have to pick it up again, now that it’s 25 years later and I’m not as stressed!
So many good titles here… I don’t even know where to begin!
Also, The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish is historical fiction with a bit of mystery for the bookish crowd.
I absolutely LOVED The Weight of Ink. It was incredible, and easily one of my top reads last year!
These are all great looking books. I’ll add the Fiona Davis title about the NYPL to my TBR list for sure. Loved her book about the famous Dakota (The Address). I would strongly suggest The Library Book by Susan Orlean. A mix of non fiction, Memoir and crime all centered around the famed Los Angeles Public Library. Couldn’t put it down!
Loved Orlean’s book – I listened to it on audio.
More books to dive into:
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
The Bookshop of Yesterdays
The Library of Lost and Found
The Printed Letter Bookshop
The Storied Life of A.J.Fricky
I have read several of these but The Storied Life of A.J.Fiikry is a must for book lovers! It is a real feel good novel that will stay with you
THANK YOU for including The Shadow of the Wind!!!! It’s one of my top 5 favorite books, and the reason my husband and I ever went on our first date. I wish more people would pick up this one. CRZ was a talented writer, and his works are brilliant, breath-taking, and just beautiful.
I loved I’ll Be Your Blue Sky! And I didn’t finish Shadow of the Wind. Some added to the TBR list.
Not exactly a bookstore or library, but about the publishing industry and murder mystery, discovered a Judith Flanders series while looking for something by Fannie Flagg in the library. The first one is A Murder of Magpies. Loved the snarky sense of humor, and the main character is closer to middle age than 20. On to the second one now.
I also loved I’ll Be Your Blue Sky!
I really need to read The Eyre Affair; it’s been on my TBR for a long time. I have to admit, I didn’t like Mr. Penumbra’s as much as most people seem to enjoy it. I thought it started out strong, but the ending seemed pretty outlandish. Great list!
The Eyre Affair was pretty good but the 2nd and 3rd book in the series are excellent, so press on. So funny and clever, full of literary references and characters come to life!
I loved The Thirteenth Tale. Total gloomy fall book. I didn’t love Mr. Penumbra’s Bookstore, sadly.
Another I would recommend is the Mirror Visitor Quartet. The first one (A Winter’s Promise) is not so much about the book, but the rest of the series so far (The Missing of Clairedelune, The Memory of Babel) becomes about this book that tells the origin of their immortals. This is loosely about books and about so much more, but I love to recommend it as much as possible!
Ooooh also, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is a good one!
I also like many of Jenny Colgan’s, which take place in little bookshops.
Oh, I was so excited to see this booklist. Imagine my disappointment when I see I’ve read almost all of them. What does that say about me? I believe I’ve identified a favorite “genre”. Well, let’s dive into the comments and see what we find there!
I am looking for a great mystery/crime read! I loved Defending Jacob so much , that I compare all others to it. Twists and turns, can’t-put-it-down page turners and surprise endings are the best.
Anyone, anyone?
I would add The Paris Library to the list. I’m currently reading it and I love how the main character, who is a librarian, connects books to their Dewey decimal number and pulls passages from books to match a feeling, mood, or situation.
The Paris Library is a wonderful book. Also The Last Bookshop in
London, which just came out the first week of April. Both set during World War 11, and show the power of reading to bring people together in challenging times. The American Library in Paris is still there and the book is based on true events. The author worked there for a few years.
Have to add Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-paul Didierlaurent Quirky book about books . and for any Dickens fans a very quirky fantasy The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by HG Parry. Brilliant read.and Dear Reader The Comfort and Joy of Books by Cathy Rentzenbrink memories of childhood books .
I just joined and loving all the book recommendations brief description and then comments from the community. Subscribed to What Do I Read Next and discovered Modern Mrs.Darcy Book Club Thank you
Such a great list! The Eyre Affair is so much fun (I think I picked it up based on a What Should I Read Next? recommendation), and I’ve had my eye out for Eight Perfect Murders for ages.
The Hell’s Library series by AJ Hackwith is really fun! Though it’s more about libraries than bookstores. The Library of the Unwritten is the first in the series.
The Lonely Hearts Bookshop series by Annie Darling is also a really sweet romance that all takes place around a romance only bookstore
I recommend a series (6 books) by Julia Kaewert. They are set in modern day London and the main character owns a small boutique publishing company. There’s a lot about the business of antiquarian books and publishing with a murder mystery to solve in each.
I also really enjoyed those!
I read Jasper Fforde’s The Eyre Affair almost twenty years ago, shortly after it was published. I was so impressed with his creative mind; I had never read another book even somewhat similar. I eagerly awaited and read each book until the series ended. I still feel sadness when I think of no more Thursday Next books. So I reread the series every couple of years. I also enjoyed Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and its (later published) prequel.
So happy to add MORE books to my TBR piles. Magpie Murders was already on as well as the next in the series Moonflower Murders.
A strong recommendation: Out of the Easy by Ruth Septys. It is described as a teen/young adult book, but this old retired lady truly enjoyed it. It is the story of a 17-year old who works in a bookstore, trying to get enough money to leave New Orleans for college. Along the road out of NOLA, she cleans a brothel, comes up against a dead body, and runs with some interesting characters. It is a book well worth reading.
I heard Jasper Fforde speak on a book tour 2 years ago and he hinted that a new Thursday Next novel was in the works by popular demand 🙂
I really enjoy Ruta Sepetys’s books. I agree…they are good for any age. My book club (none of us are teens or young adults and haven’t been for a while) read Out of the Easy and everyone enjoyed it.
I enjoyed John Grisham’s Camano Island & Camano Winds!
Yes, ‘The Weight of Ink’ is a great read. I’m enjoying Pip Williams’ ‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’, but perhaps it has not reached America yet.
‘The Postscript Murders’ by Elly Griffiths is a fun Agatha Christie-style cosy murder mystery about the death of an elderly woman who helped crime novelists with their plots. Lots of literary references and charming characters.
I loved so many of the books on this list! Happy to add the few I haven’t read to my TBR. The Jasper Fforde Thursday Next series is one of my absolute all-time favorite series–I wish there were more! I’m currently 2/3 of the way through Moonflower Murders, which is the sequel to Magpie Murders–it’s excellent too!
Possession is a book I cannot read enough. I delight in the prose, poetry, mystery, and the love stories. I go back again and again to read just a “snippet.” I have to confess, I have mutilated my precious little copy with underlines and highlights. But, it is so loved.
I’ve really enjoyed the Jasper Fforder books. The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck has a great literary mystery that she actually threads through a couple of books.
I thought Eight Perfect Murders was the best mystery I’d read in like, AGES!! Can’t wait to read more by Peter Swanson!
The Thirteenth Take spoilt by an unforgiveable literary cheat/twist.
Magpie Murders a pot boiler,especially including the WHOLE book that’s centre of the mystery.
There ARE some good ones….
I’ve read five of these (plus all the other Charlie Lovett books). But I have to admit I was sorely disappointed with The Lions of Fifth Avenue. I love parallel historical stories and one about books made it a must read but the execution fell short.
Another author in the vein of Charlie Lovett is Matthew Pearl.
I really liked The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. The librarians serve as keepers/spies/secret agents, who are sent to retrieve books from different worlds (all accessed through “The Library”, acting as a central hub), in order to keep the balance between order (dragons) and chaos (fae).
Books about books are the best! I love The Invisible Library Series by English Author Genevieve Cogman. I believe the 8th (and ?final) book comes out this year. It skews a little YA, but I (46 year old) love them and my 16 year old daughter and I compete for who can pick the newest book up from the library first.
I have read several of these, but also have a few still on my TBR, mostly on my physical TBR stacks. I have to say, I didn’t care for Henri Pick. I think a better bookish mystery set in nearly the same location is The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan. I found it absolutely charming, but it is epistolary, just so people know that. Thanks!
I’m reading “The Department of Tare Books and Special Collections “ by Eva Jurczyk . It’s a great murder mystery but not gruesome. It’s a real pleasure to read
.
That’s Rare books. Not Tate. Sorry!!
I have such an admiration for Dame Antonia Susan Duffy, AKA A.S. Byatt. Possession is my favorite read by her and one of my all-time top 10 favorite books, ever. I am hooked by the dual story line and engrossed by the genealogy research of the characters, Maud and Roland. My absolute favorite part of the book is a poem by the character Randolph Henry Ash, “They say that women change. ‘Tis so, but you are ever-constant in your changefulness. Like that still thread of falling river, one from source to last embrace, in the still pool ever-renewed and ever-moving on, from first to last, a myriad water-drops.” *sigh*
I’m the only reader I know who doesn’t like most books about books. They often feel a little “indulgent” to me (to quote Simon Cowell). There are a few here that I didn’t like for that reason. However, as always Anne suggests books that might change my mind, so I am adding a few to my TBR.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. Not really a mystery in a classical sense maybe, but I kept wondering if the events were really happening, or if the protagonist was having a mental breakdown – and the people around her weren’t so sure either.
I tried this audiobook randomly, and I didn’t expect to love it! (I had never read a vampire story before) But I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Some of the scenes were very gruesome and really made me sick, but the storytelling was great, and something as bizarre as a vampire moving into a small town, suddenly sounded pretty believable.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich would be a great addition to this list, and features fabulous books (many by indigenous authors) along with a spooky mystery and some fantastic characters! The setting is a small independent bookstore in Minnesota, based on Erdrich’s own Birchbark Books. It takes place before and during the first year of the pandemic. Am reading it now and absolutely loving it.
Loved Ellery Adam’s “The Secret, Scone and Book Society” series for its strong women friendships, page turning mysteries and topical book recommendations. HAD to read all 6!!