Seattle Mystery Bookshop

Closed Today!

We are closed for Memorial Day!

We will be back tomorrow!

Have fun!

Coming Soon Sunday

Even before Lawrence Block could rest on his laurels from In Sunlight or In Shadow, a question arose. What would he do for an encore?

Any number of artists have produced evocative work, paintings that could trigger a literary response. But none came to mind who could equal Hopper in turning out canvas after canvas. If no single artist could take Hopper’s place, how about a full palette of them? Suppose each author was invited to select a painting from the whole panoply of visual art—From the cave drawings at Lascaux to a contemporary abstract canvas on which the paint has barely dried.

And what a dazzling response! Joyce Carol Oates picked Le Beaux Jours by Balthus. Warren Moore chose Salvador Dali’s The Pharmacist of Ampurdam Seeking Absolutely Nothing. Michael Connelly, who sent Harry Bosch to Chicago for a close look at Nighthawks, has a go at The Garden of Earthly Delights by Harry’s namesake Hieronymous Bosch. S. J. Rozan finds a story in Hokusai’s The Great Wave, while Jeffery Deaver’s "A Significant Find” draws its inspiration from—yes—those prehistoric cave drawings at Lascaux. And Kristine Kathryn Rusch moves from painting to sculpture and selects Rodin.

In artists ranging from Art Frahm and Norman Rockwell to René Magritte and Clifford Still, the impressive concept goes on to include Thomas Pluck, Sarah Weinman, David Morrell, Craig Ferguson, Joe R. Lansdale, Jill D. Block, Justin Scott, Jonathan Santlofer, Gail Levin, Nicholas Christopher, and Lee Child, with each story accompanied in color by the work of art that inspired it.

 

Summer Newsletter

Our Summer Newsletter and the pdf is up on our website!

Click Here!

This Friday's Pastry Perk Is....

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Grab one and a book for this long weekend and enjoy!

Farewell Sir Roger

Simon Templar, "The Saint"

James Bond, 007

Sherlock Holmes

Sir Roger George Moore,

October 14, 1927 - May 23, 2017

Farewell and Adieu

Coming Soon Sunday: New Icelandic Series

A New series by Arnaldur Indridason!

A 90-year-old man is found dead in his bed, smothered with his own pillow.

On his desk the police find newspaper cuttings about a murder case dating from the Second World War, when a young woman was found strangled behind Reykjavík’s National Theatre.

Konrád, a former detective, is bored with retirement and remembers the crime. He grew up in ‘the shadow district’, a rough neighborhood bordered by the National Theatre. Why would someone be interested in that crime now? He starts his own unofficial enquiry.

Alternating between Konrád’s investigation and the original police inquiry, we discover that two girls had been attacked in oddly similar circumstances. Did the police arrest the wrong man? How are these cases linked across the decades? And who is the old man?

A deeply compassionate story of old crimes and their consequences, The Shadow District is the first in a thrilling new series of novels by the worldwide bestselling author Arnaldur Indridason.

Friday's Pastry Perk

Chocolate Ice Box Cookies with Sugar edges!

Ever wonder what Edgar Allan Poe's hand writing looked like?

Now you know!

Happy Mother's Day

Sneak something scandalous!

(we won't tell)

Coming Soon Sunday: Something Funny

A New Jaine Austin Mystery! Amber is Excited!

Freelance writer Jaine Austen thought working for a knock-off reality show in the tropics would be paradise. But when she and her kitty Prozac find themselves trapped between a dimwitted leading man, catty contestants, and a cold-blooded murderer, the splashy gig becomes one deadly nightmare…

Jaine’s life has been a royal pain since she started penning dialogue for Some Day My Prince Will Come—a cheesy dating show that features bachelorettes competing for the heart of Spencer Dalworth VII, a very distant heir to the British throne. As if fending off golf ball-sized bugs on a sweltering island wasn’t tough enough, Jaine must test her patience against an irritable production crew and fierce contestants who will do anything to get their prince…

But Jaine never expected murder to enter the script. When one of the finalists dies in a freak accident, it’s clear someone wanted the woman out of the race for good—and the police won’t allow a soul off the island until they seize the culprit. Terrified of existing another day without air conditioning and eager to return home, Jaine is throwing herself into the investigation. And she better pounce on clues quickly—or there won’t be any survivors left…

Friday's Pastry Perk

Amber's out today but she left cookies!

Well they aren't homemade.....but it is the thought that counts!

Recommend a book!

Our outlined body on the back door has lots of book recommendations for you - but there's still room.

Now, we realize you can't read those titles from here, so we'll give you a list, in no particular order, of what people have recommended.

Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

When The Sacred Ginmill Closes - Lawrence Block

The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde

The Eiger Sanction - Trevanian

My Favorite Thing is Monsters - Emil Ferris

In The Woods - Tana French

I Miss The World - Violet LeVoit

Orchestrated Death - Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

The Doorbell Rang - Rex Stout

The Providence of Death - Bronson L. Parker

Still Life - Louise Penny

Case Files of Justis Fearsson - David Coe

Black Cherry Blues - James Lee Burke

Fallout - Sara Paretsky

Greywalker - Kat Richardson

Darkness, Take My Hand - Dennis Lehane

The Big Four - Agatha Christie

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Laurie R. King

Six Four - Hideo Yokoyama

Chinatown Beat - Henry Chang

The Great Santini - Pat Conroy

I Will Have Vengeace - Maurizio de Giovanni

Slow Motion Riot - Peter Blauner

Anything by Ellie Alexander, Lynette Eason, Terri Blackstock

 

As you can see, not all recommendations are mysteries which is completely cool and fun, and not all may be in print which is less cool and fun, and up to now we haven't had any duplicates, which we were kind of expecting.

So, if the book you would recommend to just anyone isn't up there, let us know and we'll add it!

 

New York at Night

Feel like there is an urban fantasy mystery in this photo somewhere....

We are open Today!

We are open on Sundays again!!!!!

12 - 5

So come on in and grab a book!

Coming Soon Sunday: Urban Fantasy

A new one by this former local author!

During the Great War, Tomas Cordero operated a devastating weapon—a flame projector that doused the enemy in liquid fire. Having left the battlefield a shattered man, he comes home to find yet more tragedy—-his wife has died of the flu.

Haunted by the memories of the woman he loved and the atrocities he perpetrated, Tomas dreams of fire, and finds himself setting match to flame when awake…

Alice Dartle is a talented clairvoyant, Her fire-laden nightmares are connected to the shell-shocked war veteran and widower. And she believes she can bring peace to him and his wife’s spirit. But the inferno that threatens to consume Tomas and Alice was set ablaze centuries ago by someone whose hatred transcended death itself…

 

A New Book From this Local Author! Fran enjoyed her other series!

It could have been aliens, it could have been a trans-dimensional rift, nobody knows for sure. What's known is that there was an Event, the Rifts opened up, and everyone caught inside died.

Since the Event certain people have gone into the drift... and come back, bearing priceless technology that's almost magical in its advancement. When Ashe -- the best Rifter of her generation -- dies, the authorities offer her student, Svinga, a choice: go in and bring out the thing that killed her, or rot in jail.

But Svin, of course, has other plans...

 

How far would you go and what would you risk to win the ultimate prize?

Roll the Dice Discount!

Get 1-20% off today and Saturday!

On Any Book In The Shop!

Friday's Pastry Perk

Chocolate cookies with dark chocolate chips in them!

I think they would pair nicely with Chandler or Hammett!

April Paper Back Best Sellers

1 – Elizabeth Daly - Unexpected Night (Felony & Mayhem) - Amber Recommends

2 – tie

Ann Cleeves - Raven Black (Minotaur)

Ann Cleeves - Crow Trap (Minotaur)

4 – tie

Glen Erik Hamilton - Past Crimes (Morrow) - JB & Fran Recommend

Daniel O’Malley - The Rook (Backbay) - Fran & Amber Recommend

6 – C.J. Box - Off the Grid (Putnam)

7 – Elizabeth Daly - Somewhere in the House (Felony & Mayhem) - Amber Recommends

8 – Chloe Neill - Blade Bound (NAL) - Fran & Amber Recommend

9 – tie

J.A. Jance - Downfall (Morrow) - Local Author

Candace Robb - The Apothecary Rose (Diversion) - Local Author

Ann Cleeves - Silent Voices (Minotaur)

Chris Pavone - The Travelers (Broadway)

Stephen King - End of Watch (Pocket)

Harriet Rutland - Knock, Murderer, Knock (Dean Street) - Amber Recommends

Dorothy Gilman - The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Fawcett) - Amber Recommends

Anne Bishop - Written in Red (Roc) - Fran & Amber Recommend

Chloe Neill - Some Girls Bite (Roc) - Fran & Amber Recommend

Ben Aaronovitch - The Hanging Tree (Daw) - Fran Recommend