Once Upon A Crime

With the passing of Borders and the like, there are fewer and fewer book stores. But right when you think
will take over the book distribution world… you find a little nugget like Once Upon A Crime. What a neat store… totally devoted to the crime genre this little book store in a sub-​basement off the beaten path offers a surprisingly wide variety of authors.
We got lost the first time we looked for it… going to 26 East instead of 26 West, but once we got straightened out we found it easily. It is located in a nice residential neighborhood a few blocks off Hennepin — the major drag through Minneapolis. It is but a 10 minute drive from downtown to the Lowry Hill district. All in all, this place is worth the drive and well worth finding.
They feature mostly new but also some used books… all focused in the crime genre. Just about all of the major authors are represented as well as a nice selection of local authors and self-​published items. One of the employees that helped us (Jessie) was an author herself and was very helpful and knowledgeable. She knew her stuff and knew her crime inventory.
Crowded but clean the book store is spread over two large rooms. The used inventory they do have is in very nice shape… you won’t find junky used books… but you will find some rare stuff. I was able to snag a signed first edition of an author from 2008 at a reasonable price. They have authors speaking and signing books just about every month for those that are interested.
If crime is your thing, make your way down to this place and you won’t be sorry.

I got in one of my obsessive moods yesterday, thinking about a book I’ve been hunting down for a few months now. This was the second place I called, and was told they didn’t have it. 5 minutes later I got a call back saying he found the book in another area. Note I left no information with him. He was also willing to hold the book for a week. I never managed to get over to this bookstore, only to find out it’s right around the corner to French Meadow on Lyndale and 26^th. Yeah, we all know where I went afterwords, I looked up and there it was. This store is different than any other I’ve been to, and that’s a lot. It’s mostly hardcover, I’m not quite ready to commit to that. Extremely rare books in locked rooms. The store is so clean and organized, almost groomed. The group Sisters in Crime meets here monthly, as do many other local authors. It’s so great to talk to owners like this. A very different used book store (they also carry new paperbacks). I look forward to more trips here.

I stopped into this book store while I was staying with relatives in the neighborhood. It is a real local gem. The friendly woman behind the counter is extremely knowledgeable and clearly passionate about mystery books. The selection of mystery/​crime books is far bigger than you’d find in a bigger but more generic book store.

I’m a mystery buff. Grew up with Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew. I’ve graduated to Henning Menkel and Donna Leon and have fond memories of the Prey series among others. Simply put, I love myself a good crime story. For that reason, I can’t believe it took me so long to go here as this is a mystery readers dream store.
There are sooooo many books out there to choose from that I never knew about that my head is spinning. I need more hours in the day. The best part is that if you pop in during the day you can pick up a novel and head to Bulldog or even CC club and grab a drink and delve into your new adventure.
It’s a great independent bookstore, so support it! And if they don’t have what you need, they’ll get it for you.