The Seattle Traveler

Find Out Whodunit at Seattle Mystery Book Store

by Mary Jo on April 17th, 2007

I love a good bookstore. So many great books on the shelves, calling out to be picked up and fondled, thumbed through, a decision made about whether THIS should be the one that you buy and take home with you.

Seattle Mystery Books is one of my favorite area bookstores. Located in the Pioneer Square area, it opened in the summer of 1990, and is affiliated with the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. They focus on mystery books and mystery authors, both hard covers and paperbacks, new and used.

A mystery is defined by a literary structure that is a work of fiction, yet also includes crime (frequently a murder but could be other crimes), a detective (police, private, or amateur), an investigative process, and the discovery and unveiling of the guilty party. Within the mystery genre, there are several classifications breaking it down even further:

• Whodunit: Typically used to describe tradition mysteries from the 20’s and 30’s.
• Crime: Generally deals with an urban crime and the implications of it. In some of the more recent novels, the story is told from the standpoint of the “criminal.” Many times you know “whodunit,” you just don’t know how the larger issues get resolved.
• Cozy: The “crime” is committed “offstage.” That is, you know it occurred, but you don’t get all the ugly details. Agatha Christie is probably the best known in this classification.
• Hard-boiled: Real life stuff, generally in an urban locale, and frequently involving a private detective. This is also the stuff of which movies are made, i.e., The Maltese Falcon.
• Soft-boiled: Realism with a touch of humor, and lots of optimism.
• Thrillers: Heavy emphasis on the plot, which has plenty of action. The “hero” or “heroine” frequently comes into peril, and has to reach deep within to find a way out of the predicament, i.e., James Bond.
• Suspense: Somewhat similar to thrillers, but more psychological threats of harm rather than physical fear a la Hitchcock.
• The Caper: Centers around the commission of a crime, and involves lots of humor. Readers frequently root for the “bad” guys.

Seattle Mystery Books hosts author signings on an ongoing basis, and you can check the calendar of events to see when your favorite author will be there. They also have a blog, where mystery authors occasional write a post.

Location: 117 Cherry Street (Pioneer Square)

Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm; Sunday, noon - 5 pm.

Stop by Seattle Mystery Books and pick up the current offering from your favorite author, or talk to the personable booksellers and get a recommendation for something new. You’ll likely discover a new author who will keep you up reading until long after midnight.

Photo credit: SXC

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Tags: b5media, Seattle, The Seattle Traveler, Travel, Travel & Culture, Vacation, Washington, books, book stores, mysteries, mystery, Seattle Mystery Books

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