ON THE BOOKS: Whodunit? expands beyond the mystery genre

With independent book sellers dropping like flies across the country, there are several in Philly that have managed to stay afloat. City Paper's Peter Chawaga heads out in search of these local gems to discover what it is that's kept an open sign swinging on their front doors.

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ON THE BOOKS: Whodunit? expands beyond the mystery genre

POSTED: Friday, July 29, 2011, 3:00 PM

For my first piece on quirky new and used bookstores in the city, I decided to visit the famous Whodunit?, Philly’s well-known mystery bookstore located at 1931 Chestnut St. The store carries over 20,000 books and has been in the same location since 1977. I talked to one of the store’s partners, Art Bourgeau, and he graciously attempted to field my questions the best he could as book deliveries and customers breezed in and out. He informed me that Whodunit? is the oldest mystery book store in the world, but as the digital age has made it possible for enthusiasts to find these books online, they had to broaden their selection. Since mystery fans no longer travel thousands of miles to visit the store, Art and his partner Henry Reifsnyder decided to welcome science-fiction, history, religion and literature onto their shelves. Art tells me that the key to their success is the ability to keep shopping to find obscure titles. This has not only allowed them to continue drawing customers, but to sell to the likes of the Vatican, the University of St. Petersburg and even the White House.

Whodunit? has books to browse through on a table outside and on the insdie, shelves are jam-packed with volumes. Their famous mystery collection is now surrounded by plenty of rare and classic books of every genre. In particular, their crime history and African-American fiction sections were impressive, as were their affordable prices. Art is extremely knowledgeable and chatted with everyone who walked into the store. Whodunit? is worth a visit, even if you just plan on perusing their shelves. But if you don't feel like leaving the house, you can shop their collection online at abebooks.com/home/whodunit/.

(peter.chawaga@citypaper.net)

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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