High Crimes, A New Leaf

As of this past Sunday, my favorite local mystery store has gone orders only. Makes me sad considering the fact that I used to have to drive to Houston for a mystery bookstore (and drive I did!). I salivated over Scottsdale's Poisoned Pen and made a trip down there, to tour ASU, with PP topping my list above even the Uni. Oh sure, there's a mystery bookstore in Denver. I've never been. Trips to Denver are few and far between for me, makes me nervous driving there. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and head over one of these days.

Ah well. High Crimes is still in existence. I can still call Cynthia up and order all my favorite Brits' books without waiting for them to come out over here. This is where my new Mo Hayder came from. Next up are Sarah Rayne's The Death Chamber and John Harwood's The Seance, due out in the UK 4/28 and 4/3 respectively, no release dates stateside just yet, not even for Harwood, in spite of the success of The Ghost Writer. This is a highly anticipated new book, if I do say so myself, when you consider the fact that GW came out some 4 years ago! If you want one, call Cynthia, I'm sure she'll order it for you!

In today's market, it really bothers me that the big boxes are shutting down the little guy. It's true, any way you look at it. Big boxes can afford to discount things much deeper than indys can and they can keep massive quantities of stock as they are usually much larger. Big boxes are great and all if you need to go pick up one of NYT's bestsellers or a summer reading book, they're just not so great at stocking or keeping in stock smaller titles - unless of course there is a bookseller behind it.

One chain, who shall remain nameless, can't even follow the damn street date lists. It has been my experience that if you want to pick up a "new release" nine times out of ten, you'd be better off waiting about two weeks before going in to get it. Oh, they may have it. Their computer may show it in stock, but it grows roots in their stockroom and two weeks seems to be this store's turnaround period for stocking merchandise.

See, this is why it makes me sad when a specialty store who caters to my particular likes and has great author appearances, shuts down and I am left with the big man who has no signings to speak of and wouldn't even be able to order my above mentioned titles for me.