Here is another adventure that Mark and Liz Koussa experienced in New York. Thank you Mark for sending us another review of a terrific bookstore! Oh, and I have read The Final Solution and you’re going to love it, and can I borrow Black Echo?
Strolling through Greenwich Village, this inconspicuous little Mystery Bookstore snuck up on us as quickly and quietly as the protagonists it has dedicated itself to. At first glance, Partners & Crime looks just like another one of the Mom & Pop shops that lined Greenwich drive, albeit with a catchy name. Figuring I could always use a good mystery novel, I decided to head inside. If nothing else, it would not take very long, as the store was also no bigger than the neighboring locally-owned shops it resembled.
Walking into the store felt much like walking into a library. It was deafeningly quiet, with a small reading room in the back. Never to be mistaken for a place to study, the store owner is quick to remind you — should you forget as I did — that “you don’t have to whisper, it’s not a library.” The shelves were not remarkably expansive, but made up for it in its specialty categories, which included tough guys, historical, espionage, and exotic locale. Perhaps the most endearing and impressive aspect of Partners & Crime is that their employees appeared to have read every single book in the store. One worker was able to provide thorough insight into every book a patron questioned him about. After three or four visitors, I had to resist the urge to test him by grabbing books at random and asking “what about this one? and this one?” There is a passion for their books that is reflected in their everything from their expansive categorization, to their schedule of authors slated to visit the store, to their prominently displayed signed first editions and British Imports.
I stumbled on their collection of Michael Connelly books and recalled a friend raving about Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels. Before I could even finish my seemingly elementary questions, the store’s worker responded that “Black Echo” is the first of the Bosch novels, and yes, they are as good as everybody says. I strolled over to the $1 used book table towards the front of the store, and found a tattered copy of Black Echo, which I promptly purchased. Before leaving I glanced through their shelves dedicated to Sherlock Holmes (my personal favorite), filled with collector’s editions and “new novels” covered by authors such as Michael Chabon and Laurie King. ”I haven’t read Chabon’s Final Solution yet but it is supposed to be an excellent short story if you like Sherlock Holmes.” OK so maybe they have not read every book in the store, but it is a safe bet that not too many conversations there start with “I haven’t read…”
44 Greenwich Ave
New York, NY
T: 212.243.0440
Claire
Kim
