The Mysterious Book Shop: a focused crime-fiction shop

If you enjoy detective stories, crime fiction or thrillers, The Mysterious Book Shop is a very focused independent bookshop in Tribeca, New York. It opened on Friday 13 April 1979 and is described as the world’s oldest bookshop dedicated exclusively to mystery and crime fiction. The shop is now owned and run by editor and publisher Otto Penzler, and its collection covers new books as well as rare and collectible titles. You can browse signed modern first editions, spy fiction, Sherlockiana and other mystery subgenres, alongside a popular children’s section. There is no longer a YA section, and the shop does not serve coffee, so this is mainly a place to browse, buy and talk about books rather than sit for a drink.

The interior has a distinctive literary feel without being overly polished: a back wall is dedicated to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, while the side walls are packed with paperbacks and hardbacks. Reviews on Google Maps give the shop 4.7 out of 5 from 556 reviews, with repeated praise for the knowledgeable, friendly staff and the unusual selection. One customer described it as the best bookshop they had visited, while another said it was their main reason for heading to Tribeca. Those comments fit the shop’s clear strength: staff who understand the genre and can help with both familiar authors and less obvious choices.

The shop is at 58 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007, near the Greenwich Hotel at 377 Greenwich Street. It opens Monday to Saturday, 11:00–19:00; as today is Sunday 20 September 2026, it is closed today according to the available opening information. The shop also houses Penzler Publishers, with imprints including The Mysterious Press, Scarlet, American Mystery Classics and Crime Ink. Its publishing programme includes limited editions and the Bibliomystery series, featuring novellas by writers such as Ian Rankin, Joyce Carol Oates and Nelson DeMille. Upcoming free evening events include Jason Allison on 22 September, Michael Koryta on 23 September and further author talks through December 2026. For enquiries, call (212) 587-1011, email info@mysteriousbookshop.com or check mysteriousbookshop.com before travelling.