Goodbye, Murder One

The Bookseller reports even more sad news. Murder One, the independent mystery bookstore that has occupied several locations along Charing Cross Road for the last two decades, will shut its doors at the end of January, and seven staff at the shop will lose their jobs. Co-owner Maxim Jakubowski told the trade publication the shop would be going into voluntary liquidation, and that all bills to publishers would be paid. "Over the last few years our sales have deteriorated," he said to Benedictine Page. "I was planning to retire this year, but this is earlier than expected. For the benefit of staff, publishers and suppliers, I would rather close the shop now and go out voluntarily with my head held high and no debts."

An understandable and perhaps inevitable rationale, but this is still a huge loss to the mystery community. Murder One was a regular haunt of mine during the summer of 2003, when I was a graduate student working on my thesis research at King's College London. And so it makes me more than a little sad that Charing Cross Road will lose yet another shop - and that the indie bookstore world's light shines a little less brightly.

UPDATE: More from the Telegraph, Wholly Disordered and Lee Goldberg.

Comments

[Charlotte Hughes]

What a shame, will be sorely missed. Hope everyone finds a job

[Levi Stahl]

That's sad news. I had wondered if something like this was in the offing: the store moved across Charing Cross Road to a smaller location a year or two ago, and while it was still stuffed to the brim with books, it was hard not to assume that falling sales had played a part in driving the move.

[Justin Peacock]

My first job after graduating from college way back when was at Murder One, having moved to London for no particular reason and with no job lined up. Much of what I know about crime fiction I learned while working there, and I am very sorry to see it go.

[Maxim Jakubowski]

In answer to Levi's comment, the move across the road was 3 1/2 years ago and has no bearing on the end of Murder One. We moved then because the building we were in was being redeveloped. We were replaced by a food mall, which has already undergone two failures and relaunches already!

[Ayo Onatade]

I am so upset to hear this! For goodness sake that means that we are and I am going to have to be reliant on the chains or Amazon for my crime books. I am really sorry that this is happening. Murder One was the only place left that one could now go to whose staff had any knowledge of crime fiction. It is going to be sadly missed by a lot of people. It is the end of an era.

I am certainly going to have to ensure that I go into the shop before it finally closes.

[Kevin Wignall]

Firstly, I hope (and I'm pretty certain) that Maxim will continue to do interesting work in the crime fiction community for many years to come. It's terribly sad that the shop is closing, but it's a testament to the people behind it, including the staff, that it kept going for so long in such a hostile environment.

[Kent Morgan]

When I visited London for the first time about 13 years ago, one of my first stops was Charing Cross Rd and Murder One. I came across many books that I wanted to haul back to Canada, but had to limit my purchases. In the collectible section, I found a first of Rick Boyer's Edgar Award-winning Billingsgate Shoal covered with dust and still priced at the US DJ cost. Usually on the discount table, you would come across US novels that were hard to find in North American bookstores as well as mnay unknown to me UK authors. I discovered one of my favourites, Ron Ellis, in Murder One.

Since the store moved across Charing Cross Rd, I have visited it a couple of times. Bill Crider once told me that I should read Texas writer Jesse Sublett's autobiography if I emjoyed his novels. Where did I find it; yes, on a discount table in the basement at Murder One.

A few years ago, the best sports book store in the word, Sports Pages, closed its shop in an little alcove off Charing Cross Road. Now the best crime book store is closing. Visits to London won't be the same for me.

[Mark Billingham]

This is extremely shitty news. I was a loyal customer long before I had the enormous buzz of seeing my own books stocked in there and I owe many many hours great reading to Maxim through whom I discovered many of the writers I still enjoy today. As Kevin said, I'm sure MJ will still be around dispensing his formidable wit and wisdom in one arena or another - not least of all Crimescene - but I will miss popping into the shop to browse and natter. It's pretty shameful that London does not now have a single mystery bookstore...

[Charles Finch]

Terrible news. Charing Cross takes one more step away from its heritage....

[Jim Barker]

One of my little dreams, if I ever won the lottery, was to go into Murder One, look at all the books and and say 'Give me one of everything please!"

Dammit... just, dammit...

[Diane]

This bookstore was a godsend back in the late 1990's when I was posted to London. One of my little lottery dreams was to open up a copy of Murder One in my hometown in the U.S. I'm a genre fiction reader and it had everything I loved. I was even willing to pay twice the price I would've had to pay in the U.S. I will so miss it on my future visits to London.

[ali]

This is terrible news, just terrible news.

I echo all the comments above, and will really miss popping in and chatting to Jerry, Maxim and the gang, buying books and magazines on my trips to London.

I just can't believe that London will not have a specialist crime / mystery / thriller bookshop after MurderOne closes.

I think, considering the terrible news about the recent passing of Donald Westlake / Richard Stark, and now the passing of MurderOne - The title of Kate Atkinson excellent novel 'When Will There Be Good News' springs to mind.

I wish good luck and fortune to Maxim and his staff in their future endavours.

Ali

[Cara]

Sad news. But I agree with Mark, Maxim's very involved in the UK crime scene and we at least have that. Good luck to Maxim and all the Murder One staff, a friendly, helpful crew who always pointed me in the right directions of new authors.

[Martyn Waites]

I can only echo what everyone else has said. Terrible. I think more than any other place, Murder One was where I received my education in crime fiction. And like Mark, it's a great buzz to see your own books alongside the ones that have helped shape you. It's great to see them anywhere but there was something particularly special about seeing them in Murder One. But it wasn't just a place to buy books, it was also a place to talk about books and meet up with other writers, publishers and booksellers. A real crime fiction hub. Admittedly those conversations usually turned into purchases.

I'm sure (and glad) Maxim will still be around but it's a real shame that not only are some of the most helpful, articulate and knowledgeable staff around going to be out of a job but that something that played a large part in so many people's lives, and in making crime fiction as big as it is today, will be gone.

[gary dobbs]

I am greatly saddened by this - wish I'd supported them more now

[Laura]

I live in the U.S. in Texas, and the first place I would go on my numerous trips to London, after getting settled in, was Murder One. I don't know how many actual days I spent in that wonderful store, but I never regretted a minute.

The last time I was there was in 1999 and I'm planning a trip back in October of this year. Murder One was the first place on my list of places to visit. Imagine my despair at discovering the shop is closing!

I agree with everything everyone here has said; even though I'm far Across the Pond, I'll miss my favorite bookshop and its friendly and knowledgable staff.

My heart is actually breaking; I have so many wonderful memories of friends made there, wonderful conversations ... and enough books to warrant a second bag of luggage.

Thank you for your time, your love of books, your kindness to a Texan who loves London as if she had been born there, and for bringing us Murder One.

All of you -- along with the shop --will be missed.