GREENWICH VILLAGE — Partners & Crime, a mystery bookshop selling books of intrigue and suspense for nearly two decades, announced Thursday it's closing by the end of September.
Partners & Crime put a farewell message on its website and Facebook page to let customers know the shop will close Sept. 20.
“After 18 years in the shop on Greenwich Avenue, Partners & Crime Mystery Booksellers is closing its doors,” read the message. "We've had a great run and have enjoyed helping a generation of readers find the books they love."
Fans and regulars of the bookstore lamented the impending closing, first reported by Vanishing New York, and the death of another independent New York City bookstore, on Partners & Crime’s Facebook page
"Thanks for the memories and for your tremendous service to the crime fiction community over the past 18 years," wrote BV Lawson, an author of mystery short stories and novels.
Unlike other instances when a favorite local haunt closes, co-owner Maggie Topkis had kind words for the store's landlord, Bernard Charles, saying he was "nothing but a prince." Topkis, who also runs Felony & Mayhem Press, said the store was simply a victim of a tough business environment for independent booksellers.
For voracious readers, Partners & Crime was like a neighborhood bar, Topkis said.
"For our customers, books are their drug of choice," Topkis said. "They want a bourbon, a beer, a cigarette — same thing. I think [Partners & Crime is] going to be missed by a lot of people."
A point of pride for Topkis was the staff's extensive knowledge of the mystery and crime genre and their ability to guide passionate readers to the books they need.
"Our job is to figure out what they do like…what will make them feel great," Topkis said. "And doing that is an enormous pleasure. There are few things in my life that can compare in satisfaction level.”
