The Mystery Bookstore, Omaha, Neb., will close September 30 after more than 21 years in business. The World-Herald reported that owner Kate Birkel "said sales have been plummeting for years. She's been able to keep the store afloat with her Social Security checks."
"Frankly, I have great customers, but unfortunately I don't have enough of them," she added. Birkel had announced in May that closure was a possibility, and "made her decision when she learned that the Bohemian Cafe, the family-owned restaurant next door, was closing (its last day is September 24). The restaurant and bookshop were the last businesses standing on their stretch of 13th Street. Without the Bohemian's foot traffic, Birkel said, the book shop won't be able to survive," the World-Herald wrote.