Partners in Crime, a romance- and mystery-focused bookstore, will open in Chicago, Ill., this coming Saturday, February 21, Block Club Chicago reported.
Located at 4105 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago's North Center neighborhood, Partners in Crime features romance novels on one side of the bookstore and mystery/thriller novels on the other. Independent authors are emphasized, and there is also a selection of middle grade books. A fireplace and seating is in the back of the store, along with a mural by a local artist.
Owners and married couple Amanda and Jeff Morse first discussed opening a bookstore in 2024, after mystery-focused Centuries & Sleuths closed. Amanda Morse is an avid romance reader, and Jeff Morse enjoys mysteries and thrillers, so they decided to open a store that represents their tastes.
"We wanted to create a place where, if you're an avid romance or mystery reader, you're going to walk in and find a book that you just didn't expect to find," Jeff Morse told Block Club Chicago.
"With us being an indie bookstore," Amanda Morse said, "we also have a love of the indie author community and the indie community as a whole. We are a genre-specific, mystery, romance bookstore with a strong indie author presence."
Given the size of the bookselling community in Chicago, the Morses wanted to avoid stepping on anyone else's toes. They ended up choosing a space that was roughly "evenly spaced between like five other bookstores," Jeff Morse noted. Amanda Morse pointed out that combining romance and mystery also helps set them apart from other genre-focused stores in the city.
The grand opening celebration on February 21 will feature an appearance from a coffee pop-up, and the first 50 customers will receive a free store-branded bag and enamel pin. The owners plan to host more events as the store finds its footing.