Once Upon a Crime bookstore has opened at 230 E. Market Street in Smithfield, N.C. Owned by Danielle and Aaron Hilton, the new bookstore specializes in thriller, mystery, suspense, and crime fiction, offering a curated collection spanning a wide variety of genres.
The Hiltons, who had always felt opening a bookstore was about more than selling books, relocated to Smithfield from Gloucester, Va., where they had operated the Nook Books & Gifts before selling it earlier this year to Julie and Mark Garrenton. At the Nook, Danielle Hilton founded a book club that grew into a close-knit community of nearly 40 women.
"We've always believed bookstores should be places where people gather, make friends, and discover something new," she said. "We're so grateful for the warm welcome we've received in Smithfield and are excited to become part of this wonderful community."
Once Upon a Crime's grand opening weekend was made even more special as members of her original Virginia book club traveled to Smithfield to celebrate the occasion.
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| Danielle and Aaron Hilton | |
"We're thrilled to have Danielle and Aaron as part of our downtown business community," said Heidi Gilmond, executive director of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation. "Businesses like Once Upon A Crime add to the unique character of Downtown Smithfield while creating experiences that bring people together. It's exactly the kind of independent business that helps make our downtown a destination."
After its June 27 opening, Once Upon a Crime posted on Facebook: "What an amazing day!!! Thank you to this incredible community for all of your support! We are so honored to be YOUR local bookstore. Also, can we all take a moment to appreciate friends who looked at Google Maps, saw the drive time, and said, 'Worth it.' Huge shout-out to the Long family as well as Arye and Samantha (the highly talked about/bragged about hosts of the amazing Spice and Realms Bookclub) for traveling all the way from Gloucester Va. to celebrate with us! Your support means the world, and we're so lucky to have friends who are just as book-obsessed as we are."