Bookshops

I suppose that there are people in the world who don’t like bookshops, in the same way as there are people who forget to eat lunch. I don’t recall having many conversations with such people, but that’s probably because the conversation was too short for recollection. Bookshops, which also serve lunch, or at the very least coffee and cake, are pretty high on my fantasy destination list.
I guess that’s why I chose a second-hand bookshop with a cafe as the setting for my latest cosy mystery. Attack In the Attic

The inspiration is an actual shop called Scarthin Books in Cromford, Derbyshire.

I don’t remember who told me about Scarthins or when my first visit was, or even why I was in Cromford, but I remember stepping over the threshold that first time.
Books have their own aroma, inky paper with a hint of dust and damp, which combines to form a heady scent full of unbelievable promise. Then there are the colours, the gaudiness of the new with brash jackets, contrast with the muted wisdom, and faded grandeur of the older used volumes.
I hesitate, overwhelmed, and a grey-haired lady behind the counter suggests I start at the top and work my way down, so I follow her instructions and find the stairs. Even finding my way to the top is overwhelming there is so much to look at, so many delights to wrench my attention away from finding the beginning. A book on bottling fruit, another fine volume on herbal poultices, an entire section devoted to Winston Churchill. I squeeze past someone settled in a worn armchair engrossed in a history of the civil war, following an ever-narrowing path to the top of the building. I’ve already ignored intriguing signs pointing me to children’s books and Victorian romance and so much more when there is a tap on my shoulder.

” Will you be much longer? Dad says we’ll wait in the car.”

And with that, I realise my hopes of seeing everything this wonderland offers are futile.

I head back to the cookery section and find a secondhand copy of Jane Grigson’s ‘English Food’ at a good price and continue down to the ground floor intending to pay only for that, but get distracted by a table display and add ‘Like water for Chocolate’ by Laura Esquivel. The table is old and one leg is too short. A wad of paper keeps it steady, and it’s definitely more magical than the modern chains that dominate the city high street, which I also love. I realise that the smart, carefully thought-out new design takes away some of the wonder and mystery that exists in spades here.
The lady at the counter clasps her hands together and tells me how enchanting the Laura Esquivel book is and how much I will love it and we chat for a while about food and books and special places. I leave clutching my purchases, but have to stop for a moment as I step out of the door and blink a few times to adjust to the real world. I wonder if the Pevensie children felt the same way when they left Narnia and clambered out of the wardrobe.

The photos of Scarthin’s are recent ones taken by my son a couple of weeks ago. My anecdote dates back maybe thirty years, and the shop now is perhaps even more magical than it was then. The woman who served me was right about ‘Like water for Chocolate’, by the way. It is magical.
The wonderful thing about reading fiction is that you get to choose your adventure and escape from whatever is wrong with your world. Even if the only thing wrong is the normality of day-to-day life. The wonderful thing about bookshops is that they offer you a gateway to that adventure. In those days, I had no hopes of becoming a writer, but it’s wonderful when your daydreaming becomes a legitimate way to pass the time.

You can locate the website for Scarthin Books here.

My new book is called Attack in the Attic by Abigail Thorne and you can find it here

When Esther and Sue discover a mysterious corpse in the attic of their quaint Derbyshire Bookshop, Esther, an ex-librarian, and the owner must take it upon herself to uncover the truth.
Join her as she navigates the puzzling clues left behind. Unearthing secrets that hid in the shadows of the dusty shelves. With the help of her curious staff, can this amateur sleuth discover the identity of the victim and the culprit before the police arrest the wrong person?
Get ready to curl up with this cosy mystery and unravel a thrilling tale of intrigue and suspense.