Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore
273 Pineapple Grove Way
Delray Beach, FL 33444
561-279-7790
www.murderonthebeach.com

"There is a whole culture of book people out there," says Joanne Sinchuk, "who are fascinated with all things Floridian." As the proprietor of Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore in Delray Beach, Florida, Sinchuk is in a position to know. "We have customers who come from Germany twice a year and schedule their visits to coincide with book signings at our store."

The store opened in 1996 as Murder on Miami Beach, but when it moved in 2002, it shortened its name. In both locations, Sinchuk has been happy to satisfy her customers1 demands for things Floridian. "Our store specialty is Signed Florida Mysteries," she says, but adds, "we carry not only the Florida mystery authors, but also Florida authors of non-fiction, fantasy, and any other category."

Some thirty percent of the store1s business, she notes, is Internet and mail order, mostly to collectors of Floridiana. The store has also developed an interesting sideline in creating Murder Mystery Parties for local businesses, organizations, and individuals. Working from a set of template scripts developed by a local mystery writer, Sinchuk adapts each performance to suit the setting and hands out prizes such as chocolate handcuffs to the guests who identify the most clues.

The store also maintains a full slate of author appearances and is active with the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America. It publishes a newsletter and hosts two book discussion groups a month. Sinchuk credits her staff as a big draw for her customers: "Most of our customers are repeat; they come here because they want to be waited on by someone with whom they can "talk books1." Doing a little "book talk" herself, Sinchuk suggests: "To get an idea of the craziness that is South Florida read Florida Roadkill by Tim Dorsey; to understand the beauty of Florida read The Man Who Invented Florida by Randy Wayne White; to discover life in the backwoods of Florida read In The Spirit of Murder by Laura Belgrave; to see the mean streets of Florida read The Blue Edge of Midnight by Jonathon King; and to see some of the contemporary issues facing Florida, read Suspicion of Madness by Barbara Parker."