Whodunit

This was a great spot, too bad it shut down. I found books in there that I was looking for for years. It will be missed.

Have witnessed one of the staff here going completely ballistic/​screaming and swearing at someone who came in asking a few questions. It creeped me out enough that I won’t go back, which is a shame because I used to enjoy looking for old/​used books here.

This is a terrific store with an owner who really has a lot of great knowledge to share. Had a great conversation about Graham Greene and Brian Eno, which was playing at the store. I got three books – all of them rare. One was an unedited manuscript of Peter Carey’s «Parrot & Oliver In America.» It’s extremely unusual. I also found a vintage Christopher Isherwood novel and the Viking Portable Graham Greene, which prompted the owner to share very interesting knowledge about Graham Greene. Great!

Their name is misleading: though they have a lot of mystery/​crime books they also have a lot of everything else.
I read fiction and I am a writer/​English major. I will say this about the place: their selection is very particular. Whoever buys the books has exquisite taste. I have found used obscure gems here that I’ve never seem anywhere else; a lot of them just happen to be by British writers. If you like literary comic fiction they have tons of it, from Waugh to Wodehouse.
I love the creaky hardwood floors, the stereo that is always playing jazz.
Don’t miss it!

Though my experience with this bookstore was brief, it’s one that I’ll remember for a long, long time.
I love a used bookstore as much as any one else on here, but what I hate are people (the owners, in this case) with false airs of intellectualism who try to fake knowledge in highly specific fields. In this case, it was actually very funny, so no hard feelings.
This is what happened: Boyfriend and I walked in to browse the stacks. I ask the owner if he has anything by Chaucer, maybe something in Middle English. What he hands me, however, is a paperback fantasy novel with a busty, corseted woman holding a crystal ball. It was called like, «The Moon Over Canterbury,» or something. Uh, what?
But that’s not even the best part. Boyfriend asked the guy if he had anything on the history of 20^th century France. I am not joking about what happened next. The owner hands him a volume of Keats’s poetry, and says «Have you read Keats? He was a French poet.»
If you’re reading this, and have any kind of poetry/​English/​literature background, then surely your heart just stopped, as mine did at hearing this. Granted, I wrote my undergrad thesis on the poet, but still. KEATS, A 20TH CENTURY FRENCH POET? WTF??? It’s besides the point that the book was neither history, nor 20^th century, but he called Keats FRENCH.
I’m pretty sure the only thing French about him was his love of Claret. Keats definitely rolled over in his grave at that one.

whether you love independent bookstores or cheap finds, skip this place and hit Book Corner or Joseph Fox instead. There’s nothing wrong with the books themselves per se, it’s not their fault they ended up in a store with a such a nasty unkept owner. Asked said character about what section a title (that was previously spotted at the store) might be found, he flips out and screams that it’s not worth his time to help me locate a $ 2 book. And while his prices are cheap, there are too many other bookshops, libraries and all around great philly small businesses for it to be worth our time to put up with this man’s utter lack of basic manners. Putting up with unpredictable outbursts of PMS may be an unwritten work duty, but getting it from store clerks… i’ll pass.

Naturally, when I walked by Whodunit, I was curious to see what was inside, though I should have known right off the bat by the store’s name that their specialty is new or gently used mystery novels. However, they do carry books of other genres. While browsing their selection, I spotted what appeared to be an interesting cookbook, only to discover that it was written entirely in French! (which, having a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish, I do not speak, obviously) Apart from the mystery novels which are, for the most part, clearly organized by author (if I were looking for Agatha Christie, I’d know where to find it…), it can be a tad difficult to locate the other categories, but if you have the time to spend, I say, go for it!

Just was at this store. Nice selection of books at good prices BUT owner (or employee not sure) was on cell phone talking graphically about his sex life and doing drugs which made for an uncomfortable experience

Good place to browse and buy books, but not to sell books. They just don’t have the volume of business or the diversity of shoppers to pay much for books.

I love used bookstores, especially ones in New Haven and San Francisco… and this one tops the charts. I mean it! The outside table always has reasonably priced/​amazingly diverse books/​DVDs, etc. but I’m giving this 5 stars for its wonderfully eclectic offering of used books, wall-​to-​wall and floor-​to-​ceiling. I’m so happy to have discovered Whodunit. Have been walking by every day en route to work and finally had five spare moments to go in, during which I found a music performance book that I’ve been seeking FOR YEARS. Excellent condition with a note by the authors, very reasonably priced, and quite rare. Never been happier with a used bookstore finding! Can’t wait to spend some more time here– definitely making a decent trip back here very soon.

Whenever I come to a new area, one of my first tasks is always to find the nearest used bookstore. I was drawn to Whodunit by the table outside set up with very reasonably priced and interesting volumes. I stepped inside and found the same, multiplied about a thousandfold.
The atmosphere is exactly what a used bookstore should be, with shelves packed ceiling-​high, stocked with both popular titles and the incredibly obscure. I found the book I was looking for (War and Peace), and as I picked it off the shelf, the man who I assume is the owner came over and initiated a conversation about the book, the author, how he felt when he read it, some history about the work, and so forth, all of which was very interesting.
As always tends to happen, I of course eventually proceeded to the check-​out table with far more books than I had intended to buy. When I got there, the same gentleman took another ten minutes to show me some interesting titles they had just gotten in that morning, and I wound up adding one of those to my pile as well.
I will definitely be returning, both for the wonderful conversation and because it will probably take dozens of visits to do justice to the massive assortment of books they have here.

I am in love.
I saw the name of the store and had to go in. A huge Agatha Christie lover, I was shocked to find books with her original covers. I scored about 4 Agatha Christie books (2 of them being rare, as in, can’t find in a Barnes & Noble) all for $ 3! The selection is amazing if you are a mystery lover (and my friend, I, am a mystery lover).
As I was at the register, I saw the Brahm’s version, original Dracula. In a pretty black hardcover with nice illustrations. For $ 10. Yes, $ 10. I was very iffy about getting it, as I already had about $ 30 worth of books in my arms. My friend (who scored this cool Lord Of The Rings fact book) and I had a little argument about which of us would buy it. I let her win. (But I’m still kind of regretting it!)
This book shop also has atmosphere. It’s pretty packed with books, in fact there were books in bags laying around, I guess waiting to be put on shelves. I was browsing the shelves and I got scared when I turned around because there was a little old lady staring at me through the other shelf. I probably wouldn’t go here when it’s dark and without someone. I think I’ve read too many mystery novels!
The owner (I assume he is the owner) was very nice and seemed very knowledgeable. He had a cold when I was there so there was a bit of sneezing and maybe some of my books had germs on it, but I can always anti-​bacterial them. I’ll definitely come back here when I make my next trip.

Back in the day, Whodunit was a mystery book store, hence the name. Now, it’s a bookstore with a lot of mysteries. Art Bourgeois, who’s owned the store for decades, sells mostly used and remaindered books now, and anyone who can’t find something to read here doesn’t like books. Prices are extremely reasonable and there are incredible numbers of books of all descriptions crammed into the store. It’s pretty well organized and the people who work there know books. This is the least generic bookstore you can imagine.

I’ve been to a lot of used bookstores. What makes this one my favorite is that within 5 minutes, the conversation I had with the guy at the cash register started with D. H. Lawrence’s notion of what women want from their lovers, moved to anonymous sex in the 60s, and ended on whether or not Camille Paglia is an idiot. The guys here know books. Take advantage of that.
Oh, yeah. Along with the conversation, selection and prices are pretty good too.

A fantastic used book store to go through for some great buys! More books to read is the last thing I need (today’s purchase officially brings my to read list up to 13. but at least my addiction is educational). But I was instantly lured in when I found a first edition hardcover copy of one of George Carlin’s books on the outdoor table for $ 5 ($ 24 dollar retail value. damn!).
Inside I found plenty more treasures to go through. There were plenty of other first editions on the shelves that were going for $ 5 – 20. and a enough rarities to make any bookshelf happy. Along with the Carlin book I scored a David Sedaris book, and a First Edition copy of «The Jokes Over» by Ralph Steadman where he chronicles the times that he spent with Hunter S. Thompson (with a forward by Kurt Vonnegut!). And in the end I scored this $ 50+ value with 2 treasures for only $ 25 (I know you’re jealous)!
I’m definitely giving it up for the old man who works the register there. I had a great time reminiscing about authors with him. and he can talk your head off with information on a lot of good books. They definitely know their stuff there and it shows.

Great little bookstore! I bought a Michael Crichton for one dollar! How sweet is that. Plus the inside is not too cluttered. It has just the right about on clutter to make the perfect cozy and cool bookstore. Plus the guy who worked there looked like such a sweet old white haired man. For all you who love to root through books to find a special gem, stop by Whodunit?