The Mystery Company: Carmel’s Literary Treasure

Jim Huang, Owner of the Mystery Company, enjoys one of his favorite titles.

Take a short walk on the Monon Trail, just south of Main Street, and you will find a gem of a bookstore. Owned by husband and wife Jim Huang and Jennie Jacobson, The Mystery Company is tucked away in Carmel’s Arts & Design District, but its work to enliven, encourage and engage Carmel’s literary life is no secret.

Stocked to the brim with mysteries and suspense books, The Mystery Company is a vital connector for the literary arts community. Certainly you can purchase any number of books there or enjoy a treat from the shop-within-a-shop chocolatier as you browse through thousands of titles. But what you may not know is The Mystery Company is a hub of activity that encourages the art of writing to flourish in Carmel and, in fact, the entire region. And that is an important asset to our city as we focus on building a thriving arts economy.

Listen to Huang for very long and it becomes apparent that he has a love affair with books. His career began in Boston as a book reviewer. Then, a happenstance opening at his favorite bookstore led him to hands-on experience as a bookseller. From there, he and his wife operated a bookstore in Kalamazoo, Michigan and later opened their venture in Carmel in 2003.

“The [Monon] trail has been a huge asset for us,” says Huang. “More people stumble in from the trail than you can imagine!” Traveling by foot prevents large sales, but once people find The Mystery Company, it’s a safe bet they’ll come back having discovered this treasure trove.

Besides its unique charm, the bookstore connects writers with each other and helps to cultivate budding authors. Huang observes there is a “huge desire for writing assistance among people who come in” with manuscripts in various stages of development. For those, The Mystery Company has a publishing division called Crum Creek Press with 11 titles in print and 3 more in progress.

The Mystery Company provides opportunities to meet and listen to writers throughout the year. Books make wonderful holiday gifts and the store’s Author Holiday Event on Saturday, November 21, from 2-4 p.m. will be an opportune time to meet and pick up a signed copy of various authors’ books. (Check www.themysterycompany.com for an announcement soon.)

The literary arts enrich a community’s life in many ways. Take a walk on the Monon and discover The Mystery Company.