The New Face of MLB

Meet Laurie Stephens, the new owner of Mystery Lovers Bookshop

We've got some wonderful news. Our search for a new owner for Mystery Lovers Bookshop, announced on February 14, has been stunningly successful.

We're happy to announce that Laurie Stephens will be taking over at MLB on June 30.

After a 35-year career as a bookseller, librarian and director of a lecture series Laurie will fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a bookstore. She is presently living in Dallas, Texas and will be moving here to run the store and to be close to her daughter who lives in Highland Park.

As Mary Alice puts it, "She's the whole package." Laurie began her career after graduating from library school and worked in both public and school libraries. When her kids were toddlers she began working at bookstores, principally The Toad Hall Bookstore, a nationally known childrens bookshop in Austin, Texas.

Most recently Laurie has been Assistant Director of an author lecture series sponsored by the Dallas Museum of Art.

We feel that we couldn't have found a more perfectly suited person to take over the store that has been our life for 22 years. We know that you and all of our customers will welcome her and do everything you can to help her succeed.

Meet Laurie

"If there's one thing I know, it's how to sell a book" says Laurie Stephens as she prepares to take over Mystery Lovers Bookshop in June. Her 35-year career has included work as a librarian in school, public and research libraries. She was part of the opening team of booksellers for a new Barnes & Noble in Houston and helped at Toad Hall Children's Bookstore in Austin. As Head of the Arts & Letters Live literary series at the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, Texas she is responsible for overseeing more than 35 events a year featuring nationally known authors. She is known for her innovative programming, championing of up and coming authors, customer service and merchandising skills.   

"For me," Stephens says, "book selling is all about conversations: listening to what the customer recommends as well as what the customer wants to read. My favorite way to discover a new book is by talking to my customers."

Asked about plans for the future, Laurie intends to maintain and extend what she describes as "a nationally-recognized mystery franchise" while finding new areas of growth for the business. "I will be definitely be expanding the children's book area of Mystery Lovers Bookshop for my customers of the future." says Stephens.