By OLINE H. COGDILL

While the rest of the country celebrates the birth of the United States, the good folks at Mystery Loves Company Booksellers also will celebrate another milestone.

The bookstore located in Oxford, Maryland, turns 25 this year.

And that is quite a feat in this era of way too many bookstores closing.

Owner and co-founder Kathy Harig will celebrate with a party and book signing on July 4 that will feature author Fran White.

The bookstore opened in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1991, and moved several times before settling in its present site, which is a renovated bank building circa 1900. It’s been in its charming location since 2006. An illustration of the store that is on its website is at left.

When Harig founded the store with her late partner, Sue Feder, it did sell only mysteries. But mysteries—and readers—truly do love company. Despite its name, the store now includes books of all genres and for all age groups.

Harig expanded that inventory when the store moved to its current location.

"We've had such great people working at our store, including Sue, Paige Rose, Sammi Russell and Dorothy Bermudez," said Harig, who said she recently completed her 300th newsletter for the store.

Before Mystery Loves Company Booksellers, Harig worked for 27 years as a librarian at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library.

Congratulations to Mystery Loves Company Booksellers, and the readers it serves.

Illustration of Mystery Loves Company Booksellers courtesy Mystery Loves Company Booksellers