LIFESTYLE
| Dessert to Die for:
Cheesecake and Crime, Inc. |
|
 Where
can you go for a good “whodunit” and a great piece
of cheesecake? All evidence points to Cheesecake and Crime,
Inc., Henderson’s imaginative answer to the Valley’s
cravings for thrilling fiction and tantalizing treats. Open
for less than a year, it has fast become a favorite among
mystery enthusiasts and dessert lovers alike. With tons of
captivating novels, plenty of nooks to read them in, and cheesecake
that’s the stuff of legend, what’s not to love?
For Cheesecake and Crime’s
proprietor, Pamela Mains, the store is the realization of
a lifelong dream. A self-professed “fanatical reader,”
Pamela can’t get enough books, and always wanted to
open a bookstore. But her professional life led her into the
arts as an education liaison for the Guggenheim Hermitage
Museum and the executive director of the Henderson Arts Council.
When she wasn’t working, she and her husband Lendall
kept busy raising three sons. So, for that time anyway, thoughts
of a bookstore were pushed to the back burner.
Once her sons had grown,
though, those thoughts pushed themselves to the forefront
of Pamela’s consciousness. But she knew that opening
a successful independent bookstore would be a tough—if
not downright impossible—venture, thanks to the popularity
of giant booksellers like Barnes & Noble and Borders.
“Everybody sells books,” she says. “You
really have to have a niche.” So for hers, she chose
her favorite genre: mystery and crime. Pamela holds fond childhood
memories of burning voraciously through novels from classic
mystery writers such as Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle, and Dorothy Sayers, and has never lost her enthusiasm
for a good, suspenseful read. Even though that was a lovely
idea for a niche bookstore, Pamela knew she’d still
have to offer something pretty special in order to keep up
with the competition. Enter Lendall.
An architect by day, Lendall
possesses two things that most architects don’t: a talent
for baking and a killer cheesecake recipe. He had actually
helped pay his way through college by baking cheesecakes from
a recipe handed down to him by his grandmother, a pastry chef.
He “tweaked” the ingredients until he felt he’d
reached confectionery perfection, and the result garnered
rave reviews. For 30 years, says Pamela, people constantly
told Lendall he ought to sell his creations professionally,
and when his wife needed a little something to bolster her
bookstore, he got the perfect opportunity. To Pamela, her
husband’s culinary hobby was the perfect complement
to her passion for great mystery novels. Thus, Cheesecake
and Crime, Inc. was born, opening its doors last December.
It is a truly collaborative effort, right down to the decorating.
“Since he’s an architect, Lendall has a very modern
sensibility; lots of wood and tile. The leopard carpet and
black chandeliers, that’s me,” Pamela says.
Both sides of the business—the
cheesecake and the crime—are flourishing. “Sometimes
customers will come in twos and split: one will head straight
for the cheesecake, the other will head straight to the books,”
laughs Pamela, who adds that men and women patronize both
sections equally. For dessert lovers, the store is nothing
short of paradise. Though the original plain and fruit-topped
cheesecakes are the most popular, decadent flavors such as
Cookies n’ Cream, Chocolate Mocha and Peanut Butter—and
even savory varieties such as Seafood or Vegetarian—have
gained a sweet reputation with customers. Lendall’s
creativity in the kitchen has led to a variety of unique and
distinctive recipes, but even if it isn’t cheesecake
proper, it’s still cheesecake-flavored (like the cheesecake
cannoli and cookies). “Infused fruit”—cherries
or strawberries with cheesecake filling piped in, then dipped
in chocolate—are another mouthwatering example. Even
those with special dietary needs can enjoy no–sugar-added
and vegan cheesecakes. And requests are always welcome. “As
Lendall likes to say, ‘you’re only limited by
your imagination,’” says Pamela. “Give us
48 hours and we’ll be able to make it.” His recipe
is top-secret, but because he can’t design buildings
and bake at the same time, Lendall has entrusted a select
few with his undisclosed formula; still, they’re made
to sign confidentiality agreements.
 For
her part, Pamela strives to bring customers an unparalleled
selection of crime, mystery, and suspense titles—especially
those that can’t be found in “big box” stores.
Cheesecake and Crime is a haven for literary types, hosting
book clubs, writers’ groups and Thursday “Open
Mic” nights, where artists can share their written work
or strum an acoustic and sing along for a captive audience.
There are frequent book signings by authors whose titles are
featured in the store; recent guests include Rhys Bowen, author
of “Her Royal Spyness” and seven Molly Murphy
mysteries, and Donald Denton whose “Shadows, Spies,
and Spooks” trilogy details his years spent as a real-life
government assassin. The store also hosts periodic “Murder
Mystery” parties (there’s one tentatively scheduled
for mid-August), where guests can interactively solve a crime
while simultaneously gorging themselves on cheesecake.
While Pamela is arguably
suspense fiction’s biggest fan, she says her favorite
part of owning Cheesecake and Crime, Inc. is the customers,
hands-down. She and Lendall have received lots of support
and encouragement from the community and thoroughly enjoy
getting to know their clientele. “I love meeting all
the different people,” she says. “There are so
many unusual and interesting lives.” Through the store,
she has befriended customers from all walks of life whose
stories rival those found in the books she loves—from
the perspective of both sides of the law. It’s no mystery:
even the most dissimilar people can be brought together by
a finely woven tale (and a little slice of heaven).
Cheesecake and Crime,
Inc. is located at 10545 South Eastern Avenue #100, in the
Eastern Commons shopping center behind Colonial Bank. Reach
them by phone at (702) 629-5523 or via their Web site, www.cheesecakeandcrime.com.
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