Photo of the main wall of books at the center of the store.

There is a new bookstore in town and it just opened to the public. This bookstore is called “The Hidden Chapter”, this store has been open to the public since October 23. The owner of this bookstore, Dave Mulcahy, and his wife, Lacey Mulcahy, Dave had always wanted to open a bookstore. 

Mr. Mulcahy said: “I’ve always loved books, and during COVID, my wife and I turned an extra room into a library. We always commented about opening a library and then thought ‘Why not’ and here we are.”

Mr. Mulcahy thought putting the bookstore in Fort Thomas would be good for the community and very convenient for him and his family. His store has a wide variety of books that make the community feel more welcome and feel like they can pick whatever type of book they want. 

Mr. Mulcahy explained: “We looked at many places to put our bookstore but Fort Thomas seemed like the perfect place because my daughter attends Highlands. We have as many genres as this place can fit. We have genres like fantasy, teen and young adult, romance, classics, horror, mystery, thriller, small children and nonfiction section.”

​​After deciding Fort Thomas was the best place for their business, the Mulcahy family had to select a name. They wanted the store to have a certain degree of mysteriousness for the customers to experience. After having a “family discussion”, they agreed upon “Hidden Chapter”. The name implies that the customers are involved in something exclusive and eerie.

Although The Hidden Chapter just opened, they have already hosted many events. The space has been used for small book clubs, birthday parties, self-help groups, and other smaller group functions. The store hopes to eventually have vow renewings and class reunions in the store, as well as prom or senior pictures. The owners plan to add a deck during spring to make the space feel more welcoming.

We not only asked Mr. Mulcahy questions about the store but also himself. He told us his favorite books to read are science fiction.  Mulcahy said: “They are beyond their years, ” In addition to asking questions on a more personal scale, we also spoke about their vision for the bookstore. Mulcahy expressed the hope of the Hidden Chapter becoming a mainstay in the Fort Thomas community and the want for the shop to become more of a second home to locals rather than a business. Mulcahy said: “I want people to almost forget the name of the store and just start calling it their store. Like, ‘Do you want to go to our bookstore or the bookstore.”

Certainly, add visiting the Hidden Chapter Bookstore to your agenda. Take some time to skim through the book options, drink some coffee or alcohol, and just read and relax. The overall vibe of this bookstore is welcoming, relaxing, and riveting, it truly is a great addition to Fort Thomas.