Sarah Key The Haunted Bookshop
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Sarah Key The Haunted Bookshop
Sarah Key Books has specialised in children's and illustrated books since 1987, and has occupied the Haunted Bookshop since 1993. Our shop is in a quiet passage in the heart of the City of Cambridge, in the shadow of the ancient church of St. Edward King and Martyr and just a few seconds from King's College Chapel and the Market Square.

We are open between 10am & 5pm, Monday to Saturday and closed on all English public holidays. If you are making a long journey or especially wish to speak to Sarah in person it would be wise to contact us in advance. We are members of the P.B.F.A. a trade association for second hand and antiquarian booksellers and exhibit at numerous of their fairs in the U.K. See our fairs diary page for details.
Services
We are always interested in purchasing books, single volumes or entire collections and we are happy to travel anywhere in the U.K. & Ireland (or further afield) to view if the quantity or quality warrants it. Valuations undertaken for probate and insurance purposes. We specialize in children's and illustrated books, but our shop needs feeding with general fiction and books of local interest (Cambridgeshire and East Anglian).
Reviews (9)
Tom Oldham
Tom Oldham
Aug 01, 2021
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Range is great, pricing very on the nose, occasionally a bit expensive, you wont find a bargain, they know their onions, but the price is offset by having such scarcity in one place. Staff aren't falling over themselves to help, but then I'm not a bewildered toddler so it all works out. they were happy for me to sprot around. Often, to my great annoyance, with a shop like this there are unspoken rules - "don't touch THAT pile of books" or "Don't go in THAT room that looks like every other room and has no signage indicating you shouldn't enter", none of that here, "can I look at these difficult
Chris Page
Chris Page
Feb 20, 2021
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Closed due to lockdown 😔 but still worth looking through the window at their amazing display of books
Museings Of An Old Campaigner
Museings Of An Old Campaigner
Jul 22, 2020
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Bought many books from this shop at bookfairs etc, always fair with there prices and friendiy
Ann Presence
Ann Presence
Dec 13, 2019
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Quirky place. Worth a visit. Good selection of unusual books. Very knowledgeable staff
Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson
Sep 08, 2019
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Travelled all the way from Derbyshire to see this place. Closed when we got there nothing on the website,Facebook page or note in the window. The cafe next door didn't know ought either.
Chris Kennedy
Chris Kennedy
Oct 01, 2018
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I just popped in for a look and came out with a book I had been hunting years for. The man in the shop was incredibly helpful, went and found the Author I was looking for. The shop is packed with all genres of books. So pleased I didn't just walk on past. Thank you for taking the time to go and find the Author I asked about, years of hunting resolved in 5 mins.
Bridget
Bridget
Dec 05, 2016
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Surprisingly wide selection of books for such a small shop. You can't go upstairs though and there isn't really any customer service.
Tara Ryan
Tara Ryan
Jan 26, 2016
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We visited this bookshop as it was want to be haunted. We wandered in and had a little look around and for a tiny hole in the wall place there are lots of historic books to look at.
The shop keeper was absolutely awful. We asked about the haunted history and the girl wouldn't even look us in the eye, mumbled responses and was pretty much disinterested in us being there.
I understand it must be annoying being asked questions all the time by tourists but common courtesy is free.
I wouldn't bother stopping here - lots of other places to visit with nice people to boot.
Elle J.
Elle J.
Jul 03, 2015
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Okay, maybe I didn't dislike it so much.... How rude the girl working here was, was actually incredible. Borderline hilarious.
She was obviously having a terrible day, or maybe she just really hates her life / working in a book shop. Not sure what's to hate as they sell a lot of great books - mostly first editions (which we weren't allowed to look at anyway). But it's basically up to her if she wants you to buy anything or not... smart business model. Maybe she was kicked out of the Uni and just takes her resentment out on everyone else who visits.
Bookshop 'most likely isn't haunted, the old