Rating: Summary: A terrific hard-boiled detective story for bibliophiles Review: Cliff Janeway is a Denver detective who is extremely passionate about books. When a bookscout is murdered, Janeway is put on the case and he begins investigating the Denver antiquarian book community. Janeway ultimately ends up leaving the police force after tangling one too many times with an old enemy, and he opens a book store, though he continues to investigate the bookscout's murder. Along the way, Janeway encounters a number of fascinating characters, all of whom are involved in some way in the book trade.At its heart, this is a `hard-boiled" detective story, and Janeway can be a bit of a thug at times, but that's part of his charm. The story is told in the first person (from Janeway's perspective, obviously), which I always enjoy. The action is pretty constant and Janeway's investigation is intelligent and doesn't insult the reader with obvious plotholes or pointless subplots. The dialogue is very natural, and often downright clever. The cast of characters is truly outstanding and one of the greatest strengths of the book. Dunning has done a great job of crafting a Denver antiquarian book community that feels real. There are a few passages in the book describing how Janeway or one of the other characters feels about books that really hit home for me - Dunning truly "gets it" - he is clearly a bibliophile who understands what it is to genuinely *love* books. This was the first John Dunning book I've read, but it certainly won't be my last. In fact, I liked "Booked to Die" so much that I've already bought the second Cliff Janeway novel. The book ends on a bit of a bittersweet note and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Janeway's new business and personal relationships progress. If you're a fan of detective stories and you love books, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up!
Rating: Summary: Terrific Bibliomystery Review: There is a lot of talk among bibliophiles about this book and its subject matter. Rare books and their values are instrumental in its plot. What they leave out, however, is that this is a cracker of a good mystery. Cliff Janeway is a cop with a problem. He knows who is pulling a string of derelict murders--his old nemesis Jackie Newton--but he can't pin the crimes on him. Up comes a new victim, a local bookscout that Janeway recognized from the street, and Janeway thinks he has Newton cold--except that Newton has an alibi in one Barbara Crowell, who was with him from 3:00 the previous afternoon. To say much more would give too much away. But this is definitely a mystery worth reading. All the information on the book world is simply a bonus for bibliophiles. Janeway is a very interesting character--a cop, and a book lover. The author also owned a book shop for ten years and still runs a first-edition-only business from his home. I would recommend this book to people interested in books, but also to anyone who likes a good mystery. For once, I was satisfied with an ending.
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