Booked to Die

I'm new to this author. I read "The Bookman's Promise" first & really liked it so I ordered this book. I didn't like it as much. I liked the characters & the plot, the twists & turns. But you can tell that it was written by a book dealer. The reader needs a good understanding of what it's like to be a book scout but I often found myself skipping entire paragraphs all the way through the book. The detailed minutia kept pulling me any from the storyline involving the characters. I'm not sure, had I read "Booked to Die" first, that I would've purchased another book. When someone is passionate about something, sometimes they'll give more than you really wanted to know.

Cliff Janeway starts out as a Denver cop who loves books and winds up in this page-turner as an owner of a rare bookstore who doesn't forget his policing skills. The murders here all have to do with people in the book collecting business so booklovers get a double treat here. Although they are treated to a first class mystery, just as important is page after page of valuable information about collecting first editions. Ms. McKinley, whom Janeway has the hots for, remarks that when you buy "something unique, and pay twice what it's worth, it's a great bargain." And one of my favorite passages is about the worth of a good book. Ruby, a store-owner says: "A book has always cost about what a meal in a good restaurant costs. . . I get sick of hearing how expensive books are. Which would you rather have, a good book or a tender steak? I know what I'd take, seven days a week." I do not know one book lover who would disagree with that statement.Mr. Dunning wastes no time in weighing in on the ongoing debate of "popular" fiction (Stephen King novels) versus the works of writers like Faulkner and Hemingway. (Remember the controversy over King's being given an award at last year's National Book Award Awards?) Janeway opines: "What the hell do I know? I sure can't explain it when a book like SALEM'S LOT goes from $10 to almost $1,000 in ten years. That's half again what a near-perfect GRAPES OF WRATH will bring, if you neeed a point of reference."Oh, back to the story-- the plot twists and turns with surprise after surprise, right up to the last sentence of the novel.I believe this one is a collectible.

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.

Rarely have I been so captivated by a book. I read most of the popular stuff in the mystery/suspense/crime genre, and this book blew me away! Upon finishing it I immediately called my bookstore to see if it stocked the sequel, "The Bookman's Wake". The main character, Cliff Janeway, is a homicide detective whose hobby is collecting rare books. The reader is introduced to the world of rare book dealers, and gives interesting insights into how and why today's - and yesterday's - books are sought after. Why is a first edition by Stephen King or Thomas Harris worth almost as much as one by Hemingway or Steinbeck? This is fascinating stuff for the reader who loves books. This is one of those jewels that you run across maybe once overy year or two, and say WOW.If it's not obvious, I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Dunning manages to blend quality information about books and the world of book collecting in with a suspenseful murder mystery. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this book was.Dunning will distract you with book trivia and a budding romance while dropping hints you won't even realize mean a thing until the last chapter. The conclusion is shocking - it held me breathless at 4 a.m! You know you're reading a good book when you go to work or school the next morning looking like a victim yourself. Highly recommended!