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From Publishers Weekly
In Nero Wolfe Award winner Dunning's third literate entry in his Cliff Janeway series (after Booked to Die and The Bookman's Wake), 90-ish Josephine Gallant persuades the former Denver cop turned antiquarian bookseller to try to recover a rare collection of the works of Richard Burton, "the explorer, not the actor," that once belonged to her grandfather, a faithful traveling companion of Burton. Eager to fulfill his pledge to Ms. Gallant, who expires soon after their meeting, Janeway begins an investigation that takes him to a seedy used bookshop and other strange haunts in Baltimore, where he runs into a shady writer and a gang of thugs who are obviously looking for the same literary treasures. Midway through the often rambling narrative, a flashback to 1860 steps up the pace when Burton undertakes a possible espionage mission to the South for the British prime minister and encounters Captain Abner Doubleday, who solicits his advice on the defense of Fort Sumter. Two well-intentioned women join Janeway for the final search through historic Charleston, with the inevitable romantic interludes. Too many extraneous characters and some tedious dialogue slow the action, but the book-collecting background is sure to appeal to a wide range of mystery readers.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
It's been eight long years since the last Cliff Janeway mystery, starring Denver's only tough-guy antiquarian bookseller. The former homicide cop is thrilled with his purchase of a first edition by nineteenth-century explorer Richard Burton, but the book brings more grief than it does pleasure. After an elderly woman arrives in Janeway's store claiming that the Burton belongs to her, our bibliophile-sleuth finds himself in the middle of a nasty feud between book collectors that stretches back generations and culminates with an all-stops-out climax at Fort Sumter off the coast of Charleston. The text jumps between Janeway's search for answers and the story of Burton's undocumented trip to America just before the Civil War. Is there, Janeway is determined to discover, an unpublished journal that documents the explorer's whereabouts during his so-called lost years? Devoted fans of this series have been craving a new installment, and they won't be a bit disappointed by this compelling mix of hard-boiled action and exquisitely musty book lore. Like Jonathan Gash's Lovejoy series starring the rough-hewn Cockney antiques dealer, the Janeway novels avoid the wussy, Masterpiece Theatre-like decorum that too often sinks bibliophile crime stories. Along with plenty of muscle-flexing, there's also enough sex here to remind us that the antiquarian's life can still be robust. The combination of Burton the adventurer-author and Janeway the cop-bookseller is a match made in crime-fiction heaven. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another favourite of mine.,
By
This review is from: The Bookman's Promise: A Cliff Janeway Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
The Janeway series is just wonderful. Really glad I stumbled on it in a used book store. Wish there were more of them. Only 5 to date.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bookish but not too,
By "dobset2899frk" (San Francisco,CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Bookman's Promise: A Cliff Janeway Novel (Hardcover)
Perhaps it was because I was expecting a disaster--after all, an ex-cop turned antique book dealer! Come on! But what I found instead of a joke was a remarkable book with enough twists and turns to keep you busy on a Saturday night! This thing is just fantastic and I have to say that I was mightly impressed with John Dunning's talent as a writer. How does he come up with this stuff? As a crime/mystery novel, the story is good. Janeway is an interesting character, and you quickly become wrapped up in his quest. For me, the element that makes it a special read is the backdrop of book selling. I love books, and I love readingThe writing is great--on the same level as Jackson McCrae's "The Bark of the Dogwood" or Boyle's "Water Music," and the plot, pacing, and characters are amazing. I highly, highly, highly recommend this book! Also recommended: McCrae's "Bark of the Dogwood--A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens."
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Disappointment,
By
This review is from: The Bookman's Promise: A Cliff Janeway Novel (Hardcover)
Some years ago, a bookseller told me that John Dunning had decided not to continue the Cliff Janeway series. I was really sorry, because I had so enjoyed the two Janeway novels. Thus when I saw the announcement of "Bookman's Promise," I was thrilled. I ordered the book and read it at once.What a disappointment. Gone are the details of the rare book world that made "Booked to Die" so fascinating; gone is the careful delineation of Janeway's initially-complex character. In their place is a superficial tough-guy private eye caper, complete with scumbag gangsters (in the rare book world, mind you), macho posturing, and that annoying rapid-fire repartee without which private dicks are apparently not allowed to beat up crooks. According to the bookjacket, Dunning is working on Cliff Janeway #4. But I doubt I'll be reading it, now that Cliff has become just another Spenser clone. I'd suggest that Dunning and Parker collaborate on a cross-over, except that the characters would probably do nothing but trade smart remarks while they punch the crap out of each other.
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