- Paperback: 544 pages
- Publisher: Pocket Books; Reprint edition (Mar 28 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0743482476
- ISBN-13: 978-0743482479
- Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 10.7 x 3.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 295 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#331,476 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #45 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Books & Reading > Antiquarian & Rare Books
- #51 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Books & Reading > Booksellers & Bookselling
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
As an antiquarian book dealer and sometime private investigator, Cliff Janeway is unique in contemporary crime fiction, and no doubt that accounts for a good part of his popularity among the book community. But it's the sure hand with which Dunning renders him (and a large cast of other characters) that makes the Bookman novels so compulsively readable. In this fine fourth volume in the series (after 2004's The Bookman's Promise), Janeway is sent, by his lover and partner, criminal defense attorney Erin D'Angelo, to the mountain town of Paradise, Colo., to look into the murder of Robert Marshall, a mysterious figure with a massive collection of signed first editions. But the connection to Erin extends well beyond Marshall's library: the victim was Erin's first real love, and his wife, Laura (who confessed to the crime when she was found at the scene, covered in blood), was her former best friend. Naturally, the antiquarian book world serves both as background and plot element, and Janeway combines his experience as an ex-cop and knowledgeable dealer to unravel the mystery. The book-related plot is somewhat arbitrarily grafted onto the main narrative, but Dunning writes with such confidence and assurance the reader cannot help being drawn into this compelling whodunit.
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
The crime genre's only hard-boiled bibliophile, Cliff Janeway, is back, this time helping his lover, attorney Erin D'Angelo, defend a woman accused of murdering her husband. Cliff leaves his bookshop in Denver and journeys to remote Paradise, Colorado, hoping to determine if the accused really did kill her husband, or if she is trying to protect her son. That's the tip of the iceberg, of course, in a case that involves old friends, deep-seated jealousies, and, naturally, rare books. The deceased, it turns out, collected autographed first editions, giving Janeway the opportunity to rummage about on the shady side of the antiquarian book biz, revealing all sorts of fascinating minutiae (including the fact that it's nearly impossible to find a first edition of the novel on which the movie Laura was based). This is the kind of thing Janeway fans love: juicy nuggets of bibliophile gold. That these tasty morsels come wrapped in serviceable crime plots involving tough guys, gutsy gals, and snappy patter makes the pleasure of devouring them all the sweeter. 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
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unfinished Business,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: The Sign of the Book: A Cliff Janeway "Bookman" Novel (Paperback)
The Sign of the Book will probably appeal more to new readers of this series than to those who have been reading all of the Cliff Janeway novels. Why? The Sign of the Book is weaker than the other books in the series but does have a tincture of the book world that will appeal to those who haven't read one before.What's different? The book connection is modest . . . and overdeveloped from the modest base. Also, much of the book's action serves little purpose. Basically, this is a novella stretched into a novel. The stretching dilutes what could have been a taut, but shorter, story. Here's the background, Cliff's partner and lover, Erin D'Angelo, gets a call from an old friend asking for legal help. Erin hasn't forgiven Laura Marshall for stealing Erin's old boyfriend and marrying him. Erin is also tied up in court so the most she can and will do is send Cliff to check matters out with local counsel. Cliff quickly spots that Laura is being railroaded by an incompetent deputy. She's also holding something back. But what does all that mean in the context of her confession to murdering her husband? With Laura locked up and not remembering much, Cliff decides he'll have to check matters out on his own. Before long, he's stirring up hornet's nest after hornet's nest of opposition. Two long stakeouts start to open up the case. From there, it's a waiting game as the puzzle is slowly put together. Even if you are a Cliff Janeway fan, you could skip this book.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews) 17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dunning's Fastest Moving - and Best,
By Richard A. Mitchell "Rick Mitchell" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Sign of the Book: A Cliff Janeway "Bookman" Novel (Hardcover)
For those who have never read a book in this series (and this one stands alone just fine), the main character, Cliff Janeway, is a retired (for disciplinary reasons) Denver policeman who is now making his career book sales. In every novel, Janeway gets involved in crimes that include rare books. There are frequent references not only to particular books, but also the state of the industry (Dunning obviously hates the internet).This book has all of Dunning's best traits at their best. The book and book-selling references are captivating. Cliff Janeway, his very human hero, has moments of hero and goat. The way that Dunning melds the bookseller's knowledge of books into the plot is terrific. The supporting cast is completely fleshed out. There are no cardboard characters here. The country lawyer is a loveable, easy to underestimate compatriot. The plot has plenty of twists and turns. Although one of the plot's central "mysteries" is obvious, it does not detract from the overall plot for reasons that can not be told in a review for fear of ruining the book for readers. What separates this book from Dunning's other Janeway novels is its pace. The book builds almost to "thriller" status while still retaining the cerebral nature of the good mystery. Highly recommended whether you've read all or none of the Janeway series. 13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Book Lover's Mystery,
By Gary Griffiths - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Sign of the Book: A Cliff Janeway "Bookman" Novel (Hardcover)
Authors have chosen some unusual backgrounds for their private investigator protagonists. But with the possible exception of Tim Cocky's undertaker-investigator, John Dunning's sometimes PI Cliff Janeway, who also happens to be a bookseller, is certainly unique."The Sign of the Book" is the fourth Janeway novel. Cliff Janeway, proprietor of a small used book shop in Denver, is called upon by girlfriend/lawyer Erin D'Angelo to help out her childhood friend, Laura Marshall, accused of murder. To complicate matters, the victim is Laura's husband but also Erin's former lover, before he was stolen away by Laura. Notwithstanding their personal rift, Laura would like the still-embittered Erin to represent her in the trial, so Cliff is asked to check out the circumstances before Erin decides if she even wants to see Laura again. Kind of like "Desperate Housewives of the Rocky Mountains." But thanks to Dunning's easy style and compelling dialogue, it works. While Laura has confessed to the crime, there are some obvious discrepancies between her story and the crime scene. And an unusual and very valuable collection of signed books in the Marshall home seems incongruous with husband Bobby's lifestyle. It didn't take long to get thoroughly engrossed in this classic whodunit, while at the same time being educated in the rather obscure but interesting rare book trade. Close inspection of the plot may raise some eyebrows, but that is a very minor distraction to a tightly wound mystery with likeable characters balanced with sufficient action and suspense. All things considered, top-notch entertainment and a highly recommended read. 16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I really, really love Cliff Janeways' books. The ultimate in smart mysteries....,
By K. L Sadler "Dr. Karen L. Sadler" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Sign of the Book: A Cliff Janeway "Bookman" Novel (Paperback)
Janeway has opened an entire new world to me. As an avid reader who has a book in almost every room in the house including the garage, bathroom, and who reads during ironing, doing homework, or waiting for sugar to boil for making English Toffee, I can almost assuredly recognize not only genres but also the various nuances within the genres. JUst as women in this day and age tend to head towards tough broads who can fend for themselves in a man's world, Janeway brings in a cop whose adoration of written materal causes him to leave his probably more steady job as a policemen, to enter the world of rare books. An occasional job will bring in enough money to support his chosen lifestyle for a while, but more than that, his introduction into the interesting and secretive world of bibliophiles. These books not only whet my appetite for this world, but also introduces me to both real people and real books that helped to shape our world from behind the scenes.Janeway's current flame has an old friend (who also delved into books) killed, and she wants him to find out who did it an what t he motive was. In doing so he ends up becoming involved in his lover's old friends and flames, so of which should be left undisturbed. But Janeway never is one to back down from a fight over 'rights and wrongs', and he doesnt' do that in this book either. I get the feeling when I read other reviews that the readers want something less complicated than what Janeway provides. If uncomplicated is what the readers want then they should go to other books, becasue there are times in Janeway's books that you just have to go back and understand why certain things are said or done in a true historical background and reality. I wish Janeway could write fast than he does, because I thoroughly enjoy these very educated mysteries, but then, if he did write that way Janeway would not be as enjoyable as he is. Karen L. Sadler |
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