Booked to Die (1992)

My Blog post about this book ( )

Booked to Die is John Dunning’s 5th fiction novel and the first in the Cliff Janeway series. As unlikely as it seems that a crime fiction novel about second hand books could be very exciting, this is a page-turner. At the start of this book, Clifford Janeway is a homicide detective with the Denver Police Department. When Bobby Westfall, a local penniless bookscout and cat lover, is found murdered in an alley, Janeway is convinced it is the work Jackie Newton, a local petty criminal with money and a knack for eluding the law, someone Janeway has been burning to put away for a long time. In the course of the investigation, Cliff learns that Jackie has a watertight alibi, but Janeway’s emotions end up putting him in a position that risks his police career. Meanwhile, valuable books keep turning up, and Janeway has always been interested in a good first edition…... This is a very enjoyable novel: a great plot with a few twists, lots of action, a bit of romance, four murders, a fistfight, a smattering of sex and a good dose of literary titles and authors. I found it especially appealing as I am a trawler of charity bookshops, not for firsts but just copies I don’t yet have. It is no surprise this is a winner of the Nero Wolfe Award. I look forward to the next in the series: The Bookman’s Wake. ( )

A mystery which is a great fast paced read for all who love books. Greed, danger and murder all surround the Denver book trade. A pleasant twist is an honest cop who loves and deals books. ( )

Cliff Janeway, homicide detective in Denver, Colorado searches for the murderer of a local bookscout. Along the way he becomes entrenched with trying to capture another local sleeze ball who seems to be adept at eluding the law. Janeway's chief interest book collecting plays heavily in the novel.
I really do enjoy this police procedural. Dunning did an excellent job developing his main protagonist Janeway. He looks to make a fine character for a series. The only drawback I have is when the police procedural gets to philosophical on who done it which does happen occasionally in this book. Show me, don't tell me, I say. I'm also happy to find a new setting of Denver. ( )

Fair mystery, good detective; interesting information on how the used book trade works. Too much crude language for my taste.
Consult before selling any of my books. Explains the wide variety of on-line prices for (e.g.) "Baudolino"; may influence me to quit making marginal notes, but unlikely, esp. for non-fiction. ( )