The Sign of the Book

The "bibliophile" content of this is actually not the strongest part. It adds a more literary flavor, but this is really a hardboiled detective type mystery. Cliff Janeway is a dealer in rare books and an ex-cop who agrees to help his attorney girlfriend on a murder case, partly because a collection of rare books seems to be involved. The story is well-plotted, suspenseful and wraps up with a a real nailbiter. Good fun for genre lovers.

A solid, entertaining mystery - this is the first in the Cliff Janeaway series I have read. I like Cliff - an ex cop who has become a bookdealer and who now almost accidently combines the two skill sets. He is his own man, guided by his own ethics with a great sense of humour. Erin seems a good partner and I liked Parley as a minor character. All the characters are grounded well.I do think the plot was pretty transparent in regards to whom shot whom and why but I couldn't quite figure out where the plot thread regarding the Preacher would end up (which was no where in particular.) I also enjoyed learning a bit about the book trade.I liked it enough that I'll happily read others in the series.

another re-read of an old Dunning. The best parts for me were the descriptions of the California book fair and an amazing collection of common with uncommon signatures. The murder mystery was long-winded, as I often find them, the solution was clever. The limited time savant son and the mysterious purveyors of bogus books stretch the suspension of disbelief a little bit. We he talks about his store and book values and points, I really enjoy his writing. When Dunning does mysteries and murders, not so much.

[This is a review I wrote in 2007]

** More great work from the book detective Cliff Janeway**

The fourth book in the Cliff Janeway "bookman" series from John Dunning, and they are still running strong. I can't recommend them enough for all book people - collector's, dealers, and anyone interested in the incredible prices books sometimes fetch at auction! - my word of advice, don't take them too seriously!

This series is to be read and enjoyed for what they are - a detective crime series with quite a lot of a "bookish" twist. John Dunning (a bookseller himself for many years) writes superbly and draws you straight into the plot - you might find yourself running to keep up!

In "The Sign of the Book", Cliff finds he just can't resist his show more girlfriend's (hot-shot lawyer, Erin) request for him to go and check out the books (and the murder scene) of her ex-best-friend's late husband, and Erin's ex-boyfriend. Erin's estranged childhood friend has been accused of the murder and Erin's not too sure if she wants to get involved. The twist to the tale lies in the intricacy of telling genuine signed books from the fakes... and it's good to see that Cliff's human after all in this book - he doesn't always get it right...

Start with book one, "Booked to Die"; then "The Bookman's Wake" & "The Bookman's Promise". You won't regret it. show less

The Sign of the Book by John Dunning is a Cliff Janeway mystery. Janeway finds himself hip-deep in murder and books in remote Paradise, Colorado when a woman confesses to killing her husband.

Turns out that the woman is the former best friend of Janeway's girlfriend, Erin. The friendship ended when Erin's friend slept with and married Erin's fiancé. After some very uncomfortable meetings, Erin is enlisted to defend the woman along with the help of local attorney, Parley McNamera. They all believe that Laura confessed to the murder of her husband to protect the real killer, her autistic adopted son. Even though Janeway is itching to get at the huge collection of signed first editions in the deceased's library, he knows that he's got to show more find the real killer first. What he doesn't know is that the books and the murder are linked.

Dunning's Janeway mysteries are among my very favorites. I've been diligently sampling new mystery series for the past three years, and this is one of the few that I've kept current on, which should tell you something. I love mysteries that combine two of my addictions: puzzles and books. An added bonus with Dunning is that his character of Cliff Janeway vaguely reminds me of another favorite literary character, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch. show less

I discovered Dunning’s books twenty to thirty years ago. I tried to read all his books as they came out. Too long ago to recall which I actually read. That means even if I read them now its like the first time.
This story about a childhood friend of Erin’s being accused of murder and Janeway’s evolvement in her defense explores a small Colorado mountain town and the challenges of a young man who is an autistic savant artist. Clever character development from the kindly old small town lawyer to the stupid mean deputy who enjoy’s being a bully. Plenty of unexpected twists to keep the pages turning.

A solid mystery, and one I enjoyed. I was a bit disappointed that the book angle -- the primary draw for me to this series -- proved to be a complete deadend in this title. Still, the sections in which that Dunning probes the market of signed volumes and book fairs were greatly rewarding.