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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Mar 2005, 368 pages
Paperback:
Mar 2006, 544 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
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Rich with the intricacies of book collecting that only an expert like John Dunning can offer, this is a beautifully crafted, enthralling novel of suspense from the consummate bookman himself.
From New York Times bestselling author John Dunning comes a riveting
new Cliff Janeway Bookman novel, combining captivating book lore with
page-turning suspense.
Denver bookman and ex-cop Cliff Janeway is enjoying the good life, buying and
selling the books he adores as he ekes out a living in his store on seedy East
Colfax. And it doesn't hurt that superstar lawyer Erin D'Angelo has joined him
as a partner in both business and love.
Erin is a special lady, so it's hard for Janeway to refuse her when she asks
a favor. Will he travel to the little mountain town of Paradise, Colorado, to
check on one of Erin's girlhood friends who's in deep trouble? Laura Marshall
sits in the county jail, accused of murdering her husband, Bobby.
The situation is delicate because Bobby and Erin were a couple before he
married Laura. In fact, it was Laura's affair with Bobby that ended Erin's
relationship with each of them, and the women have been estranged ever since.
Now Laura has called on Erin for help, but Erin's not sure she even wants to see
her onetime best friend, let alone get involved in her case. Could Janeway visit
Laura on Erin's behalf and try to find out what happened the night Bobby died?
The clincher for Janeway: Bobby Marshall was a book collector, and Janeway
can't resist a house full of books any more than he can resist Erin's
uncharacteristic request. His normally self-sufficient girlfriend is clearly at
loose ends. He drives to Paradise the next day.
Janeway soon discovers that neither he nor Erin is likely to be able to save
Laura Marshall. The young wife and mother is terrified of something and has
already admitted to the arresting officer -- a smarmy local deputy with a huge
chip on his shoulder -- that she shot her husband and then tried to dispose of
the bloody evidence.
But did everything really happen as Laura claims? And what about the books?
Bobby had a vast library, but at a casual glance, the titles seem ordinary, even
to a seasoned bookman like Janeway. Could they possibly be a motive for murder?
Janeway, Erin, and local attorney Parley McNamara discover that the case
against Laura Marshall is far more complicated than it seems. Professionally,
Erin must decide whether to represent Laura; and personally, whether a
decades-old friendship can be resurrected. Janeway wants to know the
significance of Bobby's book collection. He senses their importance, and under
his careful scrutiny, the rows of unremarkable volumes could reveal a killer's
motive.
Rich with the intricacies of book collecting that only an expert like John
Dunning can offer, The Sign of the Book is a beautifully crafted,
enthralling novel of suspense from the consummate bookman himself.
Chapter 1
Two years had passed and I knew Erin well. I knew her moods: I knew what she
liked and didn't like, what would bore her to tears or light up her face with
mischief. I knew what would send her into fits of helpless laughter, what would
make her angry, thoughtful, witty, playful, or loving. It takes time to learn
someone, but after two years I could say with some real confidence, I know this
woman well.
I knew before she said a word that something had messed up her day. She
arrived at our bookstore wearing her casual autumn garb, jeans and an untucked
flannel shirt.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I am riding on the horns of a dilemma."
I knew she would tell me when she had thought about it. I would add my two
cents' worth, she would toss in some wherefores, to which I would add a few
interrogatories and lots of footnotes. I am good with footnotes. And after two
years I was very good at leaving her alone when all the signs said let her be.
She picked...
This is the fourth volume in Dunning's series about Cliff Janeway, antiquarian book dealer and occasional private investigator. After writing the first two books in the series, Dunning took almost a 10 year break, during which time he added to his true crime series, and wrote two books (one fiction, one non-fiction) about the early days of radio (see sidebar for more on these). In 2004 he resurrected Cliff Janeway in The Bookman's Promise, and now is back again with a fourth volume, The Sign of the Book. While some reviewers are a little critical of the plot - describing it as 'neither dense nor twisty enough to rank with Dunning's best work' and 'arbitrarily grafted onto the main narrative', all appear to agree that this is a must for booklovers. As Booklist puts it, '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.'..continued
Full Review
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(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
John Dunning is an expert on rare and collectible books and for many
years owned and ran the Old Algonquin Bookstore in Denver with his wife,
Helen. In 1994 he closed the bookstore in order to be able to
spend more time writing, but he and Helen continue to do business online.
Bibliography
Cliff Janeway series
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