The sequel to the popular Booked to Die. Cliff Janeway, Denver cop-turned-book-dealer, finds himself chasing down a charming young fugitive named Eleanor Rigby, who has stolen a rare copy of Poe's "The Raven" for reasons of her own. Trouble follows, and Eleanor disappears into a city filled with people who want the book, and don't care what they have to do to get it. Stuffed with fascinating book lore, this mystery is a bibliophile's dream.


From Publishers Weekly
Continuation of the Cliff Janeway series, in which the cop turned rare book dealer pursues a fugitive and a priceless edition of Edgar Allan Poe. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Unexpected danger and chilling intrigue attend a Denver bookstore owner's trip to Seattle for the purpose of escorting a purported book thief to jail. Ex-cop Cliff Janeway, introduced in Booked To Die (Scribner, 1992), agrees to act as bounty hunter only because of his interest in rare books; he soon realizes, however, that his employer has a hidden agenda involving the years-ago murder of two brothers who were owners of a publishing company known for its limited editions. Seattle marks the beginning of Janeway's physical and mental journey, a quest described with finely textured prose, knowledgeable bibliographical details, and full-bodied characterization. A definite plus for any collection.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Like old books? Like rumaging in used book stores? Dream to find a perfect jacketed first edition? Like great murder mysteries? Then this is the book for you! John Dunning is an authority on rare books, and so is his hero, Cliff Janeway. This book is filled with esoterica on collecting, as well as being a superbly crafted suspense. A priceless copy of Poe's The Raven, and the small press that printed it, are at the heart of the tale. Avarice and deification are the ongoing motives. A master of timing and nuance, George Guidall brings Janeway to life from the first sentence. This is one of those paradoxical books that you can't wait to finish, while you don't ever want it to end. The only hope is for a sequel. B.H.B. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award -- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Dunning brings a fine new voice to the mystery genre. The award-winning Booked to Die (1992) introduced the likable rare bookman and sometime sleuth Cliff Janeway, who returns here in his second adventure. Obviously based on Dunning's experience as a Denver bookstore owner, the story features an engrossing, inventive plot about rare books and the people who print, collect, and sell them--sometimes at a murderously high price. Former Denver cop Janeway is intrigued by his newest case: he's supposed to find a young woman named Eleanor Rigby, who appears to have stolen a valuable collector's edition of The Raven. The book was printed by the Grayson Press, a highly respected Seattle publisher run by two maverick brothers in the fifties and sixties. Dunning writes catchy prose and engaging dialogue, and his hero is an intriguing blend of the erudite and the down-to-earth. The liberal sprinkling of rare-book factoids throughout the narrative may not fascinate everyone, but the action-packed story, mounting suspense, and riveting plot twists are certain to draw readers. An outstanding novel in a terrific new series. Emily Melton


Review
Boston Sunday Globe Magazine Not only kept me up far too late one night, but got me up two hours early the next morning.

Associated Press Stunning.

Kirkus Reviews Mad, fantastical, and darkly original. Bookbinding has never been so compelling.


Review
The Denver Post Nail-biting suspense.


Review
The Denver Post Nail-biting suspense.


Book Description
Denver cop-turned-bookdealer Cliff Janeway is lured by an enterprising fellow ex-policeman into going to Seattle to bring back a fugitive wanted for assault, burglary, and the possible theft of a priceless edition of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven." The bail jumper turns out to be a vulnerable young woman calling herself Eleanor Rigby, who is also a gifted book finder. Janeway is intrigued by the woman -- and by the deadly history surrounding the rare volume. Hunted by people willing to kill for the antique tome, a terrified Eleanor escapes and disappears. To find her -- and save her -- Janeway must unravel the secrets of the book's past and its mysterious maker, for only then can he stop the hand of death from turning another page....


About the Author
John Dunning is the national and New York Times bestselling author of Booked to Die, which won the prestigious Nero Wolfe award, The Bookman's Wake (a New York Times Notable Book of 1995), the Edgar Award-nominated Deadline, The Holland Suggestions, and Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime. An expert on rare and collectible books, he owned the Old Algonquin Bookstore in Denver for many years. He is also an expert on American radio history, authoring On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. His latest Cliff Janeway novel, The Bookman's Promise, is forthcoming in hardcover from Scribner. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

ANNOTATION

Denver cop-turned-book dealer Cliff Janeway is lured by an ex-cop into going to Seattle to bring back a beautiful fugitive wanted for assault, burglary, and the possible theft of a priceless edition of Poe's The Raven. To find her, Janeway must unravel the secrets surrounding the book and its mysterious maker.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The story starts and ends, aptly with a book, a very special book: a 1969 edition of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, published by the tiny, prestigious Grayson Press, of Northbend, Washington. No bibliography mentions the 1969 edition. If it indeed exists, it could be worth a fortune to the right collector. It's the kind of book somebody might kill for. In fact, somebody probably already has. Ex-Denver cop Cliff Janeway is happily at work selling rare and used books when one day a former police colleague, Clydell Slater, arrives with an offer. Janeway never did much care for Slater, and he doesn't like him any better now, but Slater's proposal is intriguing. Slater runs a detective agency, and he wants Janeway to go to Seattle to pick up a young woman fugitive and deliver her to her bail bondsman and a district court in Taos, New Mexico. The woman is wanted for burglary and assault. She may also have stolen a copy of the 1969 Grayson Press Raven when she ransacked a Taos house. The rare-book angle gets to Janeway every time. He could say no to a five thousand-dollar fee, even though the money could buy him some special books, but he couldn't turn down a chance to find a hitherto unknown copy of The Raven. Janeway flies to Seattle, finds his "skip," discovers she shares his love of books, takes her on a scouting expedition through some of the city's best rare-book haunts, then loses her on the way to the airport. She's young and frightened, alone on the streets of a big city with some very nasty men after her. Janeway signed onto the case because of a book, but he stays because of a vulnerable young woman whose heart belongs to books, but whose eyes are filled with pain. He will discover not only her story, but the poignant tale of a once-great small press, where paper and ink became books in the hands of a master craftsman.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In the long-awaited sequel to Booked to Die, Denver policeman-turned-bookdealer Cliff Janeway is hired by sleazy ex-cop Clydell Slater to retrieve Eleanor Rigby (really), who has jumped bail and fled to Seattle. Things get complicated when she turns out to be young, pretty and a talented book scout. The latter, almost by itself, seems to convince Janeway that she is innocent. Rigby may have the key to the location of a previously unknown fine press edition of Poe's The Raven. When Eleanor disappears, Janeway teams up with reporter Trish Aandahl, biographer of the Grayson brothers, who produced the rare Poe volume. Aandahl is convinced the brothers were both murdered over 20 years ago. To find Eleanor and The Raven, Janeway and Aandahl must connect the killing of the brothers with five other violent deaths. Dragging at the narrative are frequent long passages that either provide extensive background or serve to show off Janeway's bookhunting knowledge. While not uninteresting, these sections interrupt the novel's flow. Readers who loved the first Janeway appearance may find this entry somewhat disappointing. Author tour. (Apr.)

Library Journal