Customer Reviews

Bookman's Wake Pb

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

If you're one of those people like me that loves the smell of a new book, are picky about what you read, and find yourself organizing your books with your own little system, here is something special for you. John Dunning's work is much more than a mere detective novel. It is a novel of intrigue and murder amidst the book world, or more to the point, those who love books and spend hours searching the shelves of used book stores for a rare first edition.

Cliff Janeway is the Denver bookman and part-time detective who goes looking for a girl who may have in her possession a rare, and unheard of, Grayson Press edition of Poe's "The Raven." It is a book worth a fortune to those in the know. But things are not always what they seem and as Janeway tries to help the young and frightened Eleanor the story becomes more complex and dangerous. Dunning's mystery is exciting and compelling, peppered with insights and observations about books from a writer who loves and respects them as much as we do.

This is a book you will love and respect after finishing it. It is a wonderful and exciting read and Cliff Janeway can stand side by side with Travis McGee and Lew Archer in American detective fiction. We are treated to keen observations about humanity during this twisty tale of books and murder. Dunning uses the rain in Seattle and the snow in Denver for atmosphere and there is almost a wistful feel to the ending.

This was the second Cliff Janeway novel, "Booked to Die" being the first, and both are highly recommended. This is a smart read that will be enjoyed by anyone who loves books. If you like an intelligent mystery with sharply drawn characters and keen observations on our society as well, then this book is a must have for your library. A real treasure of a book about books that are treasures.

Book-collectors and lovers of cerebral mysteries have reason to rejoice. Ex-Denver cop and now bookstore owner Cliff Janeway is back and involved in an intrigue that gets more byzantine by the page. Mr. Dunning is even more ambitious in this novel than his first with a plot that twists and turns as Janeway sets out to pick up a young fugitive in Seattle. But that is just the beginning of a mystery that takes him back in time as he uncovers murder after murder in some way connected to a 1969 edition of Poe's "The Raven."

At one point in the novel the character Huggins describes the writing skills of another character Trish Aandahl: "The woman is just a sorceress when it comes to words. There's a seductive quality to her writing that hooks you by the neck and just drags you through it. Just wait till you get started reading her book-- you won't be able to leave it alone." That could be a perfect description of the better part of this well-plotted book where only at rare times do you see Mr. Dunning's scaffolding.

Of course there's Mr. Dunning's opinions about the book business that I completely agree with, for example, the "anal-obsessive who defaces books: "You find a grand copy of an old Ross Macdonald and open it to see that some fool has written all over it, destroying half its value and all of its factory-fresh desirability. Why is a book the only gift that the giver feels free and often compelled to deface before giving?" "Even worse than the scribblers. . . were the name embossers." Finally, Dunning takes aim at "the remainder goons at the Viking Press." I have never understood why people in the book business insist on those awful remainder marks either. I get the feeling they would be just as happy retailing toilet tissue if the profit margin were greater.

Everything about this book is perfect... or one could say that if you were to look at it under a certain light. What came to mind time after time while I was reading `Bookman's Wake' was that film by Jean Cocteau `Orpheus.' I say that because in the movie Cocteau creates a surreal world where Poets are akin to rock stars, crowds of beautiful young ladies cling to successful poets outside of cafes. In `Bookman's Wake' Dunning creates a similar world where a specialty book publisher attains the same heights as the poets in `Orpheus.' Not that it would be a bad thing if this were really so, but it just strikes me as preposterous in today's world, and I had a hard time swallowing it as a focal point of this novel. I myself enjoy collecting contemporary firsts and understand a little of the book collecting world. Specialty/fine press publication books are kind of goofy novelties in my opinion and just my predisposition towards this medium left me a little jaded towards this book. You can find an actual master at arionpress.com. A place located in San Francisco, where you can get a tour and check out some truly remarkable books.

OK, with all of that aside, I have to say that everything else about this book really is perfect. It is one of the very best mysteries that I have read. It doesn't pull punches, doesn't go over the top, and it is more of a cerebral journey than a brain dead thriller. The character Cliff Janeway is a pretty interesting guy. And this is not the first in a series of books. I say that because usually you will get most of the character development in the first book. I have not yet read the first book, but was still sucked in by the protagonists deep character. The story does feel like a good Raymond Chandler book as some other reviewer put it. But if you have really read Chandler, you will see that it is not a rip off of that long dead hard boiled writer. Instead it is a modern homage of Chandler in many ways.

Pick up this book. I totally recommend it. I have read hundreds of mysteries and maybe only one or two were as good as this one.

As good as the first Cliff Janeway novel was, this second installment is substantially better. Perhaps it's because Dunning doesn't have to spent so much time establishing the back-story and the milieu, and instead jumps right into things. Janeway is approached by another Denver ex-cop -- one he had no use for on the force and even less now -- who wants him to take on a semi-bounty-hunter job, escorting a girl back from Seattle to Taos to face charges of burglary and possibly ADW. Ordinarily, he'd laugh at the notion, . . . but the case involves a mysterious fine press edition of Poe's The Raven produced twenty years before by Darryl Grayson, a genius designer and pressman, and there's a hint of an unknown second edition that draws Janeway in against his will. When he makes contact with the girl, and with her family -- all of whom were Grayson confidantes -- he knows he's not going to bust her. But then things turn ugly, the girl flees in terror, people die, and Janeway's cop talents are required to not only relocate the girl but to keep himself out of jail long enough to figure out what's really going on. The mystery is more finally tuned and even better paced than in the first book, and the characters are beautifully drawn. The atmosphere in the rainy northwest is nicely noir and Dunning again tells you a great deal about the worlds of rare books and fine printing. I can see this on the screen and I don't know why someone hasn't done a screenplay.

Cliff Janeway is an ex-cop and current used bookstore owner. When one of his old cronys from the Denver PD offer him a quick $5000 for picking up a bail jumper in Seattle Cliff takes the job, mainly because it also involves a rare copy of Poe's "The Raven." But all is not as it seems as Cliff gets drawn deeper and deeper into a forty year old mystery that finds him being hunted by the Seattle police for murder.

John Dunning is a good writer. His characters are excellently drawn, his dialogue is crisp, and the plotting is tight. Cliff Janeway has a good "voice" and the book moves along well, never dull or boring. This is the first Bookman mystery I've read but I'll be looking for the others. This book stands way above the average run-of-the-mill books that pass for mysteries these days. I recommend it highly.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dunning's second Janeway book. Being a book reader (and very minor collector), learning more about the book business was as fascinating to me as the mystery and both were fun. Please, Mr. Dunning, 5 years is too long. Where is #3 in this series? I'm waiting impatiently.

One of those few books that is written by an author at the top of his craft and is a joy to read. The plot is interesting, although somewhat confusing as its multiple layers build up toward the end. The cast of characters were (with few exceptions) memorable, well drawn and believable. Their interplay and dialogue sparkle. Dunning has a gift for advancing the story, and conveying detail, through the character's words; avoiding the lengthy descriptive paragraphs that other authors must use to propel their stories. Worth searching for.

Having plowed through hundreds of murder mysteries that almost seem "by the book" (no pun intended), it was a delight to read "The Bookman's Wake," and be introduced to Cliff Janeway. I learned more about the field of rare books and small house printing than I knew at the beginning, and was completely entertained throughout. Intelligence in writing seems to be missing in many of today's "churn 'em out" murder mysteries; Dunning brings wit, education, and humanity to bear and it comes out just wonderfully. I literally could not put this book down until I reached the last page...and now I'm hungry for more from this author. The next time I go into a used book store, I'll be looking with a much more educated "eye" than heretofore. Kudoes to John Dunning!

John Dunning ran the Antiquarian bookstore in Denver for many years. The setting in _Booked to Die_ describes perfectly the row of stores that inhabit East Colfax. However the store that Janeway opens is not at all like the store he owned. The Antiquarian was large and covered two floors. The store and inventory were sold 3-4 years ago and a great bookstore was lost. John also hosts a radio show called Tune In Yesterday which showcases and broadcasts old-time radio programs. He is writng another encyclopedia of Old Time Radio to be released in October of '97'. He told me once that it takes him approximately 4 years to publish a new book and so we may have a long wait for a sequel to The Bookman's Wake. A first edition of Booked to Die will sell in Denver for over $200.00

The author maybe isn't as well known as say Dick Francis
or Sam Llewelyn, but is similar to them in that
he writes this novel giving us insight into the "rare" book
trade along with a mystery that will grab you from the 1st page.
Ex-cop turned Bookseller Cliff Janeway is a gritty, no-nonsense
lover of books and part-time investigator. When asked to "retrieve"
a woman known as "Eleanor Rigby" from Seattle for an old
acquaintance, it seems like a quick and easy way to make
some money to buy more "rare" books. It turns out that Janeway
gets alot more than he bargained for!
A sequel to his book, "Booked to Die", this novel follows
in the same vein of Francis and Llewelyn in that it couples
the author's love of books with a incredible mystery. Dick Francis
KNOWS horse-racing, Sam Llewelyn KNOWS sail-boats, and John Dunning
KNOWS books. All three KNOW mysteries! A must read!!