Not very good. Author's interest in bookselling overpowers any mystery or suspense.

If you're one of those people like me who love real books, savoring their smell when cracked open for that very first time, here is something special for you. John Dunning's follow-up to Booked to Die 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 Grayson Press edition of Poe's, "The Raven," a book worth a fortune to those who know about such things. But Janeway soon discovers everything is not as it first appears when he attempts to help the young and frightened Eleanor.

A bit more complex than the first very good entry in the series, Dunning's second 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. We are treated to keen observations about humanity while Dunning uses rain in Seattle and snow in Denver for atmosphere, creating a wistful feel to the ending.


The Bookman's Wake 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 definitely your cup of tea. Dunning took a break for many years before writing another in this series, and in my opinion, they do not live up to the magic found in such abundance here in the first two, though they do have their merits. Booked to Die and The Bookman's Wake, however, are both stellar entries, and anyone who loves books and mysteries, will probably enjoy this series. ( )

A lot of characters, but they are all developed wel enough I felt they were real to me and had no trouble keeping them straight. Seattle and its rainy weather becomes a character in the story. THe idea of collecting books is made fascinating and interesting by the story. Half way through I was wondering if there had been a real Grayson press. Googling it revealed there is one that publishes poetry. It is located in Massachusetts and not all that old. I read this years ago but had forgotten the details. I enjoyed reading it. ( )

This series isn't too bad. Being from Denver and remembering it way back when, it is interesting. As for the girl Eleanor, she was such a pain she seemed hardly worth all the trouble Janeway took to keeping her safe.

The obsession with the Grayson books - totally over the top but I suppose it could happen. It made for an interesting story.

As for Cliff Janeway, I kinda like him and I kinda don't. Not a guy I'd fall for, I know that. ( )

[This is a review I wrote in 2007]

**Good, clever... but not as gripping as the first one!**

This is the second novel in John Dunning's "Cliff Janeway" series of crime novels, following the superb "Booked to Die".

This novel had a lot to live up to from the start, following the excellent debut "Booked to Die". Incidentally, you really need the background from the first book in the series, before you even think about reading this one, so I recommend you read "Booked to Die" first.

It's good. If you are a "book person" and interested in the collectable nature of books, as well as reading them, then you should enjoy this. The plot is very clever, but it is intricate, and there is less variety than in book one. There is just a single thread running through this one so you do need to concentrate, and to keep a handle on what's going on you really need to read it over a relatively short space of time.

Good, but without the quality of book one. However, I'm still looking forward to reading the next one.... ( )