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Title: The Bookman's Promise : A Cliff Janeway Novel by John Dunning ISBN: 0-7432-4992-5 Publisher: Scribner Pub. Date: 09 March, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.14 (21 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: FINNALLY, ANOTHER "CLIFF JANEWAY" NOVEL!!!
Comment: It's been almost a decade since the last "Cliff Janeway" novel by John Dunning, but the wait was well worth it. Mr. Dunning's newest book, THE BOOKMAN'S PROMISE, brings back our ex-Denver homicide detective/book dealer in rare form as he seeks to find the murderer of a new friend and information concerning Sir Richard Burton's (legendary Nineteenth Century explorer and author) trip to the United States just before the start of the Civil War. It all begins when Janeway purchases a rare book by Richard Burton in pristine condition and inscribed by Burton to someone named Charlie Warren at an auction. Within weeks, an elderly woman appears at Janeway's bookstore, claiming to be the granddaughter of Charlie Warren and asking Janeway to help her find the missing library of Burton books that were stolen from her family after her grandfather died. As proof of her claim, she presents Janeway with another book by Burton, also in pristine condition and inscribed to her grandfather. This leads Janeway to a book dealer in Baltimore and a dangerous thug who's more than willing to kill in order to stop Janeway in his search. Janeway then heads to Charleston, South Carolina where Richard Burton and Charlie Warren spent several days, supposedly causing the start of the War Between the States. What will Janeway discover and how many people will have to die because of something that happened over 150 years ago? As in the previous two "Janeway" novels (BOOKED TO DIE and THE BOOKMAN'S WAKE), Mr. Dunning creates a marvelous mystery filled with strong character development, suspense, and bare-knuckles action, while at the same time delving into the intriguing world of rare books and what makes one book more valuable than another. Any "Janeway" novel is certainly a special treat for lovers of well-written mysteries and the world of antique books. John Dunning definitely knows his subject matter and manages to make it quite vivid and entertaining. I can't highly recommend this novel enough, or the two previous ones in the series. I sincerely hope Mr. Dunning won't wait as long before presenting his growing legion of fans with his next "Janeway" novel.
Rating: 4
Summary: Janeway's a loveable lug
Comment: The BOOKMAN'S PROMISE is an unusual mystery in a lot of ways. Although the lead character will remind you of Travis McGee in respect to his physical prowess and verbal dexterity, he is also the owner of a bookstore and a book scout.
The story starts when an old woman, Josephine Gallant, asks Cliff Janeway to help her win back her grandfather's Richard Burton collection. Her only clue is that she knows the name of the bookstore, still in business after a hundred years, that had cheated her mother out of the books and papers her grandfather had left for her in his will. She dies but Janeway, an ethical sort, feels obligated to fulfill his promise.
This is where the second unusual element unfolds. Janeway's sidekicks are women. One of them, a former librarian named Koko Bujak, taped Josephine under hypnosis, during which time she regressed to when she was a young girl and would discuss Burton with her grandfather, Charlie Warren. The other woman is a love interest, Erin D'Angelo, a lawyer negotiating for the purchase of Burton's journal.
The action shifts from Denver, to Baltimore, to Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, with lots of ambience along the way.
Dunning uses the hypnosis tapes to introduce us to Charlie Warren and Sir Richard Burton. Surprisingly, this is the dullest part of the book. Nothing much happens. Charlie is suspicious that Burton may be spying for the British, Burton has an affair. That's about it. The modern stuff is highly entertaining, with Dunning adroitly handling plot twists with just enough character development to keep us interested.
You can't go wrong with this one. Dunning keeps you pulling for that big lug Janeway throughout, no matter how brutal his methods.
Rating: 3
Summary: A Disappointment
Comment: Some years ago, a bookseller told me that John Dunning had decided not to continue the Cliff Janeway series. I was really sorry, because I had so enjoyed the two Janeway novels. Thus when I saw the announcement of "Bookman's Promise," I was thrilled. I ordered the book and read it at once.
What a disappointment. Gone are the details of the rare book world that made "Booked to Die" so fascinating; gone is the careful delineation of Janeway's initially-complex character.
In their place is a superficial tough-guy private eye caper, complete with scumbag gangsters (in the rare book world, mind you), macho posturing, and that annoying rapid-fire repartee without which private dicks are apparently not allowed to beat up crooks.
According to the bookjacket, Dunning is working on Cliff Janeway #4. But I doubt I'll be reading it, now that Cliff has become just another Spenser clone. I'd suggest that Dunning and Parker collaborate on a cross-over, except that the characters would probably do nothing but trade smart remarks while they punch the crap out of each other.
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Title: The Game by LAURIE R. KING ISBN: 0553801945 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 02 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: The Narrows: A Novel by Michael Connelly ISBN: 0316155306 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 03 May, 2004 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Booked Twice : Booked to Die and The Bookman's Wake by John Dunning ISBN: 0743261402 Publisher: Scribner Pub. Date: 21 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: Booked to Die by John Dunning ISBN: 0743410653 Publisher: Pocket Star Pub. Date: 26 December, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Last Car to Elysian Fields: A Novel by James Lee Burke ISBN: 0743245423 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 30 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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