Cliff Janeway is a retired cop – nothing new in the world of crime fiction, you might say. But the profession he’s taken up is not one you’d expect – he’s a seller of rare books (and a detective on the side).
John Dunning’s books should be better known, not least for his knowledge of the rare book trade. He and his wife, Helen, owned and ran the Old Algonquin Bookstore in Denver for ten years.
One of the highlights of the five Cliff Janeway novels is the way in which the plot arises out of the world of rare books, rather than being an add-on quirk to make his character more interesting. I haven’t gone so far as to murder someone in order to acquire a book, but that’s not unusual in Janeway’s world.
I particularly recommend ‘Booked To Die’, but be warned, a signed first edition will set you back $2,500.
