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In the world of mystery novels it may be one classic example of life imitating art. In 1991, mystery readers met Cliff Janeway in his maiden crime exploit, BOOKED TO DIE. The novel introduced Janeway, a Denver police officer and part-time book collector, to the world of mystery fiction. In addition to his crime-solving work, Janeway, created by author John Dunning, would impart to the reader important information on the art of contemporary first edition book collection. The Dunning-Janeway team became successful enough that the former Denver police officer appears now in his fourth adventure, THE SIGN OF THE BOOK. Along the way, BOOKED TO DIE in its first printing became something of a classic collectible among mystery aficionados and book collectors. Today, copies of the first edition may fetch upwards of $500. Cliff Janeway would be honored and excited to recount the saga of how the book became a collector's item.
The years have passed since Janeway's retirement from the Denver Police Department. He now owns a bookstore on East Colfax Avenue and earns his living in his beloved profession of buying and selling books. As THE SIGN OF THE BOOK opens, Janeway the proprietor is having a good day. A signed and dated copy of CRUSADE IN EUROPE by Dwight Eisenhower has been purchased from his shop for $1,500. His week has been made. Vignettes such as this are part of the attraction of John Dunning. Book collectors always find pleasure in reading about valuable volumes, even the ones sold in Janeway's imaginary world.
In addition to his bookstore, Janeway also has acquired a business partner and love interest, Denver attorney Erin D'Angelo. She first appeared in Dunning's third Janeway mystery, THE BOOKMAN'S PROMISE, and her love for books and for Janeway resulted in a relationship that promises many future adventures. As an attorney who dabbles in criminal law, D'Angelo has many opportunities to need the services of a private investigator. Who better for that purpose than a retired cop who has the freedom that comes from owning his own bookstore?
The first case for the D'Angelo-Janeway tandem comes not from a strange client but a friend from Erin's past. Laura Marshall has been charged with killing her husband. The web tangles even further because Bobby Marshall, the deceased, was once Erin's romantic interest. From her jail cell Laura seeks D'Angelo's service, but Janeway is requested to meet with the defendant to determine if the case has merit. His reluctance fades when he learns that Marshall was a book collector and his potentially valuable collection may help pay legal fees in the case. It is clearly a tale crafted by Dunning that affords the author the opportunity to kill two literary birds with one plot.
Janeway travels to the tiny community of Paradise, Colorado to meet the client and peruse the book collection. The characters encountered in Paradise are what the reader might expect --- a small-town attorney in over his head, desperately in need of D'Angelo's help and a local deputy in need of a few lessons in proper law enforcement practice. As the investigation unfolds, both the open-and-shut murder case and the book collection turn out to be something less than they originally appeared.
John Dunning has written another wonderful mystery. His stories are distinctive and enjoyable because they are more than mysteries. Book collectors will revel in the information they may obtain about contemporary first editions. Another Janeway novel will appear in a few years and I can hardly wait. In the meantime I think I will spend the waiting time searching for a copy of LAURA by Vera Caspary. Read THE SIGN OF THE BOOK to find out why. You'll be searching and reading along with me.
--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
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