Barbara S. (BarbSchmidt) reviewed The Sign of the Book (Cliff Janeway, Bk 4) on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I love Cliff Janeway,the detective in the series, and I love John Dunning's writing. All his plots are interesting, pulling you along, but this one is the best so far. I found myself trying to read slowly, to extend the pleasure. It ended all to soon as the pages flipped by more and more quickly.
Helpful Score: 3
Different type of bookman book, many twists and turns.
Helpful Score: 3
Enjoyable mystery centered in Colorado during the wintertime. Janeway calls upon his skills as a former police officer (keeping himself alert during stakeouts) and as a expert bookseller (assessing the worth of rare books). There are some nice twists and a few red herrings to throw Janeway and the reader off the trail, but all is resolved at the end.
Winston C. (Crabby-doctor) reviewed The Sign of the Book (Cliff Janeway, Bk 4) on + 296 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I have just finished this book and I think it is Dunning's best one!
Cathy L. (KerrvilleCate) reviewed The Sign of the Book (Cliff Janeway, Bk 4) on + 203 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Great writing and a really likeable hero/sleuth. The whole series is good.
Helpful Score: 1
I love this book. Its got great action and some very funny moments.
Helpful Score: 1
As an antiquarian book dealer and sometime private investigator, Cliff Janeway is unique in contemporary crime fiction, and no doubt that accounts for a good part of his popularity among the book community. But it's the sure hand with which Dunning renders him (and a large cast of other characters) that makes the Bookman novels so compulsively readable. In this fine fourth volume in the series (after 2004's The Bookman's Promise), Janeway is sent, by his lover and partner, criminal defense attorney Erin D'Angelo, to the mountain town of Paradise, Colo., to look into the murder of Robert Marshall, a mysterious figure with a massive collection of signed first editions. But the connection to Erin extends well beyond Marshall's library: the victim was Erin's first real love, and his wife, Laura (who confessed to the crime when she was found at the scene, covered in blood), was her former best friend. Naturally, the antiquarian book world serves both as background and plot element, and Janeway combines his experience as an ex-cop and knowledgeable dealer to unravel the mystery. The book-related plot is somewhat arbitrarily grafted onto the main narrative, but Dunning writes with such confidence and assurance the reader cannot help being drawn into this compelling whodunit.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Helpful Score: 1
This book isn't quite up to par with Dunning's other books in the series.
Stephanie H. (hochuli) reviewed The Sign of the Book (Cliff Janeway, Bk 4) on + 72 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A little draggy in parts. Cliff is not so into books in this one and I love the book stuff.
Helpful Score: 1
John Dunning's books are not only good mysteries, they are informative about books and book collecting. The Sign of the Book is as fast moving and entertaining as all Dunning's books.
Cheryl R. (Spuddie) -
Helpful Score: 1
Fourth in the Cliff Janeway, ex-cop and book dealer series. I waited quite a time between the previous book and this one as I was quite disappointed in it after the stellar first couple in the series. This one was back on track and I enjoyed it very much although I did figure out almost right away who the killer was. I didn't guess the circumstances of the murder, but my gut told me whodunit.
Cliff travels to small town Paradise to begin investigation on a case for Erin, his girlfriend, who's a lawyer. This case involves Erin's childhood friend Laura, who's been accused of killing her husband. The husband also had an interesting collection of books that figure into the case as well. Our intrepid hero pits himself against snowstorms, the dark of night, a crazed deputy, a drunken grandfather, a crooked book dealer and a whole host of other obstacles to help get at the truth. Enjoyable and once again looking forward to the next in series.
Cliff travels to small town Paradise to begin investigation on a case for Erin, his girlfriend, who's a lawyer. This case involves Erin's childhood friend Laura, who's been accused of killing her husband. The husband also had an interesting collection of books that figure into the case as well. Our intrepid hero pits himself against snowstorms, the dark of night, a crazed deputy, a drunken grandfather, a crooked book dealer and a whole host of other obstacles to help get at the truth. Enjoyable and once again looking forward to the next in series.
Helpful Score: 1
Up to John Dunning's usual standards. Great characters and an excellent plot with a satisfying surprise finish.
Kelly P. (KellyP) -
Helpful Score: 1
John Dunning's 4th novel about retired-cop-turned-bookdealer Cliff Janeway. This is an excellent series!
Helpful Score: 1
Dunning will have a great adventure for Janeway.
I really like all these Cliff Janeway Bookman novels!
Last in the Bookman series. It will leave those who have become Cliff Janeway fans waiting for #5. The rare books field comes alive in this series.
The Sign of the Book tells the story of the murder of a man who has an unusual collection of autographed books, and Janeway is brought into the story by his lover, Erin D'Angelo, who is the defense attorney of the murdered man's wife. Janeway determines that the signatures in the books are authentic, but he has a funny feeling that they are forged. Whether they are genuine or forged is critical to the outcome of the murder investigation. The story has some interesting twists and turns that lead to a startling conclusion.
Marykaye M. (pawprints) reviewed The Sign of the Book (Cliff Janeway, Bk 4) on + 92 more book reviews
A wonderful addition to Dunning's Cliff Janeway series. Cliff and his attorney girlfriend, Erin, take on a client accused of murdering her husband. Laura, the client, used to be Erin's best friend until she seduced Erin's boyfriend Bobby and later marriend him. Now he's dead and although Laura's confessed, Cliff and Erin don't think she did it. Who is she protecting? One of the best things about reading Dunning's mysteries is how much the reader learns about the book trade. For book lovers, that's almost as important as solving the mystery!
Another excellent book from John Dunning, thoroughly enjoyed reading about aspects the bookselling business woven into the mystery story, only marred by language that added nothing to the story.
Fourth in the Bookman series. Janeway travels to Colorado at the request of his girlfriend to help out an old friend of hers that is in legal trouble.
Excellent
Good entry in series.
Ending was the best part of this book. Kind of dragged along for me.
Barb K. (grandmabarb6) reviewed The Sign of the Book (Cliff Janeway, Bk 4) on + 118 more book reviews
Assessing a book's value is Denver cop-turned bookseller Cliff Janeway's expertise. But even a pro like Janeway could be supremely challenged by certain signed first editions. When is an autograph authentic? How can forgeries appear to be so convincingly real.
The same questions apply, it seems, to a murder investigation in tiny Paradise, Colorado.
The same questions apply, it seems, to a murder investigation in tiny Paradise, Colorado.
Cameron-Ashley H. (BigGreenChair) reviewed The Sign of the Book (Cliff Janeway, Bk 4) on + 453 more book reviews
I enjoyed the whole series, only Book 5 didn't keep my interest as much as the others did.
NY Times Bestseller
