Book Review: Booked to Die by John Dunning

Booked to Die
Author: John Dunning
Series: Cliff Janeway Novels (Book 1)
Publication: Scribner; Reissue edition (August 14, 2012)

Description: Booked to Die, the first book in John Dunning’s bestselling, award-winning Cliff Janeway series, is “a joy to read for its wealth of inside knowledge about the antiquarian book business and its eccentric traders” (The New York Times Book Review).

Denver homicide detective Cliff Janeway may not always play by the book, but he’s an avid collector of rare and first editions. Bobby Westfall is a local bookscout, a gentle and quiet man who has sold enough valuable books to keep himself and his cats fed and housed. When Bobby is murdered, Janeway would like nothing better than to rearrange the suspect’s spine. But the suspect, local lowlife Jackie Newton, is a master at eluding the law, and Janeway’s wrathful brand of off-duty justice costs him his badge.

Turning to his lifelong passion, Janeway opens a small bookshop—all the while searching for evidence to put Newton away. When prized volumes in a highly sought-after collection begin to appear, so do dead bodies. Now Janeway’s life is about to change in profound and shocking ways as he attempts to find out who’s dealing death along with vintage Chandlers and Twains.

My Thoughts: This book is the first in the Cliff Janeway series. It was first published in 1992. It tells the story of a homicide cop in Denver who becomes an antiquarian bookseller. 

Janeway has always been a book collector and been a peripheral member of the book trade in Denver. When a book scout named Bobby Westall is murdered, Janeway is sure that his nemesis local lowlife Jackie Newton has had his hand in it somewhere. Janeway has been trying to catch Newton at some chargeable wrong doing for years, but his high-priced lawyers have always been able to get him out of trouble. 

When he catches Newton abusing a woman, Janeway finally loses his cool and takes Newton out into the country and has a fight with him. This causes Janeway to lose his job with the Denver police and to be sued by Newton for millions. 

Janeway decides to open his own bookstore and hires a smart-talking Scottish immigrant to help him run it. Rumors of a particularly good collection have Janeway interacting with feuding siblings, a reclusive bookseller, and other book scouts. 

When there is another couple of murders, Janeway is determined to solve them and solve the mystery of the missing book collection. 

I enjoyed the information about the rate book trade. Janeway is an interesting character too being both hard-nosed and liberal in many of his social opinions. He's also a real book snob. This is the first book in a five-book series. 

Favorite Quote:

There's something seriously wrong with a society when its best-selling writer of all time is Janet Dailey.

I bought this one June 14, 2021. The audiobook was included with my Audible membership. You can buy your copy here.