Booked to Die

Written by John Dunning

Narrated by George Guidall

Set in the world of rare books, this bestseller was an instant success with mystery fans who find Dunning's adept combination of sharp-edged suspense, compelling characters, and knowledgeable book lore irresistible. The murder of a harmless book dealer draws Denver homicide detective Cliff Janeway into an extraordinary quest. Suddenly his sources become victims, and he begins to understand that rare editions can cost lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 26, 2007
• ISBN: 9781428198715

John Dunning

John Dunning (1942–2023) revealed book collecting’s most shocking secrets in his bestselling series of crime novels featuring Cliff Janeway: Booked to Die, which won the prestigious Nero Wolfe Award; The Bookman’s Wake, a New York Times Notable Book; and the New York Times bestsellers The Bookman’s Promise, The Sign of the Book, and The Bookwoman’s Last Fling. He also wrote the Edgar Award–nominated Deadline, The Holland Suggestions, and Two O’Clock, Eastern Wartime. An expert on rare and collectible books, he owned the Old Algonquin Bookstore in Denver for many years. 

Reviews for Booked to Die

[chris.wolak · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable, but not gripping.

[carriewuj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining first book in a mystery series. Since it involves books, I was interested. Cliff Janeway is a tough-talking detective who leaves the police force in a spectacular way and opens a trade bookstore in Denver. The story takes place in the mid 80s and apparently at the time, there was a thriving book business -- mostly dealing in used and rare. Pre-internet days, so the physical stores are crucial. Janeway himself is a fanatical collector so this change of occupation is the best way to indulge his passion. He was involved in the murder case of a street person Bob Westfall who did a lot of book selling to make ends meet when he throws his police career away over the thug Jackie Newton. The investigation takes the reader into the behind-the-scenes world of used books and created quite a few characters with interesting backstories. That part of it was fun, although there's a little too much detail in the whole venue. Like knowing/watching how sausage is made - better to stay a little ignorant of the process. Janeway is a good cop and continues his investigation off the record after his own shop is impacted in additional crime related to the first murder. He solves things clue by clue in the old gumshoe tradition and the dialogue is typical tough cop sarcasm - who really talks like that though? Some good twists and turns and the bookstore connection makes it worthwhile. Quite a few in the series, but I'll probably stop here. So many books.....

[susandennis-139327 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good mystery but fascinating look into the world of book collectors.

[witchyrichy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Booked to Die was one of the first books I ever listened to, decades ago, using cassette tapes on loan from my sister. I vaguely remembered the plot but not the characters and certainly not John Dunning's story telling style and gritty prose. It also helped that it focused on books and book collecting. Cliff Janeway is a complex character. A tough Denver detective whose book collection is the escape from that ugly violent reality.This is the first book in the series and I have the next two on the shelf ready to go. I think I'll work them in earlier rather than later.

[fernemysteryreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The author shares that the Bookman novels came from his ongoing experience in the used and rare book trade, coupled with his life as a Denver Post police reporter in the 1970s.

"Booked to Die" is the first of the Bookman novels and I can't believe it's been available since 1992. Where have I been? This novel is a treat in every way for mystery readers and all who love every aspect of the book trade.

[polywogg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

BOTTOM-LINE:Great first book in the series, worthy of an Edgar nomination..PLOT OR PREMISE:Cliff Janeway is a book-loving police detective, and when a down-on-his-luck bookscout gets killed in an alley, Cliff thinks he knows who did it -- Jackie Newton, local sadist and suspected killer of homeless men..WHAT I LIKED:The first half of the book has an almost "western" feel to it, with Jackie being the resident bad guy and Cliff the passing drifter who stands his ground against the bully. It has a nice feel to it, but nothing super special. Then Cliff moves into the bookworld looking for who killed Bobby the BookScout, and the book blossoms into a booklover who happens to also be a detective. It's a fantastic world, made real with the details..WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:Jackie never seems real to me, more a caricature, and it is the bookworld that really brings it alive. Equally, there's some romance elements that don't really work in the story, seems more like going through the motions than immersive..DISCLOSURE:I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media.

[glade1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a good one. I loved the bookscouts and bookstores, and learned some things. Plus the crime was interesting and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the end. I'll look for more in this series.

[soniaandree_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Readers should be aware that this is mainly a noir novel, not a novel about books per se. There's an investigator, Cliff Janeway, a dame, a murder and a book angle. It becomes more book-ish as the main character drops his job for another, more interesting, one. But the investigation in the book world can lead to murder and deception. I personally love the crossover of the two worlds, it makes the book world more edgy and dangerous than what readers think. There's also a lot of action and the characterization is well crafted. Overall, this is an interesting novel, with lots of suspens and easy to read. Janeway starts rather as an obnoxious investigator character but ends up being a likeable bookish one, as if he had a split personality, depending on whether he is a cop or a book collector/salesman. The mix of both worlds makes for an interesting series of books, which I'll read with anticipation.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this first Janeway book, he is still a cop at the beginning of the story, but when his nemesis spurs him to an illegal response, he decides to quit the force and follow his dream of becoming a rare book dealer. Of course, his last homicide case, involving a bookman, continues to nag at him, and he eventually figures out the convoluted circumstances that resulted in at least three murders because of greed for rare books.

[cookierooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

ok mystery, great books. the bookselling trade setting turned this from a 2 star to 3 star for me. Very quick read.

[clue_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first title in the Cliff Janeway Bookman series is a good mystery with lots of booktalk. The author is a former Denver resident and bookstore owner. The Janeway character is a Denver detective who doesn't always follow the rules. At the end of the book he's no longer on the force and has followed his interest in books and opened a bookstore. I'll definitely continue the series.

[5eva5 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When detective Cliff Janeway decides to have a fistfight with a suspect, he loses his badge but gets to indulge in his lifelong passion for books by opening a bookstore, while still not giving up the detecting completely. The first part of the book is a pretty standard police story and the second part a story about second-hand books and then there's a mystery that arcs over both parts. The mystery part is somewhat interesting although I had wished for less details when it comes to the second-hand book trade (how many times must I be told how much a first edition Stephen King costs?) and perhaps a less messy plot. My main problem is the cast who are more types than real people, and the main character whom I couldn't get myself to care about at all since he's a bit of a bully and a macho jerk, frankly. I know a main character doesn't have to be likable, but there has to be some reason for me to root for them, and I can't find anything about Janeway to care about.

[cloggiedownunder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Booked to Die is John Dunning’s 5th fiction novel and the first in the Cliff Janeway series. As unlikely as it seems that a crime fiction novel about second hand books could be very exciting, this is a page-turner. At the start of this book, Clifford Janeway is a homicide detective with the Denver Police Department. When Bobby Westfall, a local penniless bookscout and cat lover, is found murdered in an alley, Janeway is convinced it is the work Jackie Newton, a local petty criminal with money and a knack for eluding the law, someone Janeway has been burning to put away for a long time. In the course of the investigation, Cliff learns that Jackie has a watertight alibi, but Janeway’s emotions end up putting him in a position that risks his police career. Meanwhile, valuable books keep turning up, and Janeway has always been interested in a good first edition…... This is a very enjoyable novel: a great plot with a few twists, lots of action, a bit of romance, four murders, a fistfight, a smattering of sex and a good dose of literary titles and authors. I found it especially appealing as I am a trawler of charity bookshops, not for firsts but just copies I don’t yet have. It is no surprise this is a winner of the Nero Wolfe Award. I look forward to the next in the series: The Bookman’s Wake.

[dslynn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A mystery which is a great fast paced read for all who love books. Greed, danger and murder all surround the Denver book trade. A pleasant twist is an honest cop who loves and deals books.

[fmrox · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cliff Janeway, homicide detective in Denver, Colorado searches for the murderer of a local bookscout. Along the way he becomes entrenched with trying to capture another local sleeze ball who seems to be adept at eluding the law. Janeway's chief interest book collecting plays heavily in the novel.I really do enjoy this police procedural. Dunning did an excellent job developing his main protagonist Janeway. He looks to make a fine character for a series. The only drawback I have is when the police procedural gets to philosophical on who done it which does happen occasionally in this book. Show me, don't tell me, I say. I'm also happy to find a new setting of Denver.

[librisissimo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fair mystery, good detective; interesting information on how the used book trade works. Too much crude language for my taste.Consult before selling any of my books. Explains the wide variety of on-line prices for (e.g.) "Baudolino"; may influence me to quit making marginal notes, but unlikely, esp. for non-fiction.

[jannes_16 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

 Did not care for the main character much - he's this defensive-yet-self-righteous-macho/chauvenist type, but the mystery and book collecting bits are decent enough.

[krbrancolini · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read the first three books in Dunning's Cliff Janeway series, beginning with the third book, "The Bookman's Promise," which I loved. I decided to go back and start with the first book, "Booked to Die," and then move on to "The Bookman's Wake." The first two are definitely better than "The Bookman's Promise," but all three are wonderful. I should confess that like many other reviewers, I'm intrigued by the whole rare book milieu. For those of us who love used and rare bookstores, Dunning's books are pure heaven -- steeped in atmosphere and filled with surprising characters. The book lore is fascinating; I kept looking up from "Booked to Die" to peruse my bookshelves, hoping to find a lost treasure. I have kids to put through college! No such luck. Back to reading. So what makes "Booked to Die" better than the others? The tightness of the plot. I swear that at the end of the book, you could hear the pieces of the puzzle lock into place. The details are flawless -- and I don't often see that in mysteries. I cannot stand lose ends or weird, implausible explanations. I gave this book 4 starts because the entire Jackie Newton plotline seemed contrived. I just didn't find him believeable as a brutal serial killer. However, the main plot was so good that I could not put the book down -- even though I was sick and my eyes were watering from a terrible cold!

[cecilturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A cleverly designed murder mystery set in the world of books, what caught my interest wasn't so much the plot (which ends up a bit far fetched with its twists and turns) but the description of a unique industry set in time. In this edition, the author describes a world of books and commerce that simply does not exist today, making the story all the more enjoyable and gripping. Dunning also uses a parallel storyline to talk about a harsh reality: domestic abuse. While this theme could have been explored fully in itself, it provided a good foil for Janeway's personality. I have mixed feelings about how the theme was treated (too lightly perhaps), but it made for powerful emotions which would otherwise have been lacking.A fun and fascinating read in the world of books.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes you read a book and you become fast friends with a character. I rather felt that way about this book's hero and narrator, Cliff Janeway, by the time I got halfway through the novel. I suppose that's because it's hard for me not to fall for a fellow bibliophile. The mystery involves the world of rare and used books, and the author himself owned such a bookstore, and it was hard not to be won over before the story even started by the author's forward, "Then and Now" when he inveighs against what Thomas Harris did to Clarice Starling in Hannibal. Like Janeway, Dunning obviously knows and loves books, and that background and passionate opinions about books is a lot of the novel's charm for me. Janeway starts out in the book as a police detective trying to solve the murder of a "bookscout"--someone who looks for rare and valuable books to sell. The ending was winning--both in terms of a good twist of a truly fine mystery and in terms of having real impact.

[sandylee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cliff Janeway is a police detective in Denver with a hobby in book collecting. Besides trying to solve the murder of a bookman, he is also saddled with an old nemesis whose series of crimes Janeway just can’t pin on him. Jackie Newton likes to beat up women and when Janeway has had enough, he puts away the weapons and challenges Newton to a fight. Newton is unaware that Janeway was once an aspiring boxer and after beating Newton to a pulp, Newton cries foul and runs to his lawyer. After resigning from the police force, Janeway tries to forget the murder of the bookman, but two more murders of friends in the book business take place drawing Janeway back into the case which is now cold as far as the police are concerned. The author is quite knowledgeable about the value of books and I found myself writing down titles to read. Although I am excited about the future of ebooks, BOOKED TO DIE proves to me that nothing beats the smell and feel of a real book. eBooks may be an option as far as a book format but I don’t believe it will ever replace the real thing.

[sringle1202 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book. It was not easy to put down. I fell in like with this series, when I read The Sign of the Book, so I started the series backward. But i am glad I stumbled upon it. It will really get you interested in book collecting, and searching everywhere for first editions. I find myself researching all the books I come across. It doesnt hurt that there is a good murder mystery thrown in. I love John Dunning books!!!

[paulberauer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Booked To Die" is not your usual detective novel, but then again, the main character, Cliff Janeway is not your usual detective. The book follows our plucky protagonist as he investigates the brutal murder of a local book scout. Cliff, who besides being a book collector is a police detective, quickly blames his local nemesis, a local thug, and begins to pursue the vendetta far beyond reason, resulting in the loss of his job and a new career as a rare book dealer.For those who are interested in both books and detective novels, this is a match made in heaven. Intermixed with the drama of the investigation are tips on how to spot first editions, how to start collecting rare books and other tips of the trade of a book dealer. If you are not a book nerd, don't worry, its still a thrilling book. Overall, a must read for book nerds and detective junkies alike.

[thoughtsofjoylibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cliff Janeway is a homicide detective and a book collector who resides in Denver. When a known book scout is murdered, both his profession and passion unite.What a good book. I'm so impressed with Dunning's ability to introduce Janeway. The process of getting to know him and growing to like him was so smooth. It felt like a realistic relationship. As time progressed, his wit developed and flowed freely and his compassionate side became apparent, too. I liked the way Janeway's mind worked to solve the mystery. It had a low-key feeling, but one that kept me looking for clues. There was a bit of romance that was a pleasant surprise and the narrator, George Guidall, was fantastic. I can't wait to continue with this series because I thoroughly enjoyed Janeway's company. (4.5/5)Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..."

[ficusfan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another RL book group read. It is a mystery and the start of a series about a Denver police officer who is also interested in collecting books. The mystery/murder is also involved with books, and there is interesting information about book collecting. Unfortunately, I have no interest in, or understanding of someone who will spend hundreds or thousands for a book and then put it on the shelf and not read it, rather than buy many, many cheap books with the same amount, and read them all,I didn't care much for the POV character. He is what I call a side-of-beef. He thinks everything can be solved with violence and is interested in being tough and manly, rather than being a person. I also didn't like the way the author ruined the POV's intimate relationship with 2 women. The author obviously thinks they are not real people and only window dressing. Finally he also kills off the only really interesting character in the story, yep another pesky female. There is a continuity error in how something is explained: The man with the expensive books switched houses with his neighbor who had book club editions. The appraiser went to the wrong house, didn't realize it, and appraised the collection as worthless. The man who died, gave the fake appraisal to his heirs. The author forgot that the dead man had a printed listing of every book club book owned, with dates read, and notes in the margin, in the file cabinet in the house. The heirs both identified the handwriting as their father's, the dead man. He also had been collecting books 20 years longer than the neighbor with the book club editions. So how did the 20 year longer listing of book club editions with the dead man's writing on it, exist, since the book club editions were his neighbors, and 20 years shorter ? I thought the book was written well, and it kept my interest. I won't be reading further in the series however. Just not my cup of tea.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If I really wanted to know this much about bookselling and the calculation of prices of rare books I think I would have used another way to find out. This is a book where the author really did write about what he knew, and boy does he know a lot about bookselling.A bookscout is found dead and Detective Cliff Janeway investigates, not only is he a detective but he's also a book collector of sorts. The investigation leads him into all sorts of trouble and he has to make some choices about his life.Interesting but after a while I really didn't care.

[missmath144 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy Dunning's books involving Cliff Janeway because the mysteries revolve around rare book fanatics. I enjoy characters who have a passion for something. This book had a nice little twist at the end, too.

[lman_45 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another book especially appealing to book aficionados! I’m not sure what I enjoyed most when reading my copy of Booked to Die: the author’s introduction; the details incumbent in the world of antiquarian book dealers; the extraordinary evolution of a hard-nosed burnt-out policeman into an accomplished bibliophile; or the startling answers, the final revelations, to the ‘whodunnit’ in the murder mystery mired throughout the book. In Booked to Die John Dunning introduces us to case-hardened, book-collecting Denver homicide detective, Cliff Janeway, operating in a time before eBay and the internet, and highly-conversant with the realm specialising in acquisitions and sales of rare and first edition books. Opening with the death of book scout, Bobby Westfall, Janeway and his partner, Hennessey, are forced to concede, reluctantly, that this is not another murder in a series already under their investigation; not another crime able to be placed at the feet of Janeway’s nemesis, Jackie Newton. It does, however, lead to an unfortunate, but inevitable, incident between Cliff and Jackie; resulting in (immediately for Janeway and eventually for Newton) major life changes for both. When another two murders occur, linked to Bobby’s death, it is Cliff Janeway, despite no longer being involved professionally, who must solve the case.It has to be said that the delight, to me, in this book, was the constant references to other books – to the classics and the not-so ageless - and to their authors, along with the singular but comprehensive viewpoint of a bibliophile and his work. The authenticity of the plot is apparent from reading the author’s introduction; the knowledge that the work is based on actual familiarity and experience even more so – an author, who works as a book-man, writing and basing his premise around his own domain – what fun! I felt I have learnt so much about a subject close to my heart, but of which I knew very little. And this validity allows a faithful rendition of the setting, and a patent genuineness in the conception of each character inhabiting the story-line, leading to a fascinating manifestation of, what otherwise, would be a rather standard, possibly mundane, approach to the genre.Cliff Janeway is most definitely an unusual character, an exceptional protagonist; and although this story is cognizant of many comparable police procedurals, there is a far-reaching engagement and a complete immersion into a little-known, atypical milieu, resulting in a truly remarkable and engrossing read – for book lovers in particular. And with enough unfinished business for marked interest in the next chapter.

[sierragrandma · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting mystery with information about bookmen.

[jim53_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Just finished reading this for my library mystery group. It's pretty well done, but not as well written as several others I've read lately. The motivations of several characters were pretty murky, and didn't seem to change a lot over the course of the book. I like the protagonist, and Dunning is clearly setting him up for further adventures, including further involvement with some of the characters here. I will definitely read at least one more of these. The milieu (book dealers) was of course of great interest to this LTer, and was handled quite credibly by the author. A fun read.