The Bookman's Promise: A Cliff Janeway Novel

Written by John Dunning

Narrated by George Guidall

Cliff Janeway is back! The Bookman's Promise marks the eagerly awaited return of the award-winning crime novel series that helped the nation turn on to first-edition book collecting.

The Bookman's Promise juxtaposes past and present as Denver ex-cop and bookman Cliff Janeway searches for a book and a killer.

The quest begins when an old woman -- Josephine Gallant -- learns that Janeway recently bought at auction a signed first edition by the legendary nineteenth-century explorer, Richard Francis Burton. The book is a true classic, telling of Burton's journey -- disguised as a Muslim -- to the forbidden holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The Boston auction house was a distinguished and trustworthy firm, but provenance is sometimes murky and Josephine says it is rightfully hers.

She believes that her grandfather had a fabulous collection of Burton material, but everything mysteriously disappeared shortly after her grandfather's death. With little time left in her own life, Josephine begs for Janeway's promise: he must find her grandfather's collection. When a friend is murdered, Janeway must find the answers. Someone today is willing to kill to keep the secrets of the past.

Rich with the insider's information that has made John Dunning famous, The Bookman's Promise is riveting entertainment from an extraordinarily gifted author who is as unique as the books he so clearly loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Mar 1, 2004
• ISBN: 9780743568708

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 The Bookman's Promise

[madelynj_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cliff Janeway, former Denver homicide cop turned antiquarian bookseller, discovers that the rare Burton book he's just won at auction may in fact be owned by Josephine Gallant, an elderly woman whose grandfather accompanied the explorer on his little-known journey through the pre?Civil War South. Gallant informs Janeway that her grandfather owned a priceless collection of Burton's works that remained in the family for years before falling prey to a pair of conniving booksellers. As the old woman lies dying, Janeway sets off to recover the books -- but not before a close friend is murdered and a mysterious figure begins to stalk everyone connected to the collection.

[crypto3willobie · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I never read anything in this series but it's a mystery and I like a good mystery, and it's about books and I love books -- so how can I go wrong, right? What's more, I'm listening to it on audio, read by the great George Guidall who can make a mediocre book good and a good book sparkle.Well, after putting up with the cardboard characters, the flaccid plot and the cliche-ridden writing style I gave up about halfway through. Life's too short.

[dono421846 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy this series immensely. Dunning is certainly at his best in terms of plotting, and telling engaging tales that center in some way on books. He is less successful in his depiction of the relationships of his main characters, especially bookman Janeway's romantic interactions, which tend to read as canned and tinny. Significant research goes into each tale, and it shows.

[azurelion · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've now read the first three books of the Janeway series in order, and each one is a bit weaker than the last. The first was superb, the second good but not as compelling, and this one was...ok. Readable, but I found it slow going at times. There is a very long section in the middle that's essentially flashback narration from a Civil War-era character. It's a LOT of exposition and the delivery is rather forced. Basically, there is a lot of setup for an ultimately unfulfilling payoff. It's not a bad book by any means, but it's not a great mystery. Not up to par with Booked to Die. I will return to the series, however.

[dfnojunk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Janeway falls in love, again, and saves the day, again. Good read.

[wuzzlicious · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not fantastic, but not horrible either. This mystery novel following the path of a rare and wanted book was a good, quick read, but not something that I feel I'm likely to pick up and re-read, nor do I think I'll remember the characters' names a few books down the road. Light fun, good for a distraction, but not for much more.

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a very good mystery. Retired cop, becomes an antique book dealer. However, there was a long segment halfway through involving British explorer Burton's visit to South Carolina during the Civil War. I listened to the audio book and if I were reading this I would have skipped over it.

[cloggiedownunder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Bookman?s Promise is the 3rd in John Dunning?s Cliff Janeway series. With the windfall cash Cliff has from the Grayson business (see The Bookman?s Wake), he decides to spend some serious money on a single book. He becomes interested in the work of renowned 19th century British explorer, Sir Richard Burton, and manages to spend $30,000 on a signed copy of Pilgrimage. Soon, he is contacted by Josephine Gallant, granddaughter of that book?s former owner, and Cliff finds himself making her a promise on her deathbed. Murder, violence and arson follow. Cliff hooks up with a young lawyer and a librarian in an endeavour to track down some unique books, a search that takes them to Baltimore, Charleston and Charlotte. Once again, Dunning gives us a great plot with a few interesting twists, characters that have the ability to surprise the reader and, of course, tidbits on rare books and the antics of unscrupulous book dealers. As well as this, he touches on hypnotism, biographers and bibliographers, and he gives the reader quite a dose of the Civil War. I look forward to the next in the series, The Sign of the Book.

[weeziesbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book seller and former cop Cliff Janeway meets an old woman whose family had a almost priceless collection of books. Unfortunately the books were sold by her father when the old woman was a child. In her late years, she wants to find out what has happened to the books and wanted to bring them back together and asks Janeway the bookseller to find them. Following the murder of a friend Janeway is committed to finding answers to the question of the fate of the books. He travels through the dark reaches of rare and old book sellers stores and collections, meet old friends and acquaintances and becomes involved in a story of betrayal friendship and promises. I really like the Dunning books and am looking forward to reading another.

[erniepratt · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Cliff Janeway is not a traditional mystery or action hero. These books do have action. This is good entertainment for a bibliophile.

[cameling_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Bookman's Promise by John Dunning is a pretty interesting read. An ex-cop turned book collector and owner of a bookstore specializing in rare books manages to snag a rare book written by an adventurist, Robert Burton. The next thing he knows, he's embroiled in a mystery and a chase to find a stolen collection of Burton books and a journal. A friend dies, another's house is burned to the ground, he's violently assaulted, and he doesn't know if his new lady-love should be trusted.Interesting twists in the plot keeps the pace moving along nicely and the conclusion is a nice surprise.

[permaswooned · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was evidently the third in a series of books about the character "Cliff Janeway". He is a retired policeman who now runs a rare bookshop, and tracks down and purchases books for discriminating buyers. I found the historical part very interesting, and the "diary" part was well written and held my interest. However, this rather academic writing was interrupted with murder, mayhem, mobsters, maiming, etc., which...to me...just didn't fit with the rest of the story. The ending was completely unsatisfying. I won't be looking for any more from this series.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cliff is back, but this novel has a more cynical edge - maybe because he is looking back from the viewpoint of a man who has been betrayed. Another thing unique to this third book in the series is that it contains a story-within-a-story. Used to good effect, the story gives the reader a sense of the joy of book collecting - the magic of the backstory, the thrill of the mystery. And then there is the on-going question: will Janeway get the girl?

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

# 3 in the series. Maybe it's because I'm reading them "in a row" but I'm getting a little tired of the premise. Or maybe the author is ... Still recommended, but not as highly as the first two.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very quick potboiler bibliomysteries, but well worth reading.