The Bookmans Promise, John Dunning
The Bookmans Promise, John Dunning
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Bookman's Promise
A Cliff Janeway Novel

Author: John Dunning

Narrator: George Guidall

Abridged: 5 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/01/2004


Synopsis

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.

About 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 PromiseThe Sign of the Book, and The Bookwoman’s Last Fling. He also wrote the Edgar Award–nominated DeadlineThe 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

Goodreads review by Karen on June 27, 2023

I got into this series years ago, and really enjoyed the character of Cliff Janeway. How can you not love the idea of a cop-turned rare book dealer? These series first came out in the 1990’s. So, I guess now they would be considered classic. The good news is that the series was re-released by Scribn......more

Goodreads review by Harry on October 22, 2012

John Dunning's Cliff Janeway series ranks among my top favorites in mystery/detective series. When I think of Dunning an inevitable comparison takes place in my little grey cells: if you like Dick Francis you will love John Dunning. Why the comparison? What I often find delightful in fiction is not......more

Goodreads review by Nancy on January 28, 2013

These books are so interesting because they not only tell a good mystery story, they are full of fascinating information about book collecting. This one goes even farther and includes even more information about the explorer/author Richard Burton (not the actor!) as Cliff Janeway and associates sear......more

Goodreads review by Scot on March 13, 2008

Third in the Cliff Janeway series, like its predecessors this is a well written detective novel that combines many elements of the classic hardboiled genre with a love for the world of rare and used books, and is set in the time period just before the Internet emerged to change not only the way the......more

Goodreads review by Maddy on September 27, 2020

PROTAGONIST: Cliff Janeway, bookstore owner SETTING: Denver and Charleston, SC SERIES: #3 RATING: 4.0 WHY: Cliff Janeway is a bookshop owner in Denver. He has long had a fascination with the author and explorer Sir Richard Burton. Two of his most valued acquisitions are pristine copies of Burton's work.......more