Booked to Die by John Dunning (Signed)

“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

In the bestselling first novel of the Cliff Janeway bibliomystery series, former Denver homicide detective Cliff Janeway trades his badge for a bookstore—and quickly finds that rare books and murder make a volatile mix.

Cliff Janeway, a tough, book-loving cop with a penchant for collecting rare first editions, becomes obsessed with the death of local book scout Bobby Westfall—a gentle loner with a sharp eye for valuable volumes. When the lead suspect slips through the cracks of the legal system, Janeway’s quest for justice costs him his job. But his passion for books leads him to open a rare bookshop, where literary treasures—and dangerous secrets—resurface.

As coveted editions from a legendary collection begin to circulate, Janeway dives deep into the cutthroat world of book dealers, collectors, and killers, unraveling a trail of lies, betrayal, and more dead bodies. Equal parts noir detective thriller and literary crime fiction, Booked to Die is a gripping introduction to a sleuth who understands that some books are worth killing for.

“One of the most enjoyable books I’ve read” (The Denver Post), Booked to Die is the first in the Cliff Janeway series. It is “a standout piece of crime fiction…Compelling page-turning stuff” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).

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.