The Bookman's Wake

Denver cop-turned-bookdealer Cliff Janeway is lured by an enterprising fellow ex-policeman into going to Seattle to bring back a fugitive wanted for assault, burglary, and the possible theft of a priceless edition of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven." The bail jumper turns out to be a vulnerable young woman calling herself Eleanor Rigby, who is also a gifted book finder.Janeway is intrigued by the woman -- and by the deadly history surrounding the rare volume. Hunted by people willing to kill for the antique tome, a terrified Eleanor escapes and disappears. To find her -- and save her -- Janeway must unravel the secrets of the book's past and its mysterious maker, for only then can he stop the hand of death from turning another page....

John Dunning's previous Cliff Janeway novel, Booked to Die, won the prestigious Nero Wolfe Award and was voted "Favorite Book to Sell in 1992" by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. His novels Looking for Ginger North and Deadline were both Edgar Allan Poe Award nominees. An expert on rare and collectible books, Dunning owned the Old Algonquin Bookstore in Denver for many years before opening an appointment-only, first-edition business. He is also a radio historian and former radio show host, and has just completed a comprehensive history of radio scheduled for publication in 1996. He lives in Denver.