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suzyqhf's review against another edition
Decent mystery. A little slow. But conclusion was definitely a surprise.
tpaulschulte's review against another edition
5.0
If you love books, you will love this mystery. Denver cop, Cliff Janeway retires and opens a bookstore. There would be nothing better right?! You will the references to books and their worth. Of, and the mystery is first rate as well.
booktothefuture's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
gazeboreader's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 - Good mystery. Reminiscent of Raymond Chandler........
mrbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing Read! Plot twists and turns and great insight into book scouting and the world of rare books! Im hooked on this authors work!
lize_barclay's review
4.0
The book is old, so landlines play an extremely big role. The culprit was a bit obvious. I learned a lot about the collection of books, which might be completely redundant given how old the book is - but still interesting. I enjoyed reading it, just enough happening to keep one interested. I am used to much older 'whodunits' , 'detective noir' and recent cost novels, so I had to get used to the more gritty change of pace. However, it was worth it. I will be reading the rest of the series.
pltavormina's review against another edition
3.0
There's a lot to like in the story--some passages are fantastic, and the protagonist is a decent human being with respectable goals and realistic flaws. The mystery angle was decent. Pacing was good. I liked the book business angle too. So, lots to like. Was not crazy about how the interpersonal relationships were handled.
mo7189's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
polywogg's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
zeta05's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0