The Bookman's Promise
A CLIFF JANEWAY NOVEL
John Dunning
Also by John Dunning fiction
Two O’Clock, Eastern Wartime
The Bookman’s Wake
Booked to Die
Deadline
Denver
Looking for Ginger North The Holland Suggestions
NONFICTION
On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio Tune in Yesterday
SCRIBNER
New York London Toronto Sydney
SCRIBNER
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2004 by John Dunning
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Scribner and design are trademarks of Macmillan Library Reference USA, Inc. , used under license by Simon & Schuster, the publisher of this work.
For information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-800-456-6798
Text set in Sabon Manufactured in the United States of America
13579 10 8642
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dunning, John, 1942-The bookman’s promise: a Cliff Janeway novel/John Dunning.
p. cm.
1. Janeway, Cliff (Fictitious character)—Fiction.
2. Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890—First editions—Fiction.
3. Booksellers and bookselling—Fiction. 4. Antiquarian booksellers—Fiction.
5. Ex-police officers—Fiction. 6. Denver (Colo. )—Fiction. I.
Title.
PS3554. U494B655 2004
813‘. 54—dc21
2003054273
ISBN 0-7432-4992-5
To Pat McGuire,
for long friendship, timely brainstorming, and other mysterious reasons
The man said, “Welcome to Book Beat, Mr. Janeway” and this was how it began.
We were sitting in a Boston studio before the entire invisible listening audience of National Public Radio. I was here against my better judgment, and my first words into the microphone, “Just don’t call me an expert on anything,” staked out the conditions under which I had become such an unlikely guest. Saying it now into the microphone had a calming effect, but the man’s polite laugh again left me exposed on both flanks. Not only was I an expert, his laugh implied, I was a modest one. His opening remarks deepened my discomfort.
“Tonight we are departing from our usual talk about current books. As many of you know, our guest was to have been Allen Gleason, author of the surprising literary bestseller, Roses for Adessa. Unfortunately, Mr. Gleason suffered a heart attack last week in New York, and I know all of you join me in wishing him a speedy recovery.
“In his absence we are lucky to have Mr. Cliff Janeway, who came to Boston just this week to buy a very special book. And I should add that this is a show, despite its spontaneous scheduling, that I have long wanted to do. As fascinating as the world of new books can often be, the world of older books, of valuable first editions and treasures recently out of print, has a growing charm for many of our listeners. Mr. Janeway, I wonder if you would answer a basic question before we dive deeper into this world. What makes a valuable book valuable?”
