Bookman's Wake

In the long-awaited sequel to Booked to Die, Denver policeman-turned-bookdealer Cliff Janeway is hired by sleazy ex-cop Clydell Slater to retrieve Eleanor Rigby (really), who has jumped bail and fled to Seattle. Things get complicated when she turns out to be young, pretty and a talented book scout. The latter, almost by itself, seems to convince Janeway that she is innocent. Rigby may have the key to the location of a previously unknown fine press edition of Poe's The Raven. When Eleanor disappears, Janeway teams up with reporter Trish Aandahl, biographer of the Grayson brothers, who produced the rare Poe volume. Aandahl is convinced the brothers were both murdered over 20 years ago. To find Eleanor and The Raven, Janeway and Aandahl must connect the killing of the brothers with five other violent deaths. Dragging at the narrative are frequent long passages that either provide extensive background or serve to show off Janeway's bookhunting knowledge. While not uninteresting, these sections interrupt the novel's flow. Readers who loved the first Janeway appearance may find this entry somewhat disappointing. Author tour. (Apr.)