John Dunning and Karen Kijewski, two authors worth reading

John Dunning lives in Denver and was a bookstore owner himself. He is still involved in selling first editions through his website. His series character, Cliff Janeway, is a veteran Denver police officer. He’s been chasing a killer for two years when we find him in reserved to die. After playing by the rules for most of her career, Janeway steps out of legal bounds and then leaves the police force to pursue her other great love books. She opens a bookstore, and when someone who shuts down the business is killed, she tracks down the killer. Her suspicious nature prevents him from trusting and wreaks havoc on her love life.

In the second book, Janeway admits she misses the thrill of being a cop and agrees to help another ex-cop bring back a young woman who has skipped bail. She is linked to a small publisher, whose works are valued as exquisite limited editions. Even if you don’t like hard-boiled detective stories, you should read The Bookman’s Wake. I have read it twice and even the second time, I found it to be one of the best mysteries I have ever read. It didn’t hurt that my experience was in print.

Dunning educates readers in collecting first editions and loves books so much that it’s hard for readers not to share his enthusiasm. Her stories contain compassionate three-dimensional characters and complex plots. Janeway comes up with great one-liners reminiscent of John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee. For example, comparing best sellers to good writers, she states that “show business is often confused with talent.” But as she explains a female character, “fiction is the only way you can really tell the truth.”

Dunning is perhaps best known for his other love, old time radio programming. He has written a couple of encyclopedic references on the subject. For those who enjoy historical mysteries, he wrote an entertaining book of independent fiction about early radio called Two o’clock Eastern wartime. His earlier fiction writing, pre-1992, isn’t nearly as good as Janeway’s series.

While you’re at your favorite mystery bookstore or library, look up Karen Kijewski’s Kat Colorado series. Here’s another hardcore private investigator, this time based in Sacramento, California. Kat is a former waitress, just like the author. She has strong family ties and deep loyalties to life’s underdogs. My sister sold me on this mystery series and the books are as good as Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series in my opinion. Kijewski won Shamus and Anthony Awards for his first book in the series, Runwaywhich came out in 1988.

It’s easy to get hooked on the characters in a show, but it’s hard when the show is interrupted. Maybe we should be thankful. I don’t know if I could keep up with all the writers I like, if some of them didn’t stop their series or take pleasure in writing about it (ie jumped the shark). It’s a mixed blessing in that saying goodbye to one gives you a chance to fill that void with another cast of compelling characters.