The Bookwoman's Last Fling by John Dunning

John Dunning's Cliff Janeway was a favorite years ago, and I don't know how I missed this final book in the series. 

Cliff Janeway, former detective and rare book expert, is contacted to review a remarkable collection of rare books from the H.R. Geiger estate. He eagerly flies to Idaho to assess the books and decide whether or not he can except the job.  The collection was amassed by Geiger's deceased wife, Candice, a bookwoman after his heart.  

His meeting with Junior Willis, however, does not go well, and regardless of how thrilled Janeway is with the collection, there are problems to be resolved.

One of the problems: several of the original books of astounding value have been replaced with reprints. Another is that Junior Willis wants this done more quickly than is reasonably or responsibly practical.  How can Janeway locate and return the missing books in the time allowed?  Is he expected to just sign on the line?

Janeway is fascinating with Candice Geiger and her collection, but also with the suggestion that Candice was murdered twenty years ago.  The deal with Junior goes south, but new possibilities arise with his meeting with Candice's daughter, Sharon.  The former detective and the rare book expert in Janeway combine--leading through many twists and turns, including spending time as ginney (groom or stable hand in horse racing terms), a murder, and attempts on Janeway's life.

  I learned a great deal about horse racing and shedrows (Dunning himself spent time as a ginney in his youth) and the plot kept me in the dark.  Near the end, I thought I had it figured out by the Mad Hatter clue, then an abrupt shift through me off again.  It wasn't until the concluding chapter that the bad guy was revealed.

The Bookwoman's Last Fling was engrossing, but I will certainly miss Cliff Janeway.