Product Description

The sixteenth Lovejoy mystery finds the antiques dealer traveling from East Anglia to the Paris and Zurich underworld and confronting an assortment of suspicious characters as he investigates a friend's death after an illicit antiques competition. 17,500 first printing. $17,500 ad/promo.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1210918 in Books
• Published on: 1993-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 261 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Has antique dealer Lovejoy become a bit less ethical? A bit more faint-hearted? Even randier than he used to be? Never mind--his erudite asides on antique lore are as fascinating as ever, his "divvy" chime still bongs infallibly whenever he's near the genuine article and he comes down on the side of the angels in the end. His 16th adventure (after The Lies of Fair Ladies ) finds him moonlighting as driver of a "luxury fornication pantechnicon" for Gaunt's Tryste Service. The customers disporting themselves in the rear of the van are the first of sundry shady types encountered in settings that include a luxurious rural repository for valuable antiques in Switzerland, a picture-perfect stage set of the same in East Anglia and a sweatshop employing child slaves in Paris. The theme is fakes: how they're made and by whom, how to spot them and what happens when a bunch of unscrupulous plotters pool their millions to launch a huge furniture scam. The plethora of people and places eventually overwhelms, but the pace is brisk, the activity colorful and the finale bang-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Lovejoy fans and fanatics, barmy and otherwise, endure the occasional bit of gunge, tat, and obtuse narrative in order to revel in his quaint humor, bifurcated ethics, outdated sexism, far-flung knowledge of antiques, and deals in progress. One such deal, involving his famous "divvying" powers, leads to forced collaboration with an underground European syndicate trying to make bundles on forgeries. Narked, Lovejoy subverts the bad guys, susses out antiques, and noshes at every opportunity. Middle-of-the-road work for Gash (perhaps a little knackered?) and a bit obscure at times, but fun anyway.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
Larcenous, lecherous Lovejoy, in his 16th escapade, beds seven women--with predictable complications--but his most serious trouble arises from the one who got away, his ex-wife Cissie, now married to Paul and dallying with Troude, and, as is her wont, sternly doing her best to make trillions out of Lovejoy's talent as a divvy (diviner of real antiques). The scheme she's part of was two years in the planning, skips from East Anglia to Paris to Zurich, caused the death of two men, the pummeling of another, depended on child- slaves cranking out antiques in sweatshops, and drew the attention of the Stolen Art and Purloined Antiques Squad--and, of course, centered on the compliance of Lovejoy, who was duped into thinking he was keeping a solemn promise to her when he took part in Troude's major insurance company swindle/repository fire/antique- buying jaunt. At scheme's end, Lovejoy is as broke as ever and, as usual, has his eye out for a spiffy new bird to cavort with. Despairing readers will search in vain for a glossary and a coherent storyline. Still, the erudite Gash offers up entertaining nuggets for both history and antiques buffs. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Could this be an imposter?
Gash's Lovejoy novels are at their best when the author sticks to the setting he knows best: East Anglia's antiques trade. There's nothing more enjoyable than tagging along with Lovejoy as he chases antiques,women,and murderers through the English countryside. When Lovejoy takes off, you need a plot that bolsters the loss of place. "Paid And Loving Eyes" is second to only "The Great California Game" as the Lovejoy excursion with the most confusing and ridiculous plot. Some passages, especially the maid's sex expoits, include details that Lovejoy hasn't included before or since. This book seems to be written by a lazy Gash or a different person! The latecomer Lovejoy fan will enjoy the antiques lore,but I would not recommend this book to the general mystery fan

France and Zurich this time.
In this book we see Lovejoy visiting France and Zurich as he gets involved with some really bad people who are part of a much larger syndicate that doesn't appear to want to stop at anything to get their wishes. Nobody can describe greed like Gash, and it's here in this book, front and centre. We still have the same loveable scoundral, Lovejoy with his very "elastic" morals and sexist attitude, but he does stop at murder, and he doesn't stand for human injustices. This is what makes his such a likeable, if shady, hero. This book is particularly fast-paced, and the stakes are high as Lovejoy bumbles his way to finding and punishing these villains. I cannot stress enough how entertaining this whole series is. And we learn so much about history and antiques while enjoying ourself with the stories.