Reviews

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. (July)

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endure the occasional bit of gunge, tat, and obtuse narrative in order to revel in his quaint humor, bifurcated ethics, outdated sexism, far-flung knowledge of antiques, and deals in progress.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.