Gold by Gemini (Scene of the Crime Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Clever Plot Twists, Unforgettable Lovejoy Character
Review: I enjoyed Ian McShane in the TV version of "Lovejoy" when it was a once-a-week afternoon staple on A&E network in the mid-90s. This book, the second in the Lovejoy series by the English doctor who uses the pen name of Jonathan Gash, is a delightful introduction to the unforgettable Lovejoy character. Clever plot twists and snappy dialogue make this book a joy to read. Plus it has gotten me interested in antiques.

Rating:
Summary: Clever Plot Twists, Unforgettable Lovejoy Character
Review: Jill and I visited a small furniture store in Yakima in 1994. We were looking to buy a new "dining room" table to replace the serviceable, yet aging un-gracefully. We had about given up on finding one that would match the whitewashed cabinets in our kitchen until we stumbled into this store. We found the perfect table--not too large, well-done hardwood (ash) construction, simple design features, and hand-made. The price...well, not cheap, but given the tables that we had looked at elsewhere and their cost, this one will be well worth it.

The reason I bring it up, however, is to recall the salesman, who made the experience even more special. I've worked in a customer relations capacity before, and I know how difficult it is, as well as how rewarding it can be for both sides of the fence, as servicer and servicee. I especially like to be able to get to know someone, to be able to trust their opinions or to have my opinions trusted. This fellow more than met my assessment--he wasn't pushy, yet he knew we were there to get a table. He knew that we had found what we were looking for, yet he wasn't determined to get a check from us on that day. Part of this is from his knowledge that his stock held up against any other dealer's stock, but mostly because he knew that we were looking for something in particular, and if he didn't have it, nothing he could do would change our minds, yet if he had it, that we would be back to buy it. Such a basic understanding of how people think that is slowly being eroded today because of assembly-line manufacturing and selling.

This salesman reminded me of Lovejoy, and Lovejoy reminded me of him. Part of it was his knowledge. The store had been opened by his parents in 1948. The salesman himself had received a design degree in college, and worked for years in Seattle at furniture stores there before returning home to Yakima to take on the family store when his parents retired. He could rattle off the furniture styles and manufacturers with abandon, knowing quality, yet also realizing that one person's treasure is another's horror. You could tell the man enjoyed his profession.

Which doesn't say a lot about the book, does it--but it does say a lot about the Lovejoy character. Although Lovejoy novels are sold as mysteries (and have some mystery elements), I read them for the language and the comedy. There's plenty here.

Rating:
Summary: It's the language and the situations, not the plot
Review: Jill and I visited a small furniture store in Yakima in 1994. We were looking to buy a new "dining room" table to replace the serviceable, yet aging un-gracefully. We had about given up on finding one that would match the whitewashed cabinets in our kitchen until we stumbled into this store. We found the perfect table--not too large, well-done hardwood (ash) construction, simple design features, and hand-made. The price...well, not cheap, but given the tables that we had looked at elsewhere and their cost, this one will be well worth it.

The reason I bring it up, however, is to recall the salesman, who made the experience even more special. I've worked in a customer relations capacity before, and I know how difficult it is, as well as how rewarding it can be for both sides of the fence, as servicer and servicee. I especially like to be able to get to know someone, to be able to trust their opinions or to have my opinions trusted. This fellow more than met my assessment--he wasn't pushy, yet he knew we were there to get a table. He knew that we had found what we were looking for, yet he wasn't determined to get a check from us on that day. Part of this is from his knowledge that his stock held up against any other dealer's stock, but mostly because he knew that we were looking for something in particular, and if he didn't have it, nothing he could do would change our minds, yet if he had it, that we would be back to buy it. Such a basic understanding of how people think that is slowly being eroded today because of assembly-line manufacturing and selling.

This salesman reminded me of Lovejoy, and Lovejoy reminded me of him. Part of it was his knowledge. The store had been opened by his parents in 1948. The salesman himself had received a design degree in college, and worked for years in Seattle at furniture stores there before returning home to Yakima to take on the family store when his parents retired. He could rattle off the furniture styles and manufacturers with abandon, knowing quality, yet also realizing that one person's treasure is another's horror. You could tell the man enjoyed his profession.

Which doesn't say a lot about the book, does it--but it does say a lot about the Lovejoy character. Although Lovejoy novels are sold as mysteries (and have some mystery elements), I read them for the language and the comedy. There's plenty here.

Rating:
Summary: Lovejoy! Lovejoy! Lovejoy!
Review: This is a wonderful series, and I'm only sorry that I haven't sampled these delights earlier. Jonathan Gash has a unique skill in his characterizations, and his first person singular way of telling a story makes us all so very familiar with Lovejoy and his tumultuous life. He is such a loveable scoundrel, and even though we know we can't trust this man, we find ourselves cheering for him mightily. In this book Lovejoy is on the trail of some priceless Roman coins. His quest takes us to the Isle of Mann, and the descriptions of this place are very well done indeed. Makes us feel like we're there with him. Again we get some fine insight into the antiques trade, and a first hand, up close and personal look at the business of antique forgery. Gash is a marvel, and his series pure delight.

Rating:
Summary: Lovejoy is Lovejoy but this is not his best work.
Review: This story has a lot of the things I love about the Lovejoy mysteries, lots of plot twists and unanswered questions. However, this book didn't really seem to build the plot line and just dropped the solution in your lap in the last 20 pages. It was an interesting story of Roman gold in the British Isles but the story tended to drag on. The final scene at the mill was riveting but a little forced