A Rag, a Bone, and a Hank of Hair: A Lovejoy Mystery

by Jonathan Gash

Book Overview

What bliss! Lovejoy is back, in his 21st adventure--and while Jonathan Gash (The Possessions of a Lady, The Rich and the Profane, etc.) might be forgiven if things were getting a bit stale by this... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140298576
• ISBN13: 9780140298574
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

More joy with Lovejoy

Lovejoy is hired to find out who has stolen the gems of an old friend and replaced them with duds. The padpas, a type of yellow-pinkish coloured sapphires, have been replaced by tsavourites, a similar semi precious stone but without the monetary value. Lured back to London by this story, Loveday is horrified to discover that his old friend, Arthur Goldhorn is dead under suspicious circumstances with his son and heir, Mortimer swindled out of his home and inheritance and Arthur's wife (and Lovejoy's former mistress), without her antiques business and turned into a bag lady, on the streets. A handsome, ruthless crook named Dieter Gluck is the perpetrator of all of these misfortunes as he has the looks and charm to fool any female who comes within his reach. The whole book revolves around Lovejoy trying to do the right thing by all of his friends and regaining Mortimer's property and land rights for him. It's full of the usual Lovejoy quirkiness and charm and chock full of unusual characters and snippets of information about antiques and England throughout the centuries. Lovejoy books never fail to amuse me and I can barely wait to get the next one.

A little different, but still the lovable Lovejoy

There is another book attributed to Jonathan Gash, Streetwalker and the title of this book confirms that he wrote it. Also the fact that he admitted it a few years earlier. Lovejoy is back and that is all I needed. I am a huge fan of the books and of course the series that was on A & E. This book brought Lovejoy back after some hiatus, and welcome back.

Lovejoy on the loose in London!

In this book we follow Lovejoy back and forth from East Anglia to London. He Hates London, but he's on a job there that puts him in contact with a bunch of crooked antique dealers and forgers. If you are a follower of the Lovejoy series you will know that Lovejoy thinks that no antique dealers are more honest than he is, and his honesty is certainly not that evident. Anyway, we meet a bunch of great characters and get a bunch of antique information in this book like we have in all the Lovejoy books. And Lovejoy manages to get himself into more scrapes than he can count. All in all, another joyous romp in the shady world of antiques.

Lovejoy (and Gash) Improve with Age

I hope Jonathan Gash is not peaking, because this is certainly his best Lovejoy novel. As a fan, I have read all of them and although the progression has been doubtful at times, I believe this auther has indeed come into his own with this effort. Lovejoy remains the loveable scallywag antiques divy. The combination of love of antiques, women, scams, money and nosh present this wonderful character at his best. Yes, most of the time, Lovejoy is on the wrong side of the law and may be scamming his friends; however, this story reaffirms the "heart of gold" we know is lurking within. He sets out to save a woman (with whom he made "smiles") and her son, taken to the cleaners by an antiques dealer even more unscrupulous than Lovejoy. He accomplishes his goals with usual bungling and remains somewhat confused to the end, but the reader is on Lovejoy's side the whole time. And, of course, there is the question, "Is Mortimer Lovejoy's love child?" You decide. Gash presents a unique view of England, the antiques trade and a delightful read from every angle.

An interesting mystery

If Lovejoy had to choose between an antique and a beautiful caring woman, he would choose the former, as he loves to collect old-fashion items. Legalities or a cash shortfall fail to stop Lovejoy from the pleasure of obtaining an antique.Dosh Callaghan hires Lovejoy to find out who substituted a shipment of padpas (precious gems) for tsavorite (a semi-precious but worthless stone). Lovejoy travels to London where he goes to visit his cronies Colette and Arthur Goldhorn, owners of a King's Road antique store. However, he learns that Arthur died and Dieter Gluck owns the store and the Goldhorn ancestral home.Colette lives on the streets as a bag lady working for her former lover Gluck. Lovejoy decides to right the wrong perpetrated by Gluck. He assembles a squad of eccentric charcaters to help him with his crazy scheme to sting a con artist. However, a joker appears when Lovejoy meets Colette's son Mortimer who bears a resemblance to Lovejoy and has the same gift of knowing a fake from a genuine article.The twenty-first Lovejoy mystery remains as droll, witty, and entertaining as the previous score of novels. Although the street slang spoken by some of the charcaters initially distracts from the story line, the audience quickly adjusts and feels they are wandering along the back streets of London. The hero knows his antiques and educates the reader even if it is from the wrong side of the law. Lovejoy remains a likable chap who still schemes and plots in a Sergeant Bilko (TV show not the movie) sort of amiable way.Harriet Klausner