Faces in the Pool: A Lovejoy Mystery (Lovejoy Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Jonathan Gash (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 2009 | Series: Lovejoy Mysteries

Lovejoy is released from jail on condition he join the elegant Laura Moon’s speed-dating agency. A divorced millionairess, she proposes a temporary marriage of convenience to help her hunt down her  former husband.

Can Lovejoy do what is expected of him without getting killed?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Gash's jaunty 24th Lovejoy mystery to feature the crooked East Anglian antiques expert with a weakness for women (after 2004's The Ten Word Game), Lovejoy accepts an offer of early release from prison on condition he work for a speed-dating service run by Laura Moon, a wealthy divorcée. Part of the deal, he soon learns, is to wed Laura in a ploy to bring her ex-husband, a confidence trickster, out of hiding. Lovejoy agrees, but before the ink is dry on the marriage register, a couple of his friends suffer fatal accidents. The rambling plot involves white tribes, people who control fortunes in old jewels and curios that could potentially flood the antiques market. While Gash makes the British slang easy to follow for American readers and throws in plenty of authentic antiques lore, this dated tale with its often grating protagonist is unlikely to win the author many new fans. (Dec.)
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About the Author

JONATHAN GASH lives in Essex, England.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (December 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312384114
• ISBN-13: 978-0312384111
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #821,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars chaos theory can be fun inside a crime caper, December 9, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faces in the Pool: A Lovejoy Mystery (Lovejoy Mysteries) (Hardcover)

When his antique scam failed, Lovejoy is sent to prison for his con. However, Ellen Jaynor, owner of The Anglers Manglers Speed-Datery offers to get him out of jail immediately if he agrees to marry temporarily millionaire Laura Moon. In fact Laura wants Lovejoy to find her former spouse, but he smells a rat in which he will be left holding the crap when the ex is killed.

His apprentice Lydia and his son Mortimer persuade him to at least attend the antiques convention of the sixteen groups representing the world's Lost Tribes. They want him to authenticate their antiques. However, nothing goes right as Mortimer is kidnapped and the edifice storing the artifacts is burned to the ground. However, the worst is watching his beloved sail off into the sunset with her lover and the booty from the Lost Tribes' valuables. Jail seems safer.

The story line is all over the place as Jonathan Gash proves chaos theory can be fun to read inside a crime caper. The cast is strong as Lovejoy is his usual roguish self as nothing is quite what it seems or goes right. Not for everyone as the dots don't connect in a simple easy to follow way as B does not follow A, or precede C; fans who enjoy mass pandemonium will want to read convoluted Faces in the Pool.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gash's Latest Lovejoy, June 2, 2010

By 

S. Kukula "Herk" (Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Faces in the Pool: A Lovejoy Mystery (Lovejoy Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I've read bad reviews for this book. I suppose there are critical people everywhere, but like all of Gash's Lovejoy mysteries, this one starts the hilarity on page one and it never stops. Who doesn't love the scruffy, incompetent, larcenous and endearing character? Gash can get more into a sentence than other writers can squeeze into two paragraphs.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovejoy triumphs again, January 27, 2010

By 

D. B. Diederich (Lake Tahoe, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Faces in the Pool: A Lovejoy Mystery (Lovejoy Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Lovejoy is in prison but not for long - he is released to participate in a speed-dating service and is wanted as a groom. A bewildering cast of characters and non-stop action will keep the reader in a pleasant state of befuddlement as Lovejoy works to figure out what is going on and what does it all have to do with antiques. Faces in the Pool is the latest in a series and long-time readers will be shocked and surprised by the ending they won't want to miss. New readers will appreciate Lovejoy even more by reading earlier novels for the backstory on some of the characters. A thoroughly good read by Jonathan Gash.