Customer Reviews

The Grail Tree

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

In this book, Lovejoy has been told by a nice old man that he has access to the real Holy Grail! Lovejoy doesn't believe him (Do you think he was just born yesterday?), but when his new friend is murdered, Lovejoy knows that there may be something more to this. And at the very least, someone has to avenge poor Henry's death. One thing about a Lovejoy story - they are never boring. The reader picks up all kinds of info on antiques, and the weapons that are actually used in the story are always something new and unique. These books are delicious! Lovejoy is such a genuinely crooked, but loveable hero, that he captivates you as you read. It may be difficult for some to get beyond the British slang, but that too is charming in these little gems.

The trouble with reading a series of books is trying to come up with something new to say with each succeeding book. If I stop enjoying the series, I'll stop reading the books, so I can't really complain about them. And I usually read them for enjoyment, not necessarily for any edification--and often the critical faculties will simply take a sabbatical while I'm in the midst of one.

In this Lovejoy mystery, Lovejoy has to overcome his incredulation over the fact that someone might actually possess the Holy Grail, and by the time he does so, someone's croaked and our roguish antiques dealer may be next. The new antique (er, a bit of an oxymoron) stuff here is Lovejoy's apprentice selection process, how to fake a chair, and the joys of trying to date all the women in a small English village--eligible or not.

Likable scoundrel Lovejoy the antique dealer searches for the impossible...the Holy Grail. Quite a bit different than the Lovejoy character popularized by the A&E Network's version. Full of the colorful characters of East Anglia's antique underworld. Extremely funny and a must read for antique lovers. Many Dick Francis readers seam to enjoy Gash's Lovejoy novels like the Grail Tree.

Gash may be able to write a short (and I mean very short) story but his attempt at a novel falls well into the redundant and verbage filled category. His characterizations are particularly awful and the final scenes in the castle are laughable (but not in a good way). This may be the worst book I've read in many years.