JONATHAN GASH. - Paid and Loving Eyes. A Lovejoy Novel

London, United Kingdom, Century Arrow, 1993. First Edition, Binding: Cloth, Very Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall 0712656227 Hardback Business is slow in the antiques trade and Lovejoy is having to make do by driving for Gazza Gaunt's Tryste Service. But one night after some very upper class ends have met in the back of his luxury van, Lovejoy is catapulted into divvying with a vengeance. For when the beautiful Fiona, one of the ends in question, discovers his eye for the genuine article, Lovejoy cannot get enough of bejewelled and be-braceleted rich types demanding advice on antiques. All might be fine if the previous 'advisors' hadn't come out of it very much the worse for wear. Fleeing to France with horse-mad Almira, Lovejoy is starved of antiques and decent English breakfasts and soon discovers that he's stepped from frying pan to fire. Estranged from his life-blood of antiques divvying the addict Lovejoy goes slowly mad until he's let loose in the biggest spending spree ever in gay Paree. A kaleidoscope of furniture, silver, ceramics, genuine and fake, pass before his eyes, as he worries about drug-crazed minders, his militaristic boss and a female smuggler hunter whom he has accidentally slept with. Where will it all end? In the biggest scam of antiques history in a repository in Zurich, but Lovejoy doesn't yet know the terrible price that playing with the big boys exacts.