The Chippendale Factor

by John Malcolm

Justin Harrington, controversial television presenter of the antique show How Old Is It? Is found dead in his car in Yorkshire, in suspicious circumstances. Old school friend and antiques dealer Bill Franklin is bemused by Harrington’s death, wondering if his shady past is to blame. When another mutual school friend, also in the antiques business, is shot dead, Bill finds himself caught up in a mystery in which he is prime suspect. Dragged into a dangerous world of murder, intrigue and forgery, Bill takes it upon himself to turn sleuth and get to the bottom of Justin’s death, before he becomes the next victim. Why does his investigation always seem to return to his former friend’s dealings in France and Yorkshire, and his obsession with Chippendale furniture? Using Justin’s former position on a national antiques fund, he is able to involve himself more and more in Justin’s world, and discover the truth about his dealings, his death and Chippendale. Intelligent and sharply written, The Chippendale Factor unravels at a smart pace. It is an antiques thriller that will keep the reader guessing until the end.

303 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Malcolm is the pseudonymn of John Malcolm Andrews, who lives in the south of England. He is an English author on antiques, journalist and crime writer, engineering businessman and author – as John Malcolm – of the Tim Simpson series of art crime novels and as John Andrews of the first Price Guide to Antique Furniture (1968) and Managing Editor of Antique Collecting magazine

Most of his novels feature Tim Simpson, art investment specialist, and the series began with 'A Back Room in Somers Town' in 1984. '

Born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, he is the son of May (née Whiteley) and Ernest Andrews, an engineer, His education was at Sale High School in Manchester and The British Schools of Montevideo (1946–1950), he returned to to England as a boarder at Bedford Modern School (1950–1955), and then attended St. John's College, Cambridge, where he read Engineering and was Captain of the Lady Margaret Boat Club. He graduated MA in 1958. Andrews worked as design engineer (1958–63), an export sales manager (1963–70), management consultant (1970–76), and international marketing manager (1976–90) before setting up his own business as a machinery broker in 1990,

In 1966 he was a founding member of the Antique Collectors' Club and published its first book under the name of John Andrews with The Price Guide to Antique Furniture (1968). He went on to write more books on antique furniture and is currently Managing Editor of Antique Collecting magazine.] He was Chairman of the Trustees of Rye Art Gallery from 1995 to 2004.

He published his first crime novel in 1984. He was Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association from 1994–5 and wrote a number of short stories.

Andrews is a member of the Crime Writers Association and the Society of Authors. He married Geraldine Lacey (a picture restorer) on 25 March 1961. The couple live in East Sussex and have one son.

Reviews

[David Burkam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always learn a lot from Malcolm's mysteries ... in this case, about the antique furniture trade and how to perpetrate fraud.

I missed Tim Simpson, but a new series would be great (if Malcolm is willing to write more books).