Gold from Gemini

Lovejoy #2

by Jonathan Gash

One of the most likable rogues in mystery history.

The British-Roman coins had been around for centuries, so when they disappear from a local museum, Lovejoy has a more than passing interest in finding them. Abandoning his usual pursuits of good buys and willing women, Lovejoy finds himself in the much less agreeable company of one Dandy Jack, the sinister Rink, and the lovely, treacheerous Nicole. They lead him on a merry chase through a countryside filled with heather and danger. A superb tour through the glittering and greedy world of antiques.

Previously published in England under the title, Gold From Gemini.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Murder Mystery, British Literature

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

John Grant is an English crime writer, who writes under the pen name Jonathan Gash. He is the author of the Lovejoy series of novels. He wrote the novel The Incomer under the pen name Graham Gaunt.

Grant is a doctor by training and worked as a general practitioner and pathologist. He served in the British Army and attained the rank of Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was head of bacteriology at the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the University of London between 1971 and 1988.

Grant won the John Creasey Award in 1977 for his first Lovejoy novel, The Judas Pair. He is also the author of a series of medical thrillers featuring the character Dr. Clare Burtonall.

Grant lives outside Colchester in Essex, the setting for many of his novels. He has also been published in Postscripts.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

To
One of the greatest of the Chinese deities is Kúei Hsing, God of Literature. He lives in the heavens guarded by two dragon-headed beasts whose duty is to protect him from the greed of unscrupulous tax gatherers.
To those dragon headed beasts this book is most earnestly and respectfully dedicated.

I found my self a set of three black dagger crime hardcover editions of the first three Lovejoy novels and that is a brilliant reason to read them again in my humble opinion. This is the novel where Lovejoy finds the work of an faker he is not aware of and it is too late as the man has already left this plane of existence in a natural way. When Lovejoy looks into his possessions he finds there is little of value or would that be his treasure of Roman coins he found on the Isle of Man. This would be a place where according to historians the Romans never went to so that would be hoax. Were it not for the coins in the local museum and the diaries that seem to be a treasure map. Lovejoy gets threatened and one of his colleague is run over because of the inheritance of an old man. It makes Lovejoy angry and go all the way to the Isle of Man where he will or will not find the treasure of Roman coins. Another great and fun, albeit dark novel about the adventures of this Antiquarian who loves the antiques of this world and some spare change as well to live and love.

Well advised to read.

[Lucy Somerhalder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting (excited for?) this to be a really trashy read, but it wasn't! It was clever and funny and sleazy and just all round fun stuff. My complaint (and this is obviously in no way the author's fault) was with the editing. I don't mind the odd mistake, but this was RIDDLED with bad punctuation. It was so bad that I nearly stopped reading a few chapters in, and probably would have if the story hadn't been so funny. So go, read this, but find a different edition/publisher.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovejoy is still a terrible person who's an immense lot of fun to read about.

[Tero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hauska, sujuvasti etenevä jännitystarina antiikkiesineiden maailmasta. Kirjoittaja on taitavasti ja yleistajuisesti kuvannut antiikkiesineiden historiaa, mikä huumorin kanssa lienee sitä onnistuneinta materiaalia kirjasarjassa. Kerronta ja henkilöiden käytös on ihmisläheistä ja luonnollista (Lovejoy on ystävällinen lapsille ja eläimille). Henkilöitä ei ole vielä liikaa ja tarinaa on helppo seurata, mihin toki vaikuttaa myös tämän painoksen erittäin onnistunut suomenkielinen käännös jota oli mukava lukea. Taiteilijan luova vapaus toki on hyväksyttävä, ja on hyvä että päähenkilö on särmikäs, mutta ellei kirja esittäisi aviopuolison pettämistä niin tavoiteltavana, olisi kirja saanut minulta paremman arvosanan. Tähän painokseen on päässyt myös painovirheitä, joskaan ne eivät tahtia hidasta. Paikoin tarina etenee sujuvasti ja vetää mukaansa. Janie, nuori aatelinen on rakastunut Lovejoyhyn ja pettää aviomiestään tämän kanssa, mutta Janie katoaa jonnekin myöhemmistä kirjoista, ja päähenkilölle jäävät vain ’yhden yön jutut’. Varsinkin myöhemmissä kirjoissa Lovejoy kohtelee naisia käyttötavarana. Lovejoy-teoksia ei ole tietääkseni käännetty suomen kielelle kuin kolme ensimmäistä, myöhemmissä kirjoittaja vaikuttaa ainakin minusta keskittyvän juonen sijasta suurempaan määrään henkilöitä, seksiä ja väkivaltaa, mitkä tekevät tarinoista ainakin minulle vaikeammin seurattavia ja jättävät liian vähän tilaa henkilöille. Lovejoyn ainaista köyhyyttä ja epätoivoisuutta ja toisaalta hänen antiikin tuntemustaan sekä 1980-luvun vaihteen Itä-Angliaa on tässä kirjassa kuvattu mielenkiintoisesti ja mukaansatempaavasti. Myös hahmon antiikkiesineisiin rajoittuva 'selvänäkijän' kyky on hauska ja omaperäinen osa teosta.

[Panu Mäkinen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovejoy on 24-osainen dekkarisarja, jota tähdittää samanniminen antiikkikauppias. Sarjan on kirjoittanut brittiläinen Jonathan Gash, oikealta nimeltään John Grant. Lovejoysta on tehty myös tv-sarja, jonka innoittamana kirjoja ilmestyi jokunen myös suomeksi 1990-luvun alkupuolella.

Legioonalaisen kulta kertoo toisiaan höynäyttävistä antiikkikauppiasta. Sama teema jatkunee sarjan muissakin osissa, mutta on vaikea uskoa, että se kantaisi sarjan loppuun saakka. Roinan kaupittelun ohessa Lovejoy ratkoo myös murhia ja muita mysteerejä. Tällä kertaa Lovejoy saa vihiä Mansaarelle kätketystä roomalaislegioonan aarteesta. Alkaa kilpajuoksu aarteen löytämiseksi, ja luvassa on vauhtia ja vaarallisia tilanteita.

Kaksi tähteä on paljolti Tapani Baggen hersyvän suomennoksen ansiota. Kuivakka brittihuumori tuskin jaksaisi kovin pitkään lukijaa muuten viihdyttää.

[David Charnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The character of Lovejoy is always good value. His all too precarious private life here includes Henry, the child he minds to supplement his income and whom he feeds with sardines and fried egg. Lovejoy's very real, especially his love of antiques because they were made properly - made with love, as he puts it. And for all the sensationalism of the plots, these novels have items and their makers at the heart, and the joy and wonder of craftsmanship.
Algernon arrives in this novel, presumably the inspiration for Eric Catchpole in the TV series, and though he doesn't understand antiques he does understand motorbikes. Lovejoy maintains that we've all got something at which we're experts (which is of course true), but can't appreciate Algernon's enthusiasms.

[Cat {Pemberley and Beyond} · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recognised parts of the plot from another episode of Lovejoy, but thought it would be interesting to read the book that inspired it. This did not disappoint, giving an insight into Lovejoy's character that fascinated me. (Just to point out: the Lovejoy of the TV series is a comparatively prim and proper chap compared to the Lovejoy of the book series).

Quick warning: there was one scene that was utterly brutal and traumatised me to the extent that I had to put the book down and potter about for a good 20 minutes before I could face opening the book again. If reading about animal abuse will suck all joy from the book you're reading, then I'd advise you to give this one a miss.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellant follow up to The Judas Pair which sees Lovejoy trying to discover an hoard of Gold on the Isle of Man. It's easy to see why the orginal Lovejoy BBC series kept as close as possible to the story Gash had written while using the characters for many of his friends. The character of Lovejoy is not the happy go lucky antique dealer created by Ian McShane instead he is a bit of a loner with a nasty edge who is quite happy to seduce a married woman if it gets him closer to a rarity he needs. I'm finding it more enjoyable reading them in order as my original starting point had been Firefly Gadroon when the character was embittered.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story poorly edited

I enjoyed Lovejoy when the BBC did the "adaptations" in the 1980s and 1990s. There are differences between the books and the TV series, but that's to be expected. This time he's after some Roman coins that are supposed to be on the Isle of Man, but everyone knows that the Romans never went there. Or did they? Murder and avicide ensue, with Lovejoy being his usual roguish, chauvinist self.

I enjoyed the story but it was spoiled by the number of typos and punctuation errors, hence the four star rating. Some of the errors wouldn't have been picked up by a spell checker, others would. Basically, sloppy editing/proof reading.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing mentioned by some who comment on my posts ----- seldom give a better than 3 stars.

Well I read so much, and have for most of my 71 years and just have a hard time getting carried away in praising most books, movies, plays or TV shows.

Most series books from Ellery Queen ( the cousins ), Rex Stout, Erle Stanley Gardner, Ngaio Marsh and so many others could be shown as 4 stars. But as with most rating scales, this is often over used and difficult to explain. So 3 stars is my best for most fiction works. Historical biography or reference related books might get a 4.

[Tiina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book full of insider knowledge on antiques. The author had written Lovejoy's thoughts down in a clever way, which was still evident in the Finnish translation.

It was also interesting to note how this Lovejoy is ruthless and opportunistic, yet charming and at times, loyal - and how the televised Lovejoy is not at all ruthless.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Lovejoy. I know nothing about antiques but hope that I am smarter than Algernon and not as naive as Janie.
The Lovejoy series in one of the very best mystery series written.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually quite amusing. I do like his character and I'm starting to understand the format of the stories a bit better so can appreciate a bit more. Not amazing but interesting and funny.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to 3.5 but still enjoyable.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Lovejoy, but man, is he shitty to the women that love him.

[Michael Dolce · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a great read, but Lovejoy in books is unsurprisingly different then Lovejoy on TV. Jonathan Gash consistently displays misogyny in his work that's hard to pretend isn't there.

[Kim Busen-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of the show Lovejoy, this is a good read

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Lovejoy mysteries

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good treasure hunt mystery populated by unique characters and unsavory villains. Very informative on the antiques world, for a novel. I found Lovejoy to be an entertaining and sprightly narrator. He’s not a great guy, but so fun to read about.

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jill and I recently visited a small furniture store in Yakima. We’re looking to buy a new “dining room” table to replace the serviceable, yet aging un-gracefully, Target special that Jill’s owned since her undergraduate days. We had about given up on finding one that would match the whitewashed cabinets in our kitchen until we stumbled into this store. We found the perfect table–not too large, well-done hardwood (ash) construction, simple design features, and hand-made. The price…well, not cheap, but given the tables that we had looked at elsewhere and their cost, this one will be well worth it.

The reason I bring it up, however, is to recall the salesman, who made the experience even more special. I’ve worked in a customer relations capacity before, and I know how difficult it is, as well as how rewarding it can be for both sides of the fence, as servicer and servicee. I especially like to be able to get to know someone, to be able to trust their opinions or to have my opinions trusted. This fellow more than met my assessment–he wasn’t pushy, yet he knew we were there to get a table. He knew that we had found what we were looking for, yet he wasn’t determined to get a check from us on that day. Part of this is from his knowledge that his stock held up against any other dealer’s stock, but mostly because he knew that we were looking for something in particular, and if he didn’t have it, nothing he could do would change our minds, yet if he had it, that we would be back to buy it. Such a basic understanding of how people think that is slowly being eroded today because of assembly-line manufacturing and selling.

This salesman reminded me of Lovejoy, and Lovejoy reminded me of him. Part of it was his knowledge. The store had been opened by his parents in 1948. The salesman himself had received a design degree in college, and worked for years in Seattle at furniture stores there before returning home to Yakima to take on the family store when his parents retired. He could rattle off the furniture styles and manufacturers with abandon, knowing quality, yet also realizing that one person’s treasure is another’s horror. You could tell the man enjoyed his profession.

Which doesn’t say a lot about the book, does it? Although Lovejoy novels are sold as mysteries (and have some mystery elements), I read them for the language and the comedy. There’s plenty here.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gold from Gemini is the second Lovejoy antique mystery by Jonathan Gash. Many, many years ago I'd enjoyed the TV series based on the books. It starred Ian McShane as Lovejoy and he was quite excellent in the role. He played him as a lady-killing rogue and in the books he is that, although not quite so lovable.
In Gold for Gemini, Lovejoy gets involved in a mystery that takes him to the Isle of Man in search of ancient Roman coins. He gets interested in this by chance; finding a painting by a deceased man, an excellent forgery that piques his interest in the man. Discovering that Roman coins had been stolen from the local museum and that they had been donated by the man, Lovejoy feels that there are more hidden someplace. He acquires diaries that the man had written and hopes these might provide clues to the location of the coins. He is threatened by one of the nieces of the man and her 'fixer' to turn over the diaries to them. A death of a fellow antique hunter adds to the mystery and a personal tragedy to Lovejoy adds to the tension.
Along with Janie, his rich mistress (one of many), and Algernon, a young protege, the journey finds them on the Isle of Man searching for the coins. The story takes great leaps which I sometimes find frustrating, but this is tempered with the interesting information on antiques and creating forgeries and both Janie and Algernon are interesting characters. The story moves along almost too quickly but I found the overall story and mystery interesting and a page turner. I'll obviously continue with the series and see how Lovejoy's character develops. (3.5 stars)

[Tero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gash at his top form. The book is engaging, the antiques are fascinating, and the storytelling never lags. There’s plenty of action, balanced by quieter, almost meditative moments. Thanks to these “breathers,” you get the feeling of really being there.

The story becomes interesting right away, after an unusual “intro” that didn’t quite feel like something a person would normally do—but that very moment sets the main character apart, as someone removed from ordinary life. He may be a genius when it comes to antiques, but he’s also perhaps a bit “damaged goods,” emotionally. It leaves you wondering why he is the way he is.

The rest was, well, gold. The information about antiques and history is told in a compelling way. There’s a vivid description of a 1970s antiques auction in East Anglia, and insight into what “divvying” feels like for him. You even get a hint he may have fought in a war (in later books it becomes clear he, in fact has, in more than one war).

Told in the first person, the narration avoids rambling and stays sharp. There’s a lot of humour and clever writing, with genuinely interesting plot twists. The ending is exciting, and the story hangs together well—there are no disconnected or filler parts. I especially liked the scenes with animals and the baby—funny, tender, and full of human warmth.

I have read three editions of this book. The first one was the American hardback edition; the second one was the Finnish paperback (roughly translated back to English as "The Gold of the Legionnaire"). This particular copy, and my third read, is a 1978 British hardcover first edition, with a cover image showing a woman with Roman gold coins over her eyes. It’s definitely a keeper for my book shelf. I will no doubt return to it in years to come.

[Kamas Kirian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun, quick read. Not quite as good as The Judas Pair but still enjoyable. There were a couple of problems that kept pulling me out of the story. One being that there was no mention of what happened to his car until 2/3 of the way through the book, and that only in passing. By far the biggest problem I had was the fact that his house was rebuilt after having been burned to the ground in the previous book. It kept pulling be out of the story every time he was at home because it was never explained. I was never sure, still not sure really, if this book took place before or after the previous one. I think it's after.

The introduction of Janie as a major character, and also of Algernon, gave Lovejoy someone to play off of other than Tinker, who didn't really have much a of roll in this book. I like Janie as a character and I like her interactions with Lovejoy. Once again, revenge became a driving motive halfway through the book. I was sad to see Dandy Jack go. There was plenty of information on antiques again, just never know if it's true or if it's just something the author created.

The eBook was formatted OK, with only a couple of minor spelling errors but lots of stray punctuation.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1978033.html[return][return][return]another story in which he is pulled from cosy East Anglia to wilder climes, if the Isle of Man counts as wild. This is an earlier book in the sequence than Paid and Loving Eyes; Lovejoy is even more obsessed with antiques here, and slightly less with women, in that his affections are concentrated on Jane Felsham (played by Phillis Logan on TV, who like Ian McShane was about ten years older than the characters in the books). We also have the gormless Algernon as Lovejoy's apprentice, slightly posher and stupider than his sidekick Eric on TV. There is fun lore on how to fake antiques, and stay within the letter of the law; there are also horrible things done to Lovejoy's budgerigars, and (rather implausibly) no hint that the police are set onto the most likely suspect. And there is loving description of the scenery of the Isle of Man, and discussion of how the Romans invaded; a scenario not supported by mainstream history, but this is a work of fiction. Generally good fun, apart from the budgies.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years ago but only remember a few things about the story, so re-reading it now felt like a new book. Honestly, Lovejoy certainly knows how to put himself in harm's way all the while thinking nothing was his fault! But that is one of the reasons I enjoy these stories. Also the back story about antiques and how to handle them, what to look for, and so forth.

There were a few continuity errors in this book from the first - Lovejoy's house burned in the first story, and from what I read, all the way to the ground (mostly). However, he is still residing there with no mention of fire nor rebuilding (I got this from the reference of the priest hole). Next, I got the impression in the first book that Janey was an antique dealer. In this one she is a married lady of the manor. Not that these changes made any difference to the story but they kind of surprised me a bit.

Anyway, I am enjoying a revisit and look forward to more of Lovejoy's adventures.

[Emma W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a love-hate relationship with Jonathan Gash and Lovejoy. I love the first person style and the impression you get that Lovejoy is never quite off duty from the antiques trade. I hate the fact that all his novels seem a little disjointed in the first half and rushed in the second.

This one is no exception to that rule. Lovejoy, intrigued by a picture hanging on a wall of one of his many female customers, and which is obviously a fake, follows the clues left by the recently deceased forger in the hope his hunch that it will lead to a stack of Roman gold is right. But he is not the only one on the trail and some one tries to put the frighteners on him. The race tho find the gold is on...

It takes a long time for this book to settle and when it finally moves to the Isle of Man the story gallops to its conclusion very quickly with the end feeling about as creative as a tick list. It's a shame there is not more balance between the two halves.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoyed the old Lovejoy TV show, but had never read any of the books. I had seen it said in an interview about the show that the books were quite different, and that is true. But enjoyable nonetheless for the insights into the world of antique dealers, assuming any of it is true!

[Ben Edge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book. The ending was a little flimsy, but the mystery behind it was pretty good. The biggest problem with the kindle edition is that the conversion to a digital format hasn't gone well. There quite a large number of typos, and it could do with someone to go through it once or twice.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A booksale find. I liked this but I liked others of his better.
He's not as outlandish and over the top as he later becomes.

[Lexi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Made it to chapter 3. Totally uninteresting, chauvanistic, and irritating. Will attempt to avoid this author in future.