Moonspender

Lovejoy #11

by Jonathan Gash

Lovejoy doesn't mind an occasional take, but the wholesale theft of national treasures is something else. So when "moonspenders"--antiques poachers with hi-tech metal detectors--start digging up his native East Anglia's ancient treasures, Lovejoy takes a stand. Martin's.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, British Literature

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

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

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun though a bit frantic. There were enough plot lines in this entry of the Lovejoy series for about three books and, at times, I wondered if everything could get resolved in a coherent manner.

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes of course he hits a woman and bonks plenty of them too. Perhaps the sexiest of the series between him frying anything he can get his hands on, being beaten up and his usual divvying capers...!.

[Mieke Richart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eindelijk! Uit!
Het is dat ik mezelf ooit beloofd heb om elk boek uit te lezen. Ik heb dat maar een paar keer niet gedaan, die keer dat ik de toverberg van Thomas Mann probeerde te lezen bijvoorbeeld.
Maar ik heb met dit boek toch ook moeite gehad.


Ik kocht dit boekje samen met nog wat andere boeken in een boekenwinkel in de luchthaven van Malta. Ik verwachtte me aan een plezante whodunit. Maar het bleek vooral een verwarrende chaotische whodunit.

Eerlijk is eerlijk, het kan goed zijn dat mijn gebrekkige kennis van het Engels me parten speelde. Ik kan wel wat Engels, maar ben er zeker geen uitblinker in. Als de woordenschat wat moeilijker is, heeft dat een effect op mijn leesplezier. En dat was in dit geval zeker zo: ik moest vaak dingen opzoeken (en als ik in bad zit is dat lastig en lees ik dus maar zonder vertaling verder waardoor ik er nog minder van snap).
Maar het boek bevat ook veel verhaallijnen en personages en op den duur wist ik echt niet meer wie wie was.

Ik vond het wel origineel dat het boek zich afspeelt in de wereld van de antiekhandelaars.

Ik geef het boek slechts 2 sterren omdat ik heb moeten zwoegen om het uit te krijgen en er eigenlijk geen plezier aan beleefde.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, some parts of this were interesting which is typical for a Lovejoy story in that he had his hand in many pots, robbing Peter to pay Paul. This being said, I'm not quite sure I understood half of it - between the 1980's British slang and the numerous characters doing - whatever. I won't say anything about the main point of the story as it didn't come into play almost 3/4s into the story. Were all the other events related to it? Who can tell, I certainly can't.

I'm finding these books increasingly difficult to piece together for the reasons stated above, the only saving grace is the description of antiques and how to 'make' them, if you so choose to.

I may read more of this series though it will be awhile till I pick up the next in the hopes that I won't be wading through a cloud of confusion.

[Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've picked up a bunch of the Lovejoy mysteries from old book stores just to fill in when I feel like reading them. They are fun and quite different. Some are better than others and it takes a little getting used to the jargon.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion the weakest of the first eleven Lovejoy novels with our hero on his uppers and forced take a job as a land manager for a wealthy business. Appearing on a television show brings to light a fake from ancient burial site followed by a murder in the same site it was found. Lovejoy's tasked to watch for the "moonspender", a local metal detectorist who is plundering gold. I found the pace of the book too slow and despite Lovejoy working in his own fake in to the plot the story involving local corruption is a tad boring.

[Nancy Thormann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit that I only read the first half of this book. I struggled to get that far. This is one of the worst mysteries that I've ever read. I didn't know what the mystery was until I got to page 60. In those first 60 pages Lovejoy either spent his time in bed with some married woman or was running for his life because he was afraid of some gangsters and crime bosses. I didn't enjoy this.

[Kenneth McMahon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far too many plotlines and a huge amount of side characters. There are about 40-50 and I genuinely lost track of who was who. There's a Lize, a Liz and I think a Lisa too and though I've just finished the book, I'm not even sure if they were different people or not.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite in the series so far. Another world

[Michele Redman · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun read with lots of tips on antique fakery. Lovejoy is lovable, hence a parade of women who love him.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this was one of te better of this series, plot lines were interesting and less predictable than some and he didn't agonize over aspects of the story that can feel like filler in other books in this series.

[Austen · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better Gash novels. Typical last few pages finish.

[Jeff Stanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read and slightly more complex than previous Lovejoy titles. Lots of layers and subplots swirling around but most if not all of your questions will be answered.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, such language, such plot. Like a Cockney P.G. Wodehouse.

[carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hard for me to follow as was written the way British speak and with terms they use. Some things I had to guess what they were talking about or meant.