The Hidden Assassins

by: Robert Wilson

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The Ten Word Game

Jonathan Gash is the pen name of John Grant, who created the Lovejoy series in 1977. John Grant is actually a doctor, but you'd never guess it to read the Lovejoy books. Lovejoy has also appeared on TV, but the character, aside from his knowledge and expertise on antiques, is decidedly not the same. The Ten Word Game is the latest Lovejoy exploit, and like all Mr. Gash' previous novels, it's full of wonderful hints on the difference between an actual antique and a counterfeit. Why Mr. Gash (or Mr. Grant) approved the cover of this book, which is a little misleading to say the least, isn't clear. The bloody hand, coming up from the water holding a crowbar, has little to do with the story. On the other hand, both the crowbar and the ship seen in the distance are essential items in the plot.

Lovejoy, known by that name only, is a divvy – the term used in the antiques trade to label an individual who physically reacts in the presence of actual antiques as opposed to forgeries. Although every Lovejoy book is entertaining and a delightful read, not all of them are well written. Some have poor plotting; this may be the reason I found no awards for this writer. However, for the murder mystery aficionado, the plot matters less than the mystery itself and the fun of reading about Lovejoy's escapades. Lovejoy is a loveable rogue. This fictional hero is constantly broke, and has no conscience when it comes to forging an antique himself – although he does it so expertly, some of his work resides in museums as the real thing! In addition, Lovejoy has constant affairs with women, while professing not to understand them at all.

The Ten Word Game is Lovejoy's own invention. You're supposed to condense any description, be it an event, a person, place or thing, into ten words or less. The novel begins with an explanation of the game. Then it switches to Lovejoy's current job, where he's working near the loading docks in Southampton. He's employed by Benjo and his beautiful wife Gloria, who run an import surplus shop – and Lovejoy discovers Benjo is also involved in a scam where the imports include priceless antiques placed in boxes labeled similarly to the other junk he sells. Lovejoy is on the run and hiding out from a bounty hunter called David Buddy, who in turn is employed by three toffs who have had valuable paintings stolen from their estates. Lovejoy stole such a painting (one of his own, actually) but was never paid for the job. Then Lovejoy is seduced by his employer's wife.

Suddenly Lovejoy finds himself aboard the Melissa, the cruise ship that's been docked nearby. He's been sent there ostensibly to help a wheelchair-bound female customer from Benjo's, and discovers that instead of being penurious as he supposed, she's quite wealthy, and known to the ship's employees as Lady Veronica. Lovejoy finds himself hijacked – and sailing away from Southampton, with only a few stops between that English city and St. Petersburg, Russia, their eventual destination. In spite of their claims that they are really the 'good guys', Lady Veronica's group needs Lovejoy to use his divvy gift at the Hermitage Museum where they say they expect to rob some of its priceless art.

Lady Veronica's cohorts include Purser Mangot, Amy, a dancer and stage artiste for the ship, Les Renown, a stand-up comedian also performing on board, and June Milestone, of TV fame. Also part of the group, although perhaps not as important, are Henry Semper, the antiques TV expert involved in his own shipboard scam, his gullible assistant Loren, plus certain members of Lovejoy's assigned dinner table. When Lovejoy attempts an escape in Amsterdam, their first stop, he's not only brought back to the ship, but in retaliation he's brutally attacked with a cattle prod in a deserted ship's gymnasium. Amy and Les there prove themselves totally different than their congenial stage personalities. Lovejoy's
other attempts at escape also fail.

In Jonathan Gash' former books of this series, Lovejoy only received a pleasant chiming when close to an authentic antique. As he aged, the indications of authenticity became not only more pronounced, but also more distressing: Lovejoy now gets severe physical symptoms, followed by migraine headaches. In The Ten Word Game, he manages to act out normalcy in spite of some of the worst symptoms he can endure when he discovers what the real intent of Lady Veronica's group is. This alone saves him from death.

The Ten Word Game contains a number of surprises. The identity of the Purser is one, as well as the way Lovejoy manages to halt a robbery that would have had earth-shaking results. Jonathan Gash seems to get better and better in writing as his fictional character gets himself into increasingly difficult scrapes. The Ten Word Game doesn't disappoint. It's a fun read.

Alan Paul Curtis

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The Hidden Assassins

The Ten Word Game

by Jonathan Gash

Alan Paul Curtis