The latest adventure from Lovejoy: the irrepressible antique hunter, lothario and out-and-out conman. Lovejoy is in serious trouble. For it appears that a local lad known as Mortimer shares his extraordinary talent for distinguishing genuine antiques from fake. Although perhaps that's not so surprising - as it is rumoured that Mortimer is Lovejoy's son... But there is one big difference between 'father' and 'son' - Mortimer's painful honesty, which is ruining the local antiques trade. And the dealers blame Lovejoy. Lovejoy decides to use his own gift to assemble a mass of antiques - with any luck he might be able to bargain his way out. But when he persuades one of his favourite ladies, the sculptress Bernicka, to help him tragedy strikes. And now Lovejoy is running scared. Particularly when the death toll around him starts to mount...