Lovejoy enters the illicit world of underground antiques when he is summoned by a shady underworld figure to judge a competition involving an antique vase. His verdict, however, sets off a chain of suspicious happenings in the antiques community--including murder--and Lovejoy soon realizes he has stumbled onto an international ring of crime. Encountering treasure troves of genuine and fake antiques, a covert KGB-like antiques organization, and a variety of beautiful women, Lovejoy juggles his love of precious objects with his desire to stay alive.