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The Plumber's Mate Mysteries #5
Lock Nut
Still waters run deadly.
Tom Paretski, plumber with a talent for finding hidden things, and his private investigator fiancé Phil Morrison have been hired to locate a runaway husband, Jonathan Parrot. The job seems simple enough—until their quarry turns up dead in a canal, and a photofit of Tom’s face is splashed all over the news, making him chief suspect.
The widow, petite ex–porn star Lilah Lovett, is convinced her husband was killed by his gay lover, but Tom and Phil aren’t so sure. Worried they may have precipitated Jonathan’s death, they’re determined to find the real killer. But with a web of incestuous ties linking the suspects, it’s hard to know who to trust. Especially when a second victim dies a gruesome death.
Meanwhile, with their wedding looming and them sharing a house now, Tom’s worried it may all be too much, too fast. The last thing he needs are the mixed messages Phil seems to be sending out. They’ll need to get back on the same track if they want to make it to their honeymoon together—and alive.
Tom Paretski, plumber with a talent for finding hidden things, and his private investigator fiancé Phil Morrison have been hired to locate a runaway husband, Jonathan Parrot. The job seems simple enough—until their quarry turns up dead in a canal, and a photofit of Tom’s face is splashed all over the news, making him chief suspect.
The widow, petite ex–porn star Lilah Lovett, is convinced her husband was killed by his gay lover, but Tom and Phil aren’t so sure. Worried they may have precipitated Jonathan’s death, they’re determined to find the real killer. But with a web of incestuous ties linking the suspects, it’s hard to know who to trust. Especially when a second victim dies a gruesome death.
Meanwhile, with their wedding looming and them sharing a house now, Tom’s worried it may all be too much, too fast. The last thing he needs are the mixed messages Phil seems to be sending out. They’ll need to get back on the same track if they want to make it to their honeymoon together—and alive.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2018
60 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Merrow
145 books1,325 followersJL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea. She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again. Her one regret is that she never mastered the ability of punting one-handed whilst holding a glass of champagne.
She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour. Her novella Muscling Through was a 2013 EPIC Award finalist, and her novel Slam! won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best LGBT Romantic Comedy. Her novel Relief Valve is a finalist in the 2015 EPIC Awards.
JL Merrow is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.
Find JL Merrow online at: www.jlmerrow.com, on Twitter as @jlmerrow, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jl.merrow
She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour. Her novella Muscling Through was a 2013 EPIC Award finalist, and her novel Slam! won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best LGBT Romantic Comedy. Her novel Relief Valve is a finalist in the 2015 EPIC Awards.
JL Merrow is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.
Find JL Merrow online at: www.jlmerrow.com, on Twitter as @jlmerrow, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jl.merrow
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
June 26, 2018
Surely Riptide could've done better to match the quality of the original Samhain covers for this series. This cover is weak and makes me sad.
3.5 stars
More fun with Tom and Phil as they get wrapped up in yet another murder mystery where everyone around them drops like flies and yet somehow their friends and family don't run for the hills. :P
Although maybe they did, because they sure weren't around for a lot of this book. I was hoping to see more of Mike Novak and get to know him better, and see him and Tom start to forge a relationship together, but nope! There was a sweet scene between Tom and his dad though, so that was nice.
The mystery was as twisted and tongue-in-cheek as you would expect from this series. There were plenty of potential suspects and motivations all around, and a couple of twists on expectations that were nice.
Still hate that cover though. Seriously, it looks like Riptide is marketing this series to pre-teens, and I know they can do better. I don't know who those two blokes on the cover are supposed to be but they're not Tom and Phil, that's for sure.
3.5 stars
More fun with Tom and Phil as they get wrapped up in yet another murder mystery where everyone around them drops like flies and yet somehow their friends and family don't run for the hills. :P
Although maybe they did, because they sure weren't around for a lot of this book. I was hoping to see more of Mike Novak and get to know him better, and see him and Tom start to forge a relationship together, but nope! There was a sweet scene between Tom and his dad though, so that was nice.
The mystery was as twisted and tongue-in-cheek as you would expect from this series. There were plenty of potential suspects and motivations all around, and a couple of twists on expectations that were nice.
Still hate that cover though. Seriously, it looks like Riptide is marketing this series to pre-teens, and I know they can do better. I don't know who those two blokes on the cover are supposed to be but they're not Tom and Phil, that's for sure.
April 22, 2018
I've thoroughly enjoyed all the books in this series, 4 stared each one of them... I've gotta say, this is the best of them all!
Who couldn't love Tom? And to see the way his character changes through the books, how he gains self confidence, is so much fun to watch. A few very dramatic things happen in Tom's life and to see them all reach their conclusion here *sigh* I'm very satisfied!
Getting to know Phil through Tom's eyes over the course of this story is also quite the journey, am I right? Kinda like him, kinda peeved with him - but he's definitely intriguing.
It's one of the best first person pov series ever and Tom's very British sense of humor just keeps me chuckling and laughing out loud. So great. Sometimes I'm asked if this series is difficult to understand by non-English (and even some English) speaking folks, because of the vernacular or unfamiliar words. I've got to say that J.L. Merrow does an amazing job of creating the feel of the small English town where Tom and Phil have their adventures. The colorful cast of characters and Tom's absolutely adorable personality keeps it all well within the scope of what we non-Brits can enjoy.
If you haven't read this series yet, please give it a try, you won't be disappointed. It's funny and sweet and the mysteries are great... this is definitely on the top of my list as one of the most enjoyable series ever!
this book was provided by NetGalley for the purpose of this review
Who couldn't love Tom? And to see the way his character changes through the books, how he gains self confidence, is so much fun to watch. A few very dramatic things happen in Tom's life and to see them all reach their conclusion here *sigh* I'm very satisfied!
Getting to know Phil through Tom's eyes over the course of this story is also quite the journey, am I right? Kinda like him, kinda peeved with him - but he's definitely intriguing.
It's one of the best first person pov series ever and Tom's very British sense of humor just keeps me chuckling and laughing out loud. So great. Sometimes I'm asked if this series is difficult to understand by non-English (and even some English) speaking folks, because of the vernacular or unfamiliar words. I've got to say that J.L. Merrow does an amazing job of creating the feel of the small English town where Tom and Phil have their adventures. The colorful cast of characters and Tom's absolutely adorable personality keeps it all well within the scope of what we non-Brits can enjoy.
If you haven't read this series yet, please give it a try, you won't be disappointed. It's funny and sweet and the mysteries are great... this is definitely on the top of my list as one of the most enjoyable series ever!
this book was provided by NetGalley for the purpose of this review
May 15, 2018
Well I have to admit that I kinda thought I’d never actually get to see this book come out. What with all the publishers going under, I was pretty much convinced that this was going to be one of those books that I was left perpetually waiting for. Which was a huge bummer since book five was where Tom and Phil finally tie the knot–most likely over someone’s dead body–and I’ve been waiting forever for that to happen.
But luckily for me, you, the author, and everyone just in general, Lock Nut is finally here and boy was it worth the wait.
(Just, you know, maybe not make me go through that again? Please?! I need to see if ___ finds ___ while they are ___ing on their ___.)
While in the middle of his sister’s wedding–and trying his best not to think too much about his own impendingdoom wonderful day of matrimony, Tom is asked to help a friend(‘s friend) out by helping locate the woman’s missing husband. Despite the fact that finding missing people (who still have a pulse) is more Phil’s line of work, Tom is persuaded to give it a go. After all, he can just have Phil do the detective bit on the side and the client will hardly care as long as the guy is found. But, as is clearly becoming a worrying trend, things go all kinds of tits up and Tom and Phil are left in the middle of a murder investigation that has Tom’s face plastered all over the TV as a suspect. Perhaps Tom should have just stuck with worrying about where they are going to take their honeymoon and left the dead bodies to someone else this time around?
I think my feelings on this book could all be summed up in the happy sigh I let out when I got to the last page of this book. Tom and Phil were their regular grumpy/snarky/hilarious selves, the mystery was the right balance of twisty and well planned, and I was just a right happy camper with everything else.
I really have a soft spot for this series, and I have never really been able to pick a favorite out of the, now, five stories. Mostly because I have a habit of consuming them like chips whenever I think to dip my toe back in with Tom and Phil (i.e. you can’t just read one. That’s crazy talk!). These books are wonderful mystery novels, but they also have so much character that even on the third/seventh reread they are still just as enjoyable. And while I have only been able to read Lock Nut once, I can tell it is going to much much the same.
Tom is just the right balance of snarky/self-deprecating. While there are certainly times I’d love to read a story set solely from Phil’s pov, I have to say that Tom is a lot of what sells these books. I love a good mystery, but having a pov character who is just as fun to ride along with, while sneaky things are being afoot, really makes a story worth binging. And, seriously, if it wasn’t for the fact I have to actually do shit with my day, I could easily have just sat down and read this book from start to finish. Phil and the secondary characters certainly play a role in this–and Tom wouldn’t be nearly as fun if he didn’t have Phil to play off of–but I really like how Tom has grown over these five books and how he kinda knows (sorta) what he is doing now. Mostly. Well, about 50% of the time.
He’s working on it, ok?
They mystery wasn’t too grandiose, but the story was real good at slowly giving out tidbits so that it takes you awhile to know just what threads to pull on to unravel the knot. And by the end I was completely satisfied with the answers we got. There were a few loose threads that just get dropped, but I can see how they worked to move the plot forward even if by the end they were just left to our imaginations (I want to know what was up with the shit in the storage locker, ok?). I’m not to bothered by not getting those answers, though. I’m a big boy. I can live with not getting everything I want.
Because I got a lot of what I wanted and that is what matters.
This was just such a wonderful, fun, and utterly sigh-worthy addition to this series. And I hope to the gods that it is not the end. I will cry if it is, because I could read another ten books. Even if, I guess, I have to wait a bit for them to come around.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
But luckily for me, you, the author, and everyone just in general, Lock Nut is finally here and boy was it worth the wait.
(Just, you know, maybe not make me go through that again? Please?! I need to see if ___ finds ___ while they are ___ing on their ___.)
While in the middle of his sister’s wedding–and trying his best not to think too much about his own impending
I think my feelings on this book could all be summed up in the happy sigh I let out when I got to the last page of this book. Tom and Phil were their regular grumpy/snarky/hilarious selves, the mystery was the right balance of twisty and well planned, and I was just a right happy camper with everything else.
I really have a soft spot for this series, and I have never really been able to pick a favorite out of the, now, five stories. Mostly because I have a habit of consuming them like chips whenever I think to dip my toe back in with Tom and Phil (i.e. you can’t just read one. That’s crazy talk!). These books are wonderful mystery novels, but they also have so much character that even on the third/seventh reread they are still just as enjoyable. And while I have only been able to read Lock Nut once, I can tell it is going to much much the same.
Tom is just the right balance of snarky/self-deprecating. While there are certainly times I’d love to read a story set solely from Phil’s pov, I have to say that Tom is a lot of what sells these books. I love a good mystery, but having a pov character who is just as fun to ride along with, while sneaky things are being afoot, really makes a story worth binging. And, seriously, if it wasn’t for the fact I have to actually do shit with my day, I could easily have just sat down and read this book from start to finish. Phil and the secondary characters certainly play a role in this–and Tom wouldn’t be nearly as fun if he didn’t have Phil to play off of–but I really like how Tom has grown over these five books and how he kinda knows (sorta) what he is doing now. Mostly. Well, about 50% of the time.
He’s working on it, ok?
They mystery wasn’t too grandiose, but the story was real good at slowly giving out tidbits so that it takes you awhile to know just what threads to pull on to unravel the knot. And by the end I was completely satisfied with the answers we got. There were a few loose threads that just get dropped, but I can see how they worked to move the plot forward even if by the end they were just left to our imaginations (I want to know what was up with the shit in the storage locker, ok?). I’m not to bothered by not getting those answers, though. I’m a big boy. I can live with not getting everything I want.
Because I got a lot of what I wanted and that is what matters.
This was just such a wonderful, fun, and utterly sigh-worthy addition to this series. And I hope to the gods that it is not the end. I will cry if it is, because I could read another ten books. Even if, I guess, I have to wait a bit for them to come around.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
December 28, 2019
I love the Plumber's Mate series in all its quirky English wonderfulness - the small town and all its inhabitants beautifully crafted by JL Merrow, the bloody wonder that is Tom Paretski, his relationship with former school bully / fiance Phil, Tom's family and friends, Dave and his new sprog, and all those murders!
However, after initially finishing Lock Nut, I felt a sense of disappointment. Of all the books in this great series, the murder/mystery here left me uninspired and few of its personalities grabbed my attention. But I freely admit this issue is all mine. After pondering it, I realize the joy of this series, for me, is the interaction between its characters and as the series continues, the murders become less and less central. I miss Tom's sister Cherry and the exceedingly loud Reverend Greg, the relative absence of Darren, Gary and Dave (beyond a few scenes), Tom's parents and his newly discovered sire, etc. Also at 330 pages, at times the pace of the story feels glacial.
As always, I adore Tom's POV and would pay good money to hear him discuss the phone book with Phil. I love the slow evolution of Tom and Phil's relationship and the ending of Lock Nut with the long-anticipated wedding is all kinds of wonderful. But is it too much to long for another book in the series, and perhaps a murder or two during their honeymoon in Italy? My rating for Lock Nut is 4 stars - 3 stars for the murder and 5 for the rest.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review at Gay Book Reviews.
Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
However, after initially finishing Lock Nut, I felt a sense of disappointment. Of all the books in this great series, the murder/mystery here left me uninspired and few of its personalities grabbed my attention. But I freely admit this issue is all mine. After pondering it, I realize the joy of this series, for me, is the interaction between its characters and as the series continues, the murders become less and less central. I miss Tom's sister Cherry and the exceedingly loud Reverend Greg, the relative absence of Darren, Gary and Dave (beyond a few scenes), Tom's parents and his newly discovered sire, etc. Also at 330 pages, at times the pace of the story feels glacial.
As always, I adore Tom's POV and would pay good money to hear him discuss the phone book with Phil. I love the slow evolution of Tom and Phil's relationship and the ending of Lock Nut with the long-anticipated wedding is all kinds of wonderful. But is it too much to long for another book in the series, and perhaps a murder or two during their honeymoon in Italy? My rating for Lock Nut is 4 stars - 3 stars for the murder and 5 for the rest.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review at Gay Book Reviews.
Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
October 22, 2025
We’re back with plumber extraordinaire, Tom Paretski and his fiancé Phil Morrison, in J.L. Merrow’s fifth book of The Plumber’s Mate series, Lock Nut. I’m ready to fix some leaky pipes, have a pint or two down at the pub, listen to all of Gary’s hot gossip and cheeky innuendos, and try not to get killed when a simple situation inevitably becomes a murder mystery.
Tom and Phil are living together, (Tom is trying not to think they’ve moved too fast) planning their wedding (Tom’s trying not to be upset about the guest list he doesn’t want), and coordinating a honeymoon (Tom’s trying so hard not to stress about their disagreements) when Darren asks the two for a favor. It’s pretty straightforward: help an old friend from his days of porn find her runaway husband and deliver a package to him. An odd request, but between Phil’s investigative skills and Tom’s ability to find hidden objects, hunting down the Missing Mr. Parrot is easy enough.
And then Parrot’s found dead and Tom’s fingered as a suspect in the murder.
Because this will totally help with the wedding stress, amirite?
This story was fantastic. I mean, the entire series is, otherwise I wouldn’t be five books deep into this British obsession, but this one in particular was a lot of fun. Bringing Darren’s past into play opens us up to all-new characters, all-new motives, and all-new slimy, sleezy, low-key creepy situations. And even though she is a suspect in the story, I loved Lilah’s bold and unapologetic personality. She wasn’t the best mom or sister, perhaps, but she was a riot on the page!
I don’t think I can recommend these books any more than I’ve done for the previous four. If you like amateur sleuths, self-deprecating humor, and a dash of paranormal, this series is really, really great and I’ve been loving each addition more and the last!
Tom and Phil are living together, (Tom is trying not to think they’ve moved too fast) planning their wedding (Tom’s trying not to be upset about the guest list he doesn’t want), and coordinating a honeymoon (Tom’s trying so hard not to stress about their disagreements) when Darren asks the two for a favor. It’s pretty straightforward: help an old friend from his days of porn find her runaway husband and deliver a package to him. An odd request, but between Phil’s investigative skills and Tom’s ability to find hidden objects, hunting down the Missing Mr. Parrot is easy enough.
And then Parrot’s found dead and Tom’s fingered as a suspect in the murder.
Because this will totally help with the wedding stress, amirite?
This story was fantastic. I mean, the entire series is, otherwise I wouldn’t be five books deep into this British obsession, but this one in particular was a lot of fun. Bringing Darren’s past into play opens us up to all-new characters, all-new motives, and all-new slimy, sleezy, low-key creepy situations. And even though she is a suspect in the story, I loved Lilah’s bold and unapologetic personality. She wasn’t the best mom or sister, perhaps, but she was a riot on the page!
I don’t think I can recommend these books any more than I’ve done for the previous four. If you like amateur sleuths, self-deprecating humor, and a dash of paranormal, this series is really, really great and I’ve been loving each addition more and the last!
May 29, 2018
Loved it, hate the new covers. I expect better from Riptide, these are so generic, and don't look like the characters at all.
June 5, 2018
Finally I'm done with it. It took me six long days to finish, because I was only able to read a handful of pages before it just got too boring. And that after I really loved the other books in this series. I still liked all this English writing a lot but sadly the story didn't hold my interest. The whole thing was just totally bland and I couldn't care less about any of the characters. Yes, that included Tom and Phil. So I think I might give any more books in this series a pass. Hopefully I won't forget that.
May 28, 2018
This series just keeps getting better and better. This book featured a mystery (no surprise there), a midget porn star, some plumbing, a-will-they-or-won't-they-storyline revolving around Tom and Phil's upcoming nuptials, and of course, lots of humor and heat. I started reading this book this afternoon and couldn't put it down until I reached the very last page.
It's funny--this is not a series that I hear many people chatting about. Often, books by popular authors show up on my feed multiple times because all of my friends on here are saving the book as "Want to Read's." But not this one. I find that exceedingly tragic because it's a *great* series. Others rate this entire series highly and the books just keep getting better and better. They remind me of Josh Lanyon's Adrien English Mystery series--only with an Irish + mystical twist.
As the fifth book in this series, I would obviously not recommend you start with this book. But if you haven't read this series and you're a fan on the Adrien English series, then I would ***highly*** recommend you check out the 1st book in this series--Pressure Head. I suspect you will be very glad you did. :)
It's funny--this is not a series that I hear many people chatting about. Often, books by popular authors show up on my feed multiple times because all of my friends on here are saving the book as "Want to Read's." But not this one. I find that exceedingly tragic because it's a *great* series. Others rate this entire series highly and the books just keep getting better and better. They remind me of Josh Lanyon's Adrien English Mystery series--only with an Irish + mystical twist.
As the fifth book in this series, I would obviously not recommend you start with this book. But if you haven't read this series and you're a fan on the Adrien English series, then I would ***highly*** recommend you check out the 1st book in this series--Pressure Head. I suspect you will be very glad you did. :)
June 4, 2021
Audiobook review
Story: 5 stars
Narration: 5 stars
I adore this series so much! I am so glad I decided to check out the audiobooks because it’s been a real treat. Philip Humphries does such an amazing job with this series.
The mystery in this one was a harder one to figure out. I enjoyed seeing Phil and Tom working the case together. And that ending! It was perfect! I cannot wait for the next book!
Story: 5 stars
Narration: 5 stars
I adore this series so much! I am so glad I decided to check out the audiobooks because it’s been a real treat. Philip Humphries does such an amazing job with this series.
The mystery in this one was a harder one to figure out. I enjoyed seeing Phil and Tom working the case together. And that ending! It was perfect! I cannot wait for the next book!
July 19, 2018
Lock Nut (The Plumber’s Mate Mysteries, #5)
By J.L. Merrow
Riptide Publishing
Five stars
How charming Tom Paretski is, the posh-born plumber with psychic power to find hidden things. And how dear is his Phil Morrison, former policeman who became a private eye and fell in love with the man he bullied in school. I love these guys, and I thoroughly enjoy the way that Merrow, one of my favorite writers, shows us their evolving life together.
The first book in the series was rougher and darker—because of course it was: it’s when Tom discovers that the tough straight boy who caused him such pain all those years ago was actually in love with him. In this fifth installment of the “Plumber’s Mate” mysteries, there are two weddings and two murders. There is also danger, and love, and indeed some darkness. But there is plenty of family and friends, helping and harassing our mates Tom and Phil.
As an American, I find Merrow’s books such an education in middle-class English conversational slang. Tom is such a regular guy, who just wants to be happy. He always calls Phil—bigger, tougher, cooler (he thinks) his beloved. Tom might say this ironically, because it’s such a romantic thing to say, but fact is he means it. These guys love each other, and their goal is to find their way forward in life together. If a crime happens here or there to challenge them, they handle it together.
One wonders how much further Merrow can take us with Tom and Phil. Maybe we’re done. Maybe not. Merrow knows her characters—all of them—as do we. Life is never a straight line (forgive the expression). Every day is an adventure for a plumber and a private eye, innit?
It’s an ongoing pleasure to read this low-key series by such a thoughtful, amusing author. I hope it keeps going.
By J.L. Merrow
Riptide Publishing
Five stars
How charming Tom Paretski is, the posh-born plumber with psychic power to find hidden things. And how dear is his Phil Morrison, former policeman who became a private eye and fell in love with the man he bullied in school. I love these guys, and I thoroughly enjoy the way that Merrow, one of my favorite writers, shows us their evolving life together.
The first book in the series was rougher and darker—because of course it was: it’s when Tom discovers that the tough straight boy who caused him such pain all those years ago was actually in love with him. In this fifth installment of the “Plumber’s Mate” mysteries, there are two weddings and two murders. There is also danger, and love, and indeed some darkness. But there is plenty of family and friends, helping and harassing our mates Tom and Phil.
As an American, I find Merrow’s books such an education in middle-class English conversational slang. Tom is such a regular guy, who just wants to be happy. He always calls Phil—bigger, tougher, cooler (he thinks) his beloved. Tom might say this ironically, because it’s such a romantic thing to say, but fact is he means it. These guys love each other, and their goal is to find their way forward in life together. If a crime happens here or there to challenge them, they handle it together.
One wonders how much further Merrow can take us with Tom and Phil. Maybe we’re done. Maybe not. Merrow knows her characters—all of them—as do we. Life is never a straight line (forgive the expression). Every day is an adventure for a plumber and a private eye, innit?
It’s an ongoing pleasure to read this low-key series by such a thoughtful, amusing author. I hope it keeps going.
May 5, 2020
Weddings! Got to love them because we get not one but two! Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself here but it’s so hard when I have been head over heels for this series. Author J.L. Merrow has lured me into to her wonderful world with her British wit and lovable characters. Tom and Phi are a great couple and the situations they, or mostly Tom, find themselves in are laugh out loud funny, mixed with mystery.
So like I said, we get two weddings. Cherry’s and of course, Tom’s. I’m not going to give either one of them away other than to say my favorite was the one the book ends on. And weddings aren’t the only thing we get twos of. Two little people and two deaths. Not of the little people of course since one of them is Darren. Can’t kill off Gary’s hubby. However, the second little people is a friend of Darren’s from his porn days. Lilah is missing her husband and she wants Tom to find him and give him a package. Simple enough, right. Of course not! It’s a mad chase through a market before Tom can finally hand over said package…only to find himself the main suspect when the runaway husband turns up dead.
Lot’s of characters in this one so it was so hard to figure out who the killer was. And was I surprised in the end? No, not really. What did have me surprised was Tom not finding the dead body. Shocker! I missed out on him once again stumbling (literally!) over a corpse. Or so I thought and let me just say EWWWW! when dead body number two comes into play. Consider yourself warned.
Back to the wedding, at least Tom and Phil’s. Sighs! However, being that this is Tom we are talking about, things can't completely go off without a few hiccups. Plans for the honeymoon, the venue, the plans, two dads (There’s another two!) are all looming of the guys and Tom is feeling a bit overwhelmed. Did I mention the honeymoon? Snickers! Now that bit was funny and saw it coming a mile away. And of course, all this planning is going on smack dab in the middle of the guys trying to solve another mystery. Man, I love it!
Tom and Phil have come full circle now from a crush on a bully to a happily married couple. In some ways it feels like the series has come to the end and yet, there are plenty of hints about Tom’s abilities getting stronger. Will there be another book in The Plumber's Mate Mysteries series? OMG I really hope so because I just don’t want the fun to end! But if there isn’t, it certainly ended on the sweetest note. Congrats Tom and Phil!
I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine
Stars – 5
So like I said, we get two weddings. Cherry’s and of course, Tom’s. I’m not going to give either one of them away other than to say my favorite was the one the book ends on. And weddings aren’t the only thing we get twos of. Two little people and two deaths. Not of the little people of course since one of them is Darren. Can’t kill off Gary’s hubby. However, the second little people is a friend of Darren’s from his porn days. Lilah is missing her husband and she wants Tom to find him and give him a package. Simple enough, right. Of course not! It’s a mad chase through a market before Tom can finally hand over said package…only to find himself the main suspect when the runaway husband turns up dead.
Lot’s of characters in this one so it was so hard to figure out who the killer was. And was I surprised in the end? No, not really. What did have me surprised was Tom not finding the dead body. Shocker! I missed out on him once again stumbling (literally!) over a corpse. Or so I thought and let me just say EWWWW! when dead body number two comes into play. Consider yourself warned.
Back to the wedding, at least Tom and Phil’s. Sighs! However, being that this is Tom we are talking about, things can't completely go off without a few hiccups. Plans for the honeymoon, the venue, the plans, two dads (There’s another two!) are all looming of the guys and Tom is feeling a bit overwhelmed. Did I mention the honeymoon? Snickers! Now that bit was funny and saw it coming a mile away. And of course, all this planning is going on smack dab in the middle of the guys trying to solve another mystery. Man, I love it!
Tom and Phil have come full circle now from a crush on a bully to a happily married couple. In some ways it feels like the series has come to the end and yet, there are plenty of hints about Tom’s abilities getting stronger. Will there be another book in The Plumber's Mate Mysteries series? OMG I really hope so because I just don’t want the fun to end! But if there isn’t, it certainly ended on the sweetest note. Congrats Tom and Phil!
I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine
Stars – 5
December 14, 2022
This was wonderful. As compelling as all the previous ones, with a murder mystery that left me guessing right until the end. I'm getting repetitive, but THIS SERIES IS JUST THAT GOOD, so it deserves all the praise, and then some. It's so good it might be on my top 10 favourites reads of the last few years.
Seeing Tom and Phil finally reaching their wedding day, finally at that stage of their relationship where a minor squabble or even a full-blown fight won't lead them to questioning their love and commitment, finally at ease (well, kind of, I'm still missing a bit of that: these two are still a bit emotionally stunted! But yeah, there is progress) with talking about the tough stuff and their future. I nearly cried at the end: the epilogue was truly beautiful, hilarious and heartfelt and perfect.
The mystery, as I said, was very compelling, although it's not my favourite out of the five I've read (I think that might be either the first one, since it's the beginning of everything), and it introduces new faces, hilariously quirky as usual, and it also explores some older ones: mainly Tom's parents (all three of them) and, surprisingly, a bit of Darren too. There's also quite a revelation about Tom that left me reeling and completely heart-broken: I'm not sure if J.L. Merrow will address that a bit more further on, since she's not in the habit of exploring Tom's painful high-school memories. Le sigh. Or, to be fair, Tom's got a nasty and frustrating habit of glossing over his pain, both phyical and mental, one that leaves me grasping at even the tiniest hint of it, so I really, really hope the next book will have a bit more of that. I still love him though: he owns my heart and seeing so insecure about his appearence and his physical disadvantages left me heartbroken. Phil was pretty great and surprisingly romantic and soft, even though he also has a nasty habit of glossing over his past (and his previous marriage) and any deep conversation about insecurities or painful memories with humour or snarky comments. Gah, I love them together though.
I think I might start the next (and for now, last *cries*) book now so I can start re-reading sooner rather than later.
Seeing Tom and Phil finally reaching their wedding day, finally at that stage of their relationship where a minor squabble or even a full-blown fight won't lead them to questioning their love and commitment, finally at ease (well, kind of, I'm still missing a bit of that: these two are still a bit emotionally stunted! But yeah, there is progress) with talking about the tough stuff and their future. I nearly cried at the end: the epilogue was truly beautiful, hilarious and heartfelt and perfect.
The mystery, as I said, was very compelling, although it's not my favourite out of the five I've read (I think that might be either the first one, since it's the beginning of everything), and it introduces new faces, hilariously quirky as usual, and it also explores some older ones: mainly Tom's parents (all three of them) and, surprisingly, a bit of Darren too. There's also quite a revelation about Tom that left me reeling and completely heart-broken: I'm not sure if J.L. Merrow will address that a bit more further on, since she's not in the habit of exploring Tom's painful high-school memories. Le sigh. Or, to be fair, Tom's got a nasty and frustrating habit of glossing over his pain, both phyical and mental, one that leaves me grasping at even the tiniest hint of it, so I really, really hope the next book will have a bit more of that. I still love him though: he owns my heart and seeing so insecure about his appearence and his physical disadvantages left me heartbroken. Phil was pretty great and surprisingly romantic and soft, even though he also has a nasty habit of glossing over his past (and his previous marriage) and any deep conversation about insecurities or painful memories with humour or snarky comments. Gah, I love them together though.
I think I might start the next (and for now, last *cries*) book now so I can start re-reading sooner rather than later.
August 28, 2018
Tom and Phil's relationship has never made any sense to me. Why are they together? Most of the time it feels like Phil is only with Tom out of guilt that Tom chooses to overlook cos of the high-school crush he had on him.They are ridiculously incompatible. How has their dysfunctional relationship spanned 5 books? They never seem to grow as a couple. Tom is always second guessing himself because he lives in the shadow of Phil's dead Ex. They've never had a full length conversation regarding said Ex and Tom is always walking on egg-shells because of it.
These books always consist of the same formulaic story-line. Tom gets hired for a job, something goes wrong, dead body is found, shenanigans ensue, one or both of them ends up hurt, HFN. Rinse, repeat and on to the next book where I won't be going cos I guarantee you nothing will happen regarding their growth as a couple.
Also, why is everyone so flippantly verbally abusive to Tom? And, why is he okay with it? Those closest to him constantly question his intellect and talk-down to him. I'm starting to think that after this many books and him still allowing himself to be treated this way means he is the dumb-ass everyone makes him out to be. Is it a British thing that I'm too American to understand? Him incessantly being ridiculed or mistreated isn't humorous, it's cruel. >=(
These books always consist of the same formulaic story-line. Tom gets hired for a job, something goes wrong, dead body is found, shenanigans ensue, one or both of them ends up hurt, HFN. Rinse, repeat and on to the next book where I won't be going cos I guarantee you nothing will happen regarding their growth as a couple.
Also, why is everyone so flippantly verbally abusive to Tom? And, why is he okay with it? Those closest to him constantly question his intellect and talk-down to him. I'm starting to think that after this many books and him still allowing himself to be treated this way means he is the dumb-ass everyone makes him out to be. Is it a British thing that I'm too American to understand? Him incessantly being ridiculed or mistreated isn't humorous, it's cruel. >=(
August 13, 2018
I don't know if it was because it's been awhile since I read the last book in this series but I just didn't love this one. I don't know what was missing exactly but I didn't really care about the mystery. I thought the drama between Tom and Phil would play a bigger part based on the blurb but it's literally like 3 paragraphs. I don't know. I still like them and like the series. I just didn't care about the mystery and since that's a major part it made a difference overall.
July 18, 2021
What a great series. Totally loved each novel. Really, really good.
November 26, 2021
I feel that with "The Plumber's Mate Mysteries" I could take my review from the first volume and copy it for every volume that followed so far.
So again.
This was fun - as far a mystery can ever be fun. This seemed a feel-good-comfort read - despite the murder happening. The humour is well done, I had to laugh out loud several times and read this series more or less with a constant snickering erupting. But I'm reading this clearly not for the mysteries who are just your typical whodunnits but for Tom and Phil - or maybe just for Tom (but I don't mind Phil tagging along if only he could finally dispose of his lingering feelings for Mark).
So again.
This was fun - as far a mystery can ever be fun. This seemed a feel-good-comfort read - despite the murder happening. The humour is well done, I had to laugh out loud several times and read this series more or less with a constant snickering erupting. But I'm reading this clearly not for the mysteries who are just your typical whodunnits but for Tom and Phil - or maybe just for Tom (but I don't mind Phil tagging along if only he could finally dispose of his lingering feelings for Mark).
May 18, 2018
4.25 stars
Another fun instalment in this series!
Another fun instalment in this series!
February 6, 2024
It can be hard to keep up the magic this far into a gay romance/mystery series but this is a delightful mystery romp. A lot of it comes down to the distinct voice of the MC and the very British slang bandied about. There is an odd ambivalence towards sex scenes. The vast majority of them are fade to black so when a more explicit scene occurs, it is weirdly jarring. Still though, I love these books.
June 15, 2018
JL Merrow’s Plumber Mate series has been a favorite of mine since the initial book released. Now the fifth installment, Lock Nut, continues the story of plumber Tom Paretski and his fiancé, Phil Morrison, with the same wit and fast paced action one who follows the series will recognize. Phil, a private investigator, has finally moved in with Tom, something that should have little angst and a honeymoon sort of effect attached to it. Unfortunately it’s anything but, as it quickly turns into a veritable minefield of careless and unintended hurtful remarks. Besides trying to avoid conflict with Phil, Tom is still recovering from the hip injury from his last life-threatening job solving crime.
If you follow this series then you know that nothing is easy with Tom, and trouble tends to find him and usually tries to kill him or Phil or both. This time it’s Darren who brings round a friend of his from his former days in the porn industry to ask a favor of Tom and Phil—finding her current husband and delivering a package to him. Tom will use his psychic abilities to ferret out the runaway lover and hand over the goods. Unhappily for Tom, shortly after doing so the man in question is found dead in the canal, and Tom’s face is plastered all over the nightly news as the alleged murderer. As the job heats up, so does the body count, and it’s obvious someone is killing anyone who knows anything about the initial murder. But this case has Tom and Phil stumped, and they race against the mounting body count as they try to catch a murderer before they strike again.
There are two striking elements in a JL Merrow novel that I absolutely love. The first is that her characters speak in the vernacular in which they were raised and live. While I might not always catch every reference Tom utters, or am always able to translate it to American versus English slang, I catch most of it and it lends the story real charm and appeal. I feel fully immersed in the English state of mind when I read one of this author’s works and that makes it all the more fun for me as a reader. The second element has to be the dry wit and bawdy humor employed in these novels. While you shouldn’t be looking for any on-page sex scenes, per se, in most of this author’s works, you can expect heaps of saucy innuendo and rather plain speech when it comes to others asking Tom and Phil about their love life. It makes for some hilarious moments, particularly when Darren and Gary are involved. Quite frankly these stories are so entertaining that the fade-to-black sex scenes are the only kind I could ever see happening. The author has created fully fleshed out characters who are obviously completely in love, so to be honest, the sex just isn’t important—the story stands on its own merits and succeeds without it.
I truly hope the Plumber’s Mate series has a few more installments to come. JL Merrow has created a world of quirky, humorous individuals who take amateur sleuthing to all new heights. With a dash of romance, a touch of tenderness and heaps of fun, Lock Nut is sure to resonate with fans. If you haven’t started this series, I highly recommend it to you.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach
If you follow this series then you know that nothing is easy with Tom, and trouble tends to find him and usually tries to kill him or Phil or both. This time it’s Darren who brings round a friend of his from his former days in the porn industry to ask a favor of Tom and Phil—finding her current husband and delivering a package to him. Tom will use his psychic abilities to ferret out the runaway lover and hand over the goods. Unhappily for Tom, shortly after doing so the man in question is found dead in the canal, and Tom’s face is plastered all over the nightly news as the alleged murderer. As the job heats up, so does the body count, and it’s obvious someone is killing anyone who knows anything about the initial murder. But this case has Tom and Phil stumped, and they race against the mounting body count as they try to catch a murderer before they strike again.
There are two striking elements in a JL Merrow novel that I absolutely love. The first is that her characters speak in the vernacular in which they were raised and live. While I might not always catch every reference Tom utters, or am always able to translate it to American versus English slang, I catch most of it and it lends the story real charm and appeal. I feel fully immersed in the English state of mind when I read one of this author’s works and that makes it all the more fun for me as a reader. The second element has to be the dry wit and bawdy humor employed in these novels. While you shouldn’t be looking for any on-page sex scenes, per se, in most of this author’s works, you can expect heaps of saucy innuendo and rather plain speech when it comes to others asking Tom and Phil about their love life. It makes for some hilarious moments, particularly when Darren and Gary are involved. Quite frankly these stories are so entertaining that the fade-to-black sex scenes are the only kind I could ever see happening. The author has created fully fleshed out characters who are obviously completely in love, so to be honest, the sex just isn’t important—the story stands on its own merits and succeeds without it.
I truly hope the Plumber’s Mate series has a few more installments to come. JL Merrow has created a world of quirky, humorous individuals who take amateur sleuthing to all new heights. With a dash of romance, a touch of tenderness and heaps of fun, Lock Nut is sure to resonate with fans. If you haven’t started this series, I highly recommend it to you.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach
January 11, 2019
Galley provided by publisher
Rep: gay mcs, physically disabled mc
I find it really hard to review books that are part of series like this one. There's never much more that I can find to say beyond I love the characters (obviously, given that I've reached the fifth book, when normally I don't have the attention span for more than three) and that the story is still keeping me interested (not hard in this case, given it's really more like five standalone books almost).
In Lock Nut, newly (ish) moved-in-together Tom and Phil are hired by Lilah Parrot to investigate the disappearance/running-away of her husband, Jonathan, to pass a package on to him. They track him down to Camden Market, where they hand on the message, and at that point they believe their job to be completed, until Johnny shows up dead the next day, with Tom as the main suspect. That part of the plot doesn't last long, despite its being centered in the blurb, although it's not entirely clear how Tom's name gets cleared (besides Dave kicking up a fuss). Tom and Phil, as is to be expected, then take it upon themselves to track down Johnny's murderer.
At this point, five books into the series, I'm not really here for the mysteries. Sure, they're diverting, and well-written, but it's probably safe to say that if it weren't for Tom and Phil, I wouldn't necessarily have felt the need to continue the series. After I finished Lock Nut, I went all the way back to the beginning and skim-reread Pressure Head. I really love how far they've developed together - there are some fairly big timeskips between books, but J. L. Merrow still manages to make their development seem organic and not like it's all happened between books. A lot of it still happens on the page.
To be honest, there wasn't much, if anything, I actively disliked about this book, and like I said, by this point in a series, the only thing I can repeat is that I love the characters and the stories are still keeping my engaged. Besides that, all I really have more to say is that I wish I didn't now have to wait months to even hear if there'll be a book six.
Rep: gay mcs, physically disabled mc
I find it really hard to review books that are part of series like this one. There's never much more that I can find to say beyond I love the characters (obviously, given that I've reached the fifth book, when normally I don't have the attention span for more than three) and that the story is still keeping me interested (not hard in this case, given it's really more like five standalone books almost).
In Lock Nut, newly (ish) moved-in-together Tom and Phil are hired by Lilah Parrot to investigate the disappearance/running-away of her husband, Jonathan, to pass a package on to him. They track him down to Camden Market, where they hand on the message, and at that point they believe their job to be completed, until Johnny shows up dead the next day, with Tom as the main suspect. That part of the plot doesn't last long, despite its being centered in the blurb, although it's not entirely clear how Tom's name gets cleared (besides Dave kicking up a fuss). Tom and Phil, as is to be expected, then take it upon themselves to track down Johnny's murderer.
At this point, five books into the series, I'm not really here for the mysteries. Sure, they're diverting, and well-written, but it's probably safe to say that if it weren't for Tom and Phil, I wouldn't necessarily have felt the need to continue the series. After I finished Lock Nut, I went all the way back to the beginning and skim-reread Pressure Head. I really love how far they've developed together - there are some fairly big timeskips between books, but J. L. Merrow still manages to make their development seem organic and not like it's all happened between books. A lot of it still happens on the page.
To be honest, there wasn't much, if anything, I actively disliked about this book, and like I said, by this point in a series, the only thing I can repeat is that I love the characters and the stories are still keeping my engaged. Besides that, all I really have more to say is that I wish I didn't now have to wait months to even hear if there'll be a book six.
May 16, 2018
It has been far too long since a brand-new release in ‘A Plumber’s Mate Mystery’ series and I was excited to dig into it. This is a well-loved series and author for me, and returning to the small village of St. Albans with Tom, Phil, and all of the various quirky secondary characters was guaranteed to put me in a good mood. Not to mention a good old-fashioned murder mystery and lots of hilarious British-isms.
It’s no wonder I adore these characters. Darren (a dwarf), Gary’s husband, refers an old friend of his, Lilah (a dwarf), whom he met back in the day when he used to do straight porn, to Tom as her husband has gone missing. Luckily for Tom and Phil, Lilah only wants them to find her missing “gay husband who’s been straight for two years but it looks like he’s reverting” and deliver a letter from her. They find him, deliver the letter after a long, drawn-out foot chase, and consider it all well and done, until they’re watching the news and hear about his murder and the composite picture of the git they’re looking for is Tom. Of course, Tom gets ahold of Dave, his Detective Inspector friend who has just been promoted to Detective Chief Inspector and is getting a commendation for LGBT relations in the community (wtf?), and Dave gets the inspectors out to interview Tom and Phil at home.
I swear I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. Lucky for me I don’t have to.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
It’s no wonder I adore these characters. Darren (a dwarf), Gary’s husband, refers an old friend of his, Lilah (a dwarf), whom he met back in the day when he used to do straight porn, to Tom as her husband has gone missing. Luckily for Tom and Phil, Lilah only wants them to find her missing “gay husband who’s been straight for two years but it looks like he’s reverting” and deliver a letter from her. They find him, deliver the letter after a long, drawn-out foot chase, and consider it all well and done, until they’re watching the news and hear about his murder and the composite picture of the git they’re looking for is Tom. Of course, Tom gets ahold of Dave, his Detective Inspector friend who has just been promoted to Detective Chief Inspector and is getting a commendation for LGBT relations in the community (wtf?), and Dave gets the inspectors out to interview Tom and Phil at home.
I swear I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. Lucky for me I don’t have to.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
July 10, 2021
Damn I hate finishing these books.
Catching up with my favorite plumber was just as sweet and funny and intriguing as I hoped it would be. Tom and Phil are still one of my favorite couples. They have great chemistry, and believablity. Being set not just in England but in Hertfordshire ( my home County ) adds to my pleasure.
I love the humour these books bring too. Plus I get all the references that maybe non English readers miss. Darren and Gary were as delightful as always, it was lovely seeing them and the rest of the cast I've come to love.
The murder in this one had me hopping back and forth on the villain as usual. I loved Lilah, who was wonderful.
I wish I was better at reviewing, but all I can really say is I love Love LOVE this series.
ETA Still love this series, so happy I can get stuck into another book
Catching up with my favorite plumber was just as sweet and funny and intriguing as I hoped it would be. Tom and Phil are still one of my favorite couples. They have great chemistry, and believablity. Being set not just in England but in Hertfordshire ( my home County ) adds to my pleasure.
I love the humour these books bring too. Plus I get all the references that maybe non English readers miss. Darren and Gary were as delightful as always, it was lovely seeing them and the rest of the cast I've come to love.
The murder in this one had me hopping back and forth on the villain as usual. I loved Lilah, who was wonderful.
I wish I was better at reviewing, but all I can really say is I love Love LOVE this series.
ETA Still love this series, so happy I can get stuck into another book
June 11, 2018
5 "stop-cockin" stars 😉😉
December 26, 2023
Tom (officiellement) et Phil (officieusement) sont embauchés par une ex collègue de travail de Darren (par collègues de travail, entendez acteur dans des pornos nains). Cette charmante Lilah souhaite qu'ils retrouvent son mari qui vient de quitter le domicile conjugal et qu'ils lui remettent une enveloppe. Mission assez facile, surtout quand Lilah leur indique très clairement que son mari est allé rejoindre son ex (qui semble ne pas être totalement son ex) et qu'elle leur donne même l'adresse de l'endroit où ils pourront le trouver.
Mais avec Tom dans les parages, rien ne se déroule jamais comme prévu.
D'abord, le mari fugueur s'enfuit dès qu'il a l'enveloppe en mains, absolument terrorisé. Et surtout, son corps est retrouvé quelques jours plus tard dans le canal, et le portrait-robot de Tom est diffusé à la télévision, forcément, des témoins l'ont vu poursuivre le jeune homme.
Pas d'autre moyen pour Tom de se disculper que de mener soi-même l'enquête... Tout en gérant l'installation de Phil chez lui, l'organisation de leur mariage (d'ailleurs, c'est bien d'en parler ensemble les garçons...), son job de plombier, bref...
Une série toujours aussi agréable, avec deux héros attachants, une galerie de personnages secondaires hauts en couleur, des enquêtes amusantes à défaut d'être surprenantes dans leurs résolutions, un humour so british toujours aussi délicieux servi par une traduction de qualité, une valeur sûre qui se conclut enfin par le mariage de Tom et Phil.
J'ai hâte de savoir ce qui va se passer pendant la lune de miel (les connaissant, ça ne pourra pas être tranquille).
Mais avec Tom dans les parages, rien ne se déroule jamais comme prévu.
D'abord, le mari fugueur s'enfuit dès qu'il a l'enveloppe en mains, absolument terrorisé. Et surtout, son corps est retrouvé quelques jours plus tard dans le canal, et le portrait-robot de Tom est diffusé à la télévision, forcément, des témoins l'ont vu poursuivre le jeune homme.
Pas d'autre moyen pour Tom de se disculper que de mener soi-même l'enquête... Tout en gérant l'installation de Phil chez lui, l'organisation de leur mariage (d'ailleurs, c'est bien d'en parler ensemble les garçons...), son job de plombier, bref...
Une série toujours aussi agréable, avec deux héros attachants, une galerie de personnages secondaires hauts en couleur, des enquêtes amusantes à défaut d'être surprenantes dans leurs résolutions, un humour so british toujours aussi délicieux servi par une traduction de qualité, une valeur sûre qui se conclut enfin par le mariage de Tom et Phil.
J'ai hâte de savoir ce qui va se passer pendant la lune de miel (les connaissant, ça ne pourra pas être tranquille).
January 19, 2022
Une saga que j’adore donc je ne loupe aucune sortie et malgré un planning chargé, je n’ai pas dérogé à la règle !
Un cinquième opus divinement addictif où romance et enquête ont leur place. Pour tous les amateurs de romance suspense, qu’attendez-vous ?
Tom et Phil sont dans un tournant de leur vie amoureuse : la préparation d’un mariage. Leur relation évolue et si l’un est craintif, l’autre saura agir. Mais quand un travail place notre plombier comme suspect numéro un, tout se complique.
Un très bon opus, une saga dont je ne me lasse pas et que je pourrais lire sans fin. J’ai vraiment un énorme attachement pour Tom. J’aime son caractère, son tempérament et son humour ridicule. Un régal de le lire.
J’ai toujours une non-amitié pour Phil. Malheureusement pour lui, je le trouve antipathique et nous avons du mal à nous compléter, mais je ne le déteste pas. Il m’énerve seulement souvent !
Pourtant, c’est un duo que j’affectionne beaucoup et dans ce tome, les liens qu’ils continuent de développer sont vraiment touchants. L’auteure arrive à nous offrir autant d’amour et d’émotions que de suspense.
Et parlons suspense ! Cette enquête était encore une fois divine. Impossible de savoir par avance qui est derrière ce ou ces meurtres. Nous enchainons les découvertes et je trouve que ce style va merveilleusement à l’auteure.
En résumé, un excellent tome qui mélange tout ce que j’aime. Une saga toujours aussi addictive et je serais au rendez-vous pour le prochain !
Un cinquième opus divinement addictif où romance et enquête ont leur place. Pour tous les amateurs de romance suspense, qu’attendez-vous ?
Tom et Phil sont dans un tournant de leur vie amoureuse : la préparation d’un mariage. Leur relation évolue et si l’un est craintif, l’autre saura agir. Mais quand un travail place notre plombier comme suspect numéro un, tout se complique.
Un très bon opus, une saga dont je ne me lasse pas et que je pourrais lire sans fin. J’ai vraiment un énorme attachement pour Tom. J’aime son caractère, son tempérament et son humour ridicule. Un régal de le lire.
J’ai toujours une non-amitié pour Phil. Malheureusement pour lui, je le trouve antipathique et nous avons du mal à nous compléter, mais je ne le déteste pas. Il m’énerve seulement souvent !
Pourtant, c’est un duo que j’affectionne beaucoup et dans ce tome, les liens qu’ils continuent de développer sont vraiment touchants. L’auteure arrive à nous offrir autant d’amour et d’émotions que de suspense.
Et parlons suspense ! Cette enquête était encore une fois divine. Impossible de savoir par avance qui est derrière ce ou ces meurtres. Nous enchainons les découvertes et je trouve que ce style va merveilleusement à l’auteure.
En résumé, un excellent tome qui mélange tout ce que j’aime. Une saga toujours aussi addictive et je serais au rendez-vous pour le prochain !
January 29, 2019
Being some kind of celebrity in his neighbourhood is bad enough, but seeing his own face as “suspect of murder” on tv is more than what Tom Parteski is used to. So there will be explanations to be given, which will lead, of course, to another murder investigation, while trying to organize his own wedding… With his dysfunctional family and nosy friends messing everywhere, and a fiancé who seems to have too many ideas of his own.
I have been following Tom and Phil from the beginning of their relationship. I loved them from the start, and JL Merrow’s masterful mixture of humour, adventure and a hint of paranormal always leaves me satisfied. Here, we have another well developed mystery, but I’ve missed to see more of Phil and Tom relationship…. In the previous books, we saw them growing and getting over the issues that seemed to prevent them from being together. Not so much in this book. I feel there are still issues there, but there is no further evolution in their relationship…
But for that, the story is great. I hope there is more on them on the way
I have been following Tom and Phil from the beginning of their relationship. I loved them from the start, and JL Merrow’s masterful mixture of humour, adventure and a hint of paranormal always leaves me satisfied. Here, we have another well developed mystery, but I’ve missed to see more of Phil and Tom relationship…. In the previous books, we saw them growing and getting over the issues that seemed to prevent them from being together. Not so much in this book. I feel there are still issues there, but there is no further evolution in their relationship…
But for that, the story is great. I hope there is more on them on the way
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2018
I have enjoyed every book of this series and this book was no exception. These books remind me of those mystery shows from the 70s where people in a small town are dropping left and right and the crimes are never solved by the police, but instead by the town's amateur crime fighters.
What starts out as a missing person case quickly turns into a murder, and then another murder. As usual there are a long list of suspects and a few unexpected turns. However, the mystery sort of takes a back seat to Phil and Tom's upcoming wedding and Tom's continued trepidation. It is obvious he loves Phil, but he is still struggling with this big adult step. He gets there (after a little scare), as if we had any doubts that he wouldn't marry Phil!
What starts out as a missing person case quickly turns into a murder, and then another murder. As usual there are a long list of suspects and a few unexpected turns. However, the mystery sort of takes a back seat to Phil and Tom's upcoming wedding and Tom's continued trepidation. It is obvious he loves Phil, but he is still struggling with this big adult step. He gets there (after a little scare), as if we had any doubts that he wouldn't marry Phil!
November 2, 2018
Another installment of one of my top favorite series. Always enjoy the antics and day to day interactions between Tom and Phil, so British and humorous! Another interesting mystery, more Tom problems (worries about the wedding, Phil wanting kids, and things moving faster than he's ready for) and Phil's solid stoicism. The story was four stars but I added an extra star for the ending-lovely! My only complaint, I'm not crazy about the new covers, I liked the original guys pictured on the early covers much better! Fingers crossed we get more of this series, I can't get enough of them!
August 7, 2021
ARC from NetGalley
Did couples buy each other wedding presents, anyway? I mean, he’d be getting me, which some might say was quite enough to be getting on with.
I may have already mentioned it but I requested this book from NetGalley because I thought it sounded interesting and when I got approved and was ready to read it, I noticed it was the fifth book of a series. Bad luck? Au contraire, I’d say! This mistake made me discover one hell of a book series I have fallen in love with. There’s always room in my heart for more fictional characters to love and cherish.
This book was really sweet (besides the murders) and, surprise surprise, Phil wasn't a bum in this one. After four books of him being the broody melodramatic man our Tom loves, I was ready to slap him if he dared do anything to upset my boy. He did, of course he did, but it wasn’t like in the first books when their love was just beginning. I forgave him almost immediately.
“You’ve got him well trained,” Dave said with a smirk.
“Too right. Want to see him come when I call?” I winked in case he hadn’t got the innuendo.
Cherry and Greg got married, left for Scotland for a pretty cold honeymoon, so now it was Tom and Phil’s wedding countdown. With only a few months to spare and a lot to plan, Tom is overwhelmed and overthinking. This led to some misunderstanding but not something to be worried about. Tom and Phil are super in love and it shows. There weren’t the steamy scenes we got in the first two books and I was weirdly okay with that, with only imagining how they had fun when nobody was around. I knew they were all over each other and that they loved each other so much they wanted to protect the other from harm.
There's nothing easy about this protecting from harm business when they are always involved in murder investigations, though. First one man dead, then another, and Tom and Phil are once again among suspects they want to trust but can’t, seeing as it could lead to them getting badly hurt, again. Like that never has happened in the past.
Giving us a polite smile was a young man—early twenties, I’d guess—who set my gaydar pinging off the scale. So going by past results, he was probably happily married to his second wife and with a baby or six on the way.
I love the idea Phil has about Tom’s abilities being evolving because he’s using them more. I want him to stop thinking himself a fraud and try experimenting at home to see to what extent he can find what’s hidden. This will help him in the future and it will make their lives much easier when someone hires Phil for a job.
The ending was precious. Nothing over the top with forced tears or forced emotions. You find yourself truly invested in the lives of those two men and the feelings you are having are authentic. You are really happy they found each other again even if when they met at first one was the living nightmare of the other. The part where Tom reveals something hard about his past as a bullied boy, broke my heart. I think Phil needs to know this, not to make him feel guilty but I think he needs to know this part of Tom’s past. I think it’s important and I wonder why Darren, having witnessed the speech, didn’t say anything about it. I wonder if we’re going to come back to it in the next book. Because there’s going to be a next book, right? I need Tom in my life! I need more of him!
Did couples buy each other wedding presents, anyway? I mean, he’d be getting me, which some might say was quite enough to be getting on with.
I may have already mentioned it but I requested this book from NetGalley because I thought it sounded interesting and when I got approved and was ready to read it, I noticed it was the fifth book of a series. Bad luck? Au contraire, I’d say! This mistake made me discover one hell of a book series I have fallen in love with. There’s always room in my heart for more fictional characters to love and cherish.
This book was really sweet (besides the murders) and, surprise surprise, Phil wasn't a bum in this one. After four books of him being the broody melodramatic man our Tom loves, I was ready to slap him if he dared do anything to upset my boy. He did, of course he did, but it wasn’t like in the first books when their love was just beginning. I forgave him almost immediately.
“You’ve got him well trained,” Dave said with a smirk.
“Too right. Want to see him come when I call?” I winked in case he hadn’t got the innuendo.
Cherry and Greg got married, left for Scotland for a pretty cold honeymoon, so now it was Tom and Phil’s wedding countdown. With only a few months to spare and a lot to plan, Tom is overwhelmed and overthinking. This led to some misunderstanding but not something to be worried about. Tom and Phil are super in love and it shows. There weren’t the steamy scenes we got in the first two books and I was weirdly okay with that, with only imagining how they had fun when nobody was around. I knew they were all over each other and that they loved each other so much they wanted to protect the other from harm.
There's nothing easy about this protecting from harm business when they are always involved in murder investigations, though. First one man dead, then another, and Tom and Phil are once again among suspects they want to trust but can’t, seeing as it could lead to them getting badly hurt, again. Like that never has happened in the past.
Giving us a polite smile was a young man—early twenties, I’d guess—who set my gaydar pinging off the scale. So going by past results, he was probably happily married to his second wife and with a baby or six on the way.
I love the idea Phil has about Tom’s abilities being evolving because he’s using them more. I want him to stop thinking himself a fraud and try experimenting at home to see to what extent he can find what’s hidden. This will help him in the future and it will make their lives much easier when someone hires Phil for a job.
The ending was precious. Nothing over the top with forced tears or forced emotions. You find yourself truly invested in the lives of those two men and the feelings you are having are authentic. You are really happy they found each other again even if when they met at first one was the living nightmare of the other. The part where Tom reveals something hard about his past as a bullied boy, broke my heart. I think Phil needs to know this, not to make him feel guilty but I think he needs to know this part of Tom’s past. I think it’s important and I wonder why Darren, having witnessed the speech, didn’t say anything about it. I wonder if we’re going to come back to it in the next book. Because there’s going to be a next book, right? I need Tom in my life! I need more of him!
May 26, 2018
THE END OF THIS BOOK MADE ME SO HAPPY IM SO EMOTIONAL :')
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