Published July 12th 2016
Date of Publication: July 12th 2016
Theme & Genre: LGBTQI, Crime, Mystery, Supernatural
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Format: 249 pages, ebook
ASIN: B01CKFUN6I
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Characters: Tom Paretski, Phil Morrison
Blurb: Death is what happens while you’re making other plans.
The Plumber’s Mate Mysteries, Book 4
The last thing newly engaged plumber Tom Paretski needs is to stumble over another dead body. He’s got enough on his mind already as the reality of his impending marriage sinks in. Not only is his family situation complicated, his heroism at a pub fire made him a local celebrity. Now everyone and their uncle wants a piece of his psychic talents.
Hired to find a missing necklace, Tom and his fiancé, private investigator Phil Morrison, wind up trying to unmask a killer—and there’s no shortage of suspects, up to and including the local bishop himself.
As Tom and Phil try to uncover the truth, they find themselves pulled in all directions by the conflicting pressures of their families and their own desires. But the murderer they’re up against is a ruthless schemer who won’t hesitate to kill again. If Tom and Phil aren’t careful, their love—and all their plans for the future—could be blown down like a house of straw.
Warning: Contains a bishop of questionable Christian charity, a necklace of questionable taste, and a plumber of questionable nationality who may be running out of time.
*****
I thought I was already done with this series but remembering my fondness for Tom’s character won me over so I decided to give this another go, and you know what, I totally enjoyed it! I easily remembered why I was so charmed by Tom’s character from the get-go. He’s still funny, charming and good-hearted. He’s just too fascinating a character that I didn’t mind that he’s about to get hitched with Phil – not a big fan of the guy but I am starting to “really” like him here. I just wished that he’d stop being so uptight. I think his abrasiveness is what I don’t like about him in the first place. It also feels like we’ve got so much to learn about his character whilst Tom being Tom is just an open book for everyone to feast on.
I thought the murder angle was just the side-ploy of the story and the central focus was actually on Tom and Phil’s impending wedding. I loved seeing Phil’s “romantic” side. It’s actually a bit refereshing coming from him. And there’s the rather complicated linage of Tom. I mean, I honestly don’t see the big deal about it but Tom being the nicest guy ever was stressing over it. Oh, who wouldn’t love this guy?
Here’s a nice J.L. Merrow book I’ve been dying to read since the first book off the series and that oh-so-perfect Muscling Through. I hope the next one is as good as this! Ta!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
AMAZON BUY LINK
About The Author
JL 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: http://www.jlmerrow.com, on Twitter as @jlmerrow, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jl.merrow
PADDYLAST INC. 