Lock Nut by J.L. Merrow

Lock Nut by J. L. Merrow

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: Read it on Goodreads if you're okay with some slight spoilers! 

Review: If you've been reading my blog for awhile now, then I know that I love the Plumber's Mate Mysteries series and Lock Nut is number 5. I do think these books are best read in order. Each one focuses on a new, complete mystery, but at the same time, you get to know more about some of the characters as you read the books - especially main characters, Tom and Phil, who are in a relationship. I love seeing their relationship grow and change through the books, which made it seem really realistic. As for the mysteries, Phil is a private investigator and Tom has a "power" of sorts that lets him feel the emotions of a person who has deliberately hidden something; so, say that something is a body - it would probably have a really strong, bad feeling attached to it (and it would feel guilty if the person felt bad). This power comes in handy in each book to help solve various crimes, but it's not necessarily something that Tom loves.

As the books progress, more and more people find out about this gift and they don't always understand that he's not a psychic in the "traditional" sense where he can see the future or find anything (it has to be deliberately hidden). Lock Nut's mystery surrounds a guy who has most likely been murdered, and Tom was just seen the previous day chasing him around Camden Market in order to deliver a package. Therefore, many believe that Tom is involved...so Tom and Phil do get involved, but in order to find out who the real culprit was, and boy, did I not see this one coming! Maybe it will be obvious to some - I can never say - but I do think the motive will surprise many, and that's just as interesting as the who, right?

One thing that I really loved about this book is all the mentions of Camden Market - where the deceased used to work - because this is somewhere that I actually visited when I went to London. It was nice to recognize the landscape and picture my time there. If you ever go to London, I recommend checking out Camden Market.

It looks like Lock Nut might be the final book in the series, but I'd really love to hear more about Tom and Phil and all their crazy adventures. I don't usually care if I have a physical copy of most e-books that I read, but I honestly wish I had actual copies of this series that I could keep on my shelves. I might have to invest in those! Hopefully that will tell you just how much I enjoyed these books! Read them!

Blow Down by J.L. Merrow

Blow Down by J.L. Merrow

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: You can add the book and find the summary on Goodreads. I don't want to ruin too much if you haven't read any of this series. This is the fourth in the series. 

Review: If you've been paying attention, you know that I love this series. It's a mystery series with an m/m romance, but if you aren't a big romance person, don't worry! I think this series does a good job mixing the mystery and romance so that neither really overpower the other. Blow Down is the fourth book in the series, and each one follows the same characters, so it's probably a good idea to start with the first book. I'm sure you'll fall in love with Tom and Phil like I have!

Tom is a plumber, but he also has a gift for finding things. I was asked after my last review if this was a power or just something he's good at it, so I want to clarify that it's a power. He can sense really strong emotions and if something has been purposely hidden, he can follow the tracks of that emotion toward the item. He usually has to be focusing on finding something though; otherwise he's not likely to notice. As for Phil, that's Tom's private investigator boyfriend. Tom and Phil are often teaming up in these books because Phil can usually use Tom's power to help them solve the mystery.

Each book in the series has its own separate mystery, which is fun, but it also progresses the relationship of Tom and Phil, which I love! Definitely give these a shot!

Heat Trap by J.L. Merrow

Heat Trap by J.L. Merrow

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Check out the summary on Goodreads

Review: I don’t want to spoil too much about this book as it’s the third in a series, which is why I didn’t include the official summary above. However, I can say that I absolutely love these books. I’m a big fan of m/m romance – as you probably know if you’ve read my blog for awhile – but I also love m/m books that aren’t just focused on the romance (though those are awesome too!) and the Plumber’s Mate Mysteries are just such books. Plus, it’s a series that follows the same couple, which can be rare – most “sequels” in m/m fiction tend to be companion novels.

While I don’t always rate books I read, I gave the first two books (Pressure Head and Relief Valve) four stars, and I rated Heat Trap five stars on Goodreads. Once again, this book features a mystery that Tom and his PI boyfriend, Phil, must try and solve. Tom’s a plumber by trade – hence the series’ title – but he also has the ability to find things that have been purposely hidden, connecting the emotion of the hider with it, so sometimes it’s a bit cheeky, but other times (in the case of murders), it’s much darker. As for Phil and Tom, they have been growing their relationship across all of these books and I love how they are growing closer, as well as getting to know more about each other. Phil and Tom knew each other in school but they hadn’t seen each other in years, and a lot happened during that time period, especially because Phil was definitely not out back in the day.

I feel like this series just gets better and better. The mysteries are all intriguing, and I love when Tom uses his abilities, but I also like the growth of a relationship across multiple books. It feels natural and realistic. I definitely recommend this series, and Heat Trap in particular.

Relief Valve by J.L. Merrow

Relief Valve by J.L. Merrow

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add to Goodreads): The relationship between Tom Paretski, a cheeky plumber with a gift for finding hidden things, and PI Phil Morrison may only be a few weeks old, but already it’s under attack. Tom’s friends and family are convinced the former bully isn’t good enough for him, and they’re not shy about saying so.

Then Tom’s prickly older sister, Cherry, is poisoned at her own engagement party. Tom’s left reeling and not knowing who to suspect. Could it be her new fiancé, Gregory, a cathedral canon with an unfortunate manner and a taste for taxidermy? Or someone from her old writers’ circle, which she left after a row? Or could the attack be connected to her work as a barrister? Meanwhile, Tom’s honorary auntie’s left him a gag gift from beyond the grave that could be more significant than anyone knows.

Phil’s fighting against the clock to solve the case before somebody ends up dead. And with the poisoner hiding a dark secret, Phil’s terrified Tom could have been the target all along.

Review: The first book in the Plumber's Mate Mysteries is Pressure Head (read my review here) and I really loved it, so I was excited to get the sequel to read/review. These books are better read in order as they feature the exact same characters, following plumber Tom and his PI boyfriend, Phil. Each book has a different mystery, so they connect through the relationship, which is still going strong in Relief Valve, though Tom does sometimes feel awkward knowing that Phil was previously married.
In Relief Valve, readers get to know more about Tom's family, especially his older sister, Cherry, who is suddenly getting married. Well, until she's poisoned at her engagement party, and now Phil and Tom are on the hunt for just who could possibly want to hurt Cherry (if it was Cherry they were after).

I really liked this mystery and I didn't figure out "who done it" until the end. I won't say it's impossible to figure out, but these are the types of mysteries where I'm happy to go along for the ride. I don't try too hard to unravel the mystery because I'm having a good time following Tom and Phil on their adventures, and also watching the two of them grow closer together!

Pressure Head by J.L. Merrow

Pressure Head by J.L. Merrow

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add on Goodreads): Tom Paretski’s not just a plumber with a dodgy hip courtesy of a schoolboy accident. He also has a sixth sense for finding hidden things. Called in by the police to help locate a body near Brock’s Hollow, he’s staggered to encounter Phil Morrison, his old school crush—and the closeted bully whose actions contributed to Tom’s accident.

Phil’s all grown up now, and Tom’s unwilling attraction to him is back with a vengeance. Phil’s now openly gay—and what’s more, he’s interested in Tom’s personal charms as well as his psychic talents. As a private investigator called in by the dead woman’s parents, Phil is sceptical about Tom’s unusual gift, but nevertheless quick to spot its potential to aid him in his work.

The further they go with the investigation, the less they can ignore their shared past, and the more the pressure and the heat build between them. But Tom isn’t certain he wants to know the secrets he’s helping to uncover, while there’s a murderer on the loose who won’t hesitate to kill again—and this uneasy couple is moving right into his sights.

Review: This is the first book in the Plumber’s Mate series and I’m happily going to keep reading them (I’m actually reading the sequel right now, out next month). Tom has a gift of finding things, but only if they were intentionally hidden. He’s friends with one of the cops who brings him in to help find things, and this time, he’s meant to find the body of a girl who was murdered. Of course, he didn’t plan on his old schoolmate Phil to be a private detective looking into the case. These two were, essentially, enemies in school, but Tom’s always been attracted to Phil. The eventual relationship was handled well – I thought that things moved slowly enough, allowing the two to get to know each other in the present day. Tom is also quite funny, which adds a lot of humor and fun!