Title: Relief Valve
Series: Plumber’s Mate, Book 2
Author: J.L. Merrow
Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal
Length: Novel (357 Pages)
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (March 25th, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: “If you dig up the past, be prepared to get dirty. “
“ The Plumber’s Mate, Book 2″
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing since plumber Tom Paretski and P.I. Phil Morrison became connected at the heart, if not always at Tom’s dodgy hip. Neither of their families has been shy about voicing their disapproval, which hasn’t helped Tom’s uneasy relationship with his prickly older sister, Cherry.
But when Cherry is poisoned at her own engagement party, the horror of her near death has Tom’s head spinning with possible culprits. Is it her fiancé Gregory, a cathedral canon with an unfortunate manner and an alarming taste for taxidermy? Someone from her old writers’ circle, which she left after a row? Or could the attack be connected to her work as a barrister?
Phil is just as desperate to solve the case before someone ends up dead-and he fears it could be Tom. At least one of their suspects has a dark secret to hide, which makes Tom’s sixth sense for finding things like a target painted on his back…
Warning: Contains a strong, silent, macho PI; a cheeky, chirpy, cat-owning plumber; and a gag gift from beyond the grave that’ll put the cat firmly among the pigeons.
Product Link:http://store.samhainpublishing.com/relief-valve-p-73290.html?osCsid=0b0a7658cb3241abb4efce7e72c894d3
Reviewer: GiGi
Review: A quirky book full of good dry British humor, cheekiness, sarcasm and a plumber with paranormal abilities. Specifically he finds things, hidden things, and while this helps him find leaks fast, it can also get him into trouble fast, as we learned in book one. Book two leaves us off watching the relationship grow between Tom and Phil. Are they meant to be a lasting thing? Is it too soon to swap keys or talk about forever plans? Tom is left to ponder this question as he helps his big sis prepare to take vows of her own, to a very odd and somewhat creepy clergyman. The plot thickens as his sister first gets in touch with Tom to discuss the passing of their dear old Auntie Lol, and the odd request she had given him to go to her old home and find his hidden bequest.
Of course, we know Tom by now, and even though he’s the one for a knack of finding things, trouble seems to want to find him, and his big sis. During an engagement party Cherry is poisoned, trouble is was it intended for him, or her? The odd animal stuffing fiancé, Greg also seems suspicious, even more when he hires Phil to do some work for him, and keep it secret from Cherry.
As if death, murder, and creepy soon to be brother-in-laws weren’t enough excitement, a wayward book club introduces Tom to long-lost family…though I can’t give more away than that!
Will Cherry, Phil, and Tom escape some madman’s murder attempts? Will Tom and Phil get closer, or drift apart? And what the heck does Cherry see in big, tall, and creepy Gregory? So many questions to answer and a long, winding, crazy path of a story to get you there! Merrow’s sense of humor kept me reading, and fingering the murderer was tough, both good qualities in any murder mystery if you ask me! I recommend you grab this series, and read in order, as we see many characters from the past come into the future.