Title: Lock Nut (The Plumber's Mate Mysteries Book 5)
Author: JL Merrow
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 14, 2018
Genre(s): Murder/Mystery
Page Count: 330
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Read book blurb here
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.
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