Lock Nut

Merrow gifts readers with a witty, absorbing fifth Plumber’s Mate mystery (after Blow Down), which newcomers to the series will find easy to follow. Tom Paretski’s psychic ability to locate missing objects frequently draws him away from his day job as a plumber in present-day London. In this installment, porn producer Lilah Parrot hires him to find her runaway husband, Jonny, and Tom ropes his private investigator fiancé, Phil, into the case, assuming less mystical skills will be more useful. When the missing man turns up dead, Lilah, who’s suspiciously calm, is certain Jonny’s lover Kelvin murdered him. Tom and Phil set out to find the killer, but a crowd of secretive characters, including Lilah’s first husband, sister, and two children, shatter any hope of a straightforward solution. In between their investigations, the couple struggles to adjust to living together and cope with the stress of wedding planning. Their squabbling but tender dynamic provides counterbalance to the messy entanglements of Lilah’s clan, and the final revelations are genuinely surprising. The British slang is smooth and charming, though some Americans may find it challenging to follow. Fans of mysteries with a minor supernatural tinge and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor will enjoy this tricky whodunit. (May)