Jl Merrow

Some things are better left hidden. 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. Publisher's note: This is lightly edited reprint of a previously published novel.

Pressure Head

Bow ties are cool . . . but secrets, not so much. Behind Robert Emeny's cheerfully eccentric exterior lies a young heart battered and bruised by his past. He's taken a job in a village primary school to make a fresh start, and love isn't part of his plans. But then he's knocked for six--literally--by a chance encounter with the uncle of two of his pupils. Sean Grant works in pest control, lives on a council estate, and rides a motorbike. Robert is an ex-public schoolboy from a posh family who drives a classic car. On the face of it, they shouldn't have anything in common. Yet Robert can't resist Sean's roguish grin, and passion sparks between them even after an excruciatingly embarrassing first date. Too bad the past Robert's hiding from is about to come looking for him. His increasingly ludicrous efforts to keep his secrets are pushing Sean away--but telling the truth could make Sean leave him for good.

Caught!

If you dig up the past, be prepared for some dirt to stick. 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 fiancE, 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. Publisher's note: This is a lightly edited reprint of a previously published novel.

Relief Valve

Death is what happens while you¿re making other plans . . . 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, but his heroism at a pub fire has made him a local celebrity, and now everyone knows about his psychic talents¿and wants a piece of them. Hired to recover a missing necklace, Tom and his fiancé, private investigator Phil Morrison, find themselves trying to unmask a killer. And there¿s no shortage of suspects, including the local bishop. As Tom and Phil try to uncover the truth, they¿re 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 baulk at killing again. If Tom and Phil don¿t watch out, their love¿and all their plans for the future¿could be blown down like a house of straw. Publisher's note: This is lightly edited reprint of a previously published novel.

Blow Down

Still waters run deadly. Tom Paretski, plumber with a talent for finding hidden things, and his private investigator fiancé Phil Morrison have been hired to locate a runaway husband, Jonathan Parrot. The job seems simple enough¿until their quarry turns up dead in a canal, and a photofit of Tom¿s face is splashed all over the news, making him chief suspect. The widow, petite ex¿porn star Lilah Lovett, is convinced her husband was killed by his gay lover, but Tom and Phil aren¿t so sure. Worried they may have precipitated Jonathan¿s death, they¿re determined to find the real killer. But with a web of incestuous ties linking the suspects, it¿s hard to know who to trust. Especially when a second victim dies a gruesome death. Meanwhile, with their wedding looming and them sharing a house now, Tom¿s worried it may all be too much, too fast. The last thing he needs are the mixed messages Phil seems to be sending out. They¿ll need to get back on the same track if they want to make it to their honeymoon together¿and alive.

Lock Nut

The attraction between personal trainer Will and Marcus, a lonely author whose albinism gives him an otherworldly beauty, can't be denied, but neither can the secrets of Marcus's past. If they aren't careful, they'll end up part of the Isle of Wight's ghostly population.

Wight Mischief

Bran Roscarrock has been living in the closet all his life. As heir to an expansive family legacy in the town of Porthkennack, old-fashioned ideals of respectability and duty were drummed into him since childhood, and he's never dared to live--or love--openly. Sam Ferreira, an old friend of Bran's brother, Jory, is a disgraced academic desperate to leave his dead-end job. When Jory asks him to take over as curator of a planned exhibition on Edward of Woodstock, the fourteenth-century Black Prince, Sam leaps at the chance to do what he loves and make a fresh start. But Bran's funding the exhibition, and though sparks fly between the two men, they're not all happy ones. Bran idolises Prince Edward as a hero, while Sam's determined to present a balanced picture. With neither of them prepared to give ground, a hundred years of war seems all too possible. And if Bran finds out about Sam's past, his future may not be bright, and their budding romance may be lost to history.

Love at First Hate

Old flames can leave a nasty burn. It's been six months since plumber Tom Paretski was hit by a shocking revelation about his family, and he's been avoiding dealing with it ever since. His lover, PI Phil Morrison, wants Tom to dig deeper into his history and try to develop his psychic talent for finding things, but Tom's not nearly so keen. Just as he decides to bite the bullet, though, worse problems crawl out of the woodwork. Young Devil's Dyke barmaid Marianne has an ex, Grant Carey, who won't accept that things are over between them, and he's ruthless in dealing with anyone who gets in his way. When Carey threatens an old friend of theirs, Phil and Tom step in to help--but that makes them targets themselves. What with his uncertainty about Phil's motives, Tom's family doing their best to drive a wedge between them, and the uncovering of an ugly incident in Phil's past, Tom's not sure who he can trust--and the body he finds in the pub cellar isn't the only thing that stinks. Publisher's note: This is a lightly edited reprint of a previously published novel.

Jl Merrow

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