REVIEW: The Next One Will Kill You by Neil S. Plakcy

In The Next One Will Kill You (Angus Green #1) by Neil S. Plakcy, FBI agent Angus Green would love nothing more than to work in the field investigating crimes, instead of sitting behind a desk working as an accountant. Believing he’s blown his chance when some fellow agents catch him competing in a strip trivia contest, he can’t believe they want to offer him the chance to work with the anti-terrorism task force. Can he help take down the criminals that seem to have their hooks in all sorts of crime, or will the challenge prove too much for him to handle?

”What’s going on is that you got yourself in the middle of a tip that came in,” Vito said, leaning back in his chair so far that I worried the buttons on his white shirt might burst over his stomach.
“An interesting one that has come to a dead end,” Roly said. “We’re hoping you can use your unique talents to give us a jump start.”

I love a good mystery story, and this first book in Mr. Plakcy’s Angus Green series launched a good start. With Angus’s lifestyle choice, he’s the perfect agent for this case. He can talk to people that aren’t likely to talk to his fellow agents for fear of getting into trouble, and the way this story started with what Angus is doing for his brother and learning the details of the case he’ll be working sets the fast-pace of the story. Can Angus solve this case on his own and prove himself to his superiors, so they’ll allow him to join agents out in the field?

I really liked Angus. He was charming and confident. I liked how tenacious he was in solving the case by the way he had to get a little creative in investigating the crime that included medical fraud, drugs and jewel theft. Angus works well with his fellow colleagues, and I enjoyed how they’re so supportive of him and are willing to give him the chance to prove himself as a field agent. However, Angus’s roommate annoyed me. He’s jealous of Angus and the fact that everything comes so easily for the hero. That all Angus needs is his good looks and his charm to get what he wants. Honestly, I couldn’t handle his friend’s jealousy. Then again, I could also sympathize with his roommate. Because while Angus was working the case, it felt like the answers were coming to him a little easily. He has a good way of getting close to people and learning the information he needs.

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the investigation and what is happening with Angus’s brother that has the cops investigating him. Can Angus solve his case while helping his brother? Can he find the answers before anyone gets hurt? As the story progressed, I was actually quite surprised by the suspense and the person responsible was not at all who I was thinking it was.

My cell rang. “Cute ringtone,” Chris said as Elton John’s voice filled the room. “Your brother?”
“Yeah. Though I’m starting to wish I was an only child.” I answered Danny’s call. “What’s up, bro? You find that credit card skimmer yet?”

Overall, this book was a good start to this series, yet I’m still undecided whether I’ll give the next book in the series a chance when it’s released. This story ended well with Angus and his ability to do his job. I liked that he would do anything to make sure that the case came to as peaceful of an ending with the bad guys. No way was he going to let anyone get hurt when no one needed to. I would recommend The Next One Will Kill You by Neil S. Plakcy, if you enjoy romantic suspense; or male-male romance where the chemistry is strong between the men, but the romance stays a bit on the sweet side.

Book Info:

Publication: November 15th, 2016 | Diversion Publishing | Angus Green #1

Angus wants more adventure than a boring accounting job, so after graduating with his master’s degree he signs up with the FBI. He’s assigned to the Miami field office, where the caseload includes smugglers, drug runners, and gangs, but he starts out stuck behind a desk, an accountant with a badge and gun.

Struggling to raise money for his little brother’s college tuition, he enters a strip trivia contest at a local bar. But when he’s caught with his pants down by a couple of fellow agents, he worries that his extracurricular activities and his status as the only openly gay agent will crash his career. Instead, to his surprise, he’s added to an anti-terrorism task force and directed to find a missing informant.

It’s his first real case: a desperate chase to catch a gang of criminals with their tentacles in everything from medical fraud to drugs to jewel theft. With every corner in this case―from Fort Lauderdale’s gay bars to the morgue―turning to mayhem, Angus quickly learns that the only way to face a challenge is to assume that he’ll survive this one―it’s the next one that will kill him.