Well written and a good plot but I just struggled to enjoy the story. Didn't find it as interesting as I had hoped.

3.5 stars

Angus Green having been shot in the line of duty, is chafing at the bit. Angus is tired of doing routine non-dangerous tasks for the FBI and he desperately wants to get back into the fray of things and immerse himself in another investigation.

Unfortunately for Angus he still is dealing with the effects of being shot so he doesn't tell the FBI psychologist that he still feels a bit shaken.

Angus is pleased when the opportunity arises for him to be involved in a case. A man has overdosed on the drug flakka and as a result has assaulted a woman. The man is in a coma in hospital and Angus has to start investigating. Where did this man get the flakka drug from?

As Angus digs deeper he uncovers what appears to be a complex case of drugs, porn videos, exploitation and murder. Angus sees this case as an opportunity to help save some young people who are being sucked into the dark world of drugs and pornography.

As Angus begins to put the case together he has an opportunity to pull pieces of his life back together as well. There are questions that he has to face about the way he ended the relationship with Lester. He has to face memories about his own life and also about his present and his relationships with his brother.

And so following procedures, Angus pieces the facts together bit by bit but the shadows get darker and reveal a complex case involving the Russian mafia.

This was an enjoyable book 2 in the series and it's good to see Angus growing as a person and also growing in his skills as an FBI agent.I enjoyed reading it but I do think that in some places it is written in a really dry dry reporting style. I think this is because the story is a police procedural murder mystery but I think that that some of the story is lost in the technical details about the investigation. I think this is why the story is 3.5 stars for me instead of four stars.

It is still a great story and it is written well but in some places it was just missing vibrancy and I just felt that it was a bit flat a bit like a textbook instead of a story. Having said all this I do like the character of Angus and it's great to be in the second story with him. It's also really good mystery with lots of twists and turns and complex angles.

So quite a mixed feeling about this book. It is a good story but not entirely up to the standard that I really like from this author.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Nobody Rides for Free is a nicely plotted, well-written mystery. Although I haven't read the preceding novel in this series, I had absolutely no problems picking up the plot of Nobody Rides for Free, and getting into it.

Angus is back after being shot, and ends up investigating a somewhat complicated case involving underage kids, porn, a drug called flakka, and the Russian mob (called Organizatsiya). Angus gets into the case with the idea of rescuing underage gay kids who have been coerced into filming porn. He meets some interesting people along the way - Katya, a Russian FBI agent, Shane, a man who runs an LGBT youth center, Eric, a gym freak whom Angus' roommate seems into, Anna, a cop, Dorje, an arrogant hustler; and finally, Angus reunites with his former lover, Lester.

I have to admit I was expecting something different from Nobody Rides for Free. I was expecting a lot of steam, but there is none. However, the mystery alone is a good one, and it entertains on its own, even with a lack of steam. If you are looking for an interesting, well-written mystery, Nobody Rides for Free should be on your TBR list. Just don't come into expecting any kind of steam, because there is a decided lack of it here.

FBI agent Angus Green is back in Neil Placky’s new book Nobody Rides for Free.

This story picks up about a few month after the first Angus Green book The Next One Will Kill You. If you have not read the first one don’t worry this is a stand-alone story. Although I do recommend checking out the first book in this series it was rather good.

In this book, Angus is on the search for some missing kids who likely are being forced into doing adult videos on webcams. The case starts with a drug overdose situation. Angus finds that the drugs, bath salts, may have come from the folks making the videos.

As his investigation progresses Angus ends up working with the DEA, an undercover FBI agent and a couple of local police detectives. I think this is where this book shines. Investigations are not always just a straight line from crime to knowing whodunit. There can be webs. Layers of events and people who all interconnect.

Author Neil Plakcy in his acknowledgments at the end of this book notes he went to an FBI citizens academy. Which is evident in the plot. The SWAT team does not solve this case. Good old fashioned police work does.

I recommend anyone looking for a well-paced procedural type mystery to check out Nobody Rides for Free.

A intriguing story from an author who is new to me. I enjoyed this book and am eager to read more from this author. 3 stars

3.5 stars

This second entry to Angus Green series seems a bit more subdued than the first one. Angus is still as diligent and relentless as before, but his sunny disposition is somewhat dimmed here. Although - considering what happened on the previous book - his being a bit antsy and withdrawn is understandable.

The story is told from Angus’s POV as first person, allowing readers the character’s inner struggle after the incident on his first big case. It’s truly a treat to read how eager and dedicated a feeb investigating something that really close to his heart. He’s still showing his special agent’s rookie-ness now and then, but his personality comes through in aiding when needed.

As expected, there’s a bit of twist in the answer Angus seek on his case. One that I find rather heartbreaking here, but which also make the whole thing rang true. I truly enjoy following each turns Angus’ lead bring, a blend of coincidence and diligent researching. Not only that, this series always has interesting cast of of characters, even the shady ones. That said, the conclusion with all the telling summarizing the case updates is a bit of a let down for me.

As in previous book, Nobody Rides for Free also touched on Angus’ love life as an aside, but more as a slow development in his life rather than for the sake of having some love scenes. Without a doubt, this series is one I look forward to for next installments to read!


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Neil S. Plakcy’s second Angus Green novel, Nobody Rides For Free, continues the story of the gay FBI agent readers first met in last year’s The Next One Will Kill You. As with that previous novel, the procedural elements here take precedence.

Assigned a desk job as he recovers from injuries sustained during his previous case, Angus Green still manages to find himself embroiled in a complex case with multiple components. What starts out as a topical case involving tainted drugs (which turn the users into angry, zombie-like attackers) eventually leads to an underage porn ring victimizing vulnerable gay teens.

Plakcy excels at documenting the slower process of investigations of this sort. One suspects that this is much closer to reality than the shootouts and chases most often seen in television depictions of FBI activity. Because of this, Nobody Rides For Free may seem like a slower read than most – and in many ways, it is – but that doesn’t give enough credit to how the author is able to connect the various strands of this inquiry into a fascinating procedural.

None of this would matter if readers were not invested in Angus Green as a character, however. Fortunately, he is easy to root for. Throughout these two books, readers watch as Angus matures – in both his work and personal life. Since these books are billed as thrillers, those personal elements take the necessary backseat, but those interactions, when they occur, are still very sweet.

The complex case at the core of the novel feels as timely as ever. Both the drug elements and the victimization of LGBTQ+ youth accurately reflect contemporary news coverage in depressing ways; but somehow, Neil Plakcy keeps Nobody Rides For Free from becoming too disheartening an experience.

Fans are eager for more developments on the romantic front for Angus, so I suspect readers will see that intertwined with the next case in some clever way. There are still far too few LGBTQ+ thriller leads in the crime genre, so Angus Green is a character that needs to stick around – along with his creator, Neil S. Plakcy.

I wasn't sure what to make of this book. It was a #2 and I admittedly didn't read the first one so, I'm sure that played a part of my apathy of this book. I expected more of a romantic slant to the story and didn't get that in less you count Lester. A lot of telling and not enough showing. Not likely to read anymore installments in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Two stars.

This felt more like reading a textbook than a story. It was hard to get into and follow thru with.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

This was a very hard book to get into and I normally love mysteries. The first person narrative was rather clunky and would jump tenses between present and past. It made it difficult to fall into the mystery and getting into Angus as a characrer.

I'm a bit of a fan of stories featuring gay men in military or law-enforcement roles so I jumped on this one when I saw it advertised on NetGalley.

It is well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed the details of the FBI line of work. Even though this story is not heavy on the romance, it is still a great look at gay culture and the mystery kept me at it until I got to the end.


PS. I'll post the review on Amazon on release day.

RATING 4 OUT OF 5

Young FBI Special Agent Angus Green is back in this follow-up to Plakcy's The Next One Will Kill You. After being shot in the line of duty and is forced into working desk job while he recovers, Angus finally gets himself involved in a zombie case: people who are overdosed by synthetic drugs called flakka are acting like mindless zombie, including attacking and gnawing other people's faces. Early clue about the drug distribution seems to involve underage gay teens being abused by acting in porn movies. This becomes an extra motivation for Angus to solve both cases...

I really, REALLY liked this. I can see how the story might be tedious to some readers since all Angus does are basically doing research and filling paperworks. There are minimal of high-speed car chases or bullets flying all over the place. HOWEVER, I always enjoy procedural (and research is necessary, always!) so I liked reading how Angus working the Internet, interviewing people, and tracing facts to help him find the teens as well as looking for the source of the drugs.

It also helps that Angus is a NICE guy. Brooding lone wolf rebellious type of heroes are fine but there are a LOT of them out there. Sometimes too many, especially in a mystery genre! For me, it's refreshing to have someone like Angus: young, eager, play to the rules, and not unwilling to work with others.

Also, he comes from a good and loving family. His stepfather and mother are still married and Angus has pretty close relationship with his brother. A detective or agent with too much baggage is overdone? It's great to read that a not messed-up guy can still do a good investigation. I definitely rooted for Angus all the way through.

There is a slight update on the romance department for Angus, too. No, not a new guy -- it's the same old guy from the previous book, Lester, a bouncer at Eclipse, a gay bar on the outskirts of Wilton Manors. Angus is doing some "growing" up in that part of his life. It put a smile to my face :)

I hope Plakcy will have more stories about Angus...

This book was a miss for me. I enjoyed the procedural aspects of the book, some of the details were neat and interesting in the beginning. However, the romance, if you can call it that, just did not do it for me. The names kind of put me off and I understand that’s a little nit picky and that some people really are named Angus and Lester but this is a gay romance novel and every time I read Angus name I thought about the Angus burger from McDonalds. Not exactly the image you want your readers to see when reading about your characters.

I wasn’t invested in Angus at all. To be honest, I thought he was a little stuck-up and boring. Unfortunately, this was one of those books that I had to force myself to continue as it got monotonous very fast. Lots of boring things happening, lots of thinking, lots of nothing that I cared about.

The sad part about this is that I love first person POVs but this was just not doing it for me.

I think some people would enjoy this book but I did not. It didn’t have bad writing or flow, just a little heavy on aspects that I didn’t care about or wasn’t invested in.

Neil S. Plakcy is the author I planned to read since I started to read MM romance genre and gay fiction books. It was the time when an entirely new world opened up and my TBR became close to collapse. *sigh* What a wonderful time!..


The first book in the Angus Green Series did not really knock me off my feet - though I have to admit, it was not bad - besides, sometimes you need to have a little patience with a starter in series. It was too early to judge it.

The eponymous of the series, FBI Special Agent Angus Green, is a good-looking man, an enthusiastic and motivated employee, a smart guy and - without any doubt - a very nice person, but probably also he is the reason why I find the series somehow boring.

The second book and the second case for Special Agent Angus Green. He has to find out more information about flakka, a new dangerous drug that rapidly gains ground. While doing research in a local drugs scene Angus accidentally comes across another serious crime. It looks like the same people who are involved in the drug dealing also runs a gay porn business with underage boys, whom they get off the streets. Boys who have been victimized, abused or run away from home and are an easy prey for the mob. The Special Agent Angus Green makes to his essential mission to save those kids, to find the core of the evil and to destroy it.

I have to admit: the beginning of the book , and I liked it much more than the rest of the book. As the investigation progressed the dynamics dropped and the book became long-winded and at the end, FOR MY PERSONAL LIKING rather a chore than a reading joy.

I normally like books with an investigation routine. The books, where the research and perfect analytic skills of an investigator plays a very important role. But here I was very close to give up. SORRY.

There were many talking - talking with witnesses, friends, colleagues, there were many walking around - a gym, bars, shelters, streets, and there were many thinking (around). AND it all happened in a very mo-no-to-n-ous way for my taste. Maybe if the book would have been a bit shorter, it had exhibited more dynamics.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t ask for more Hollywood-like actions and twists. But even some little actions in between, and a few corps didn’t affect a boring pace of the story.

My further personal problem was the first person pov. I didn’t feel the main character the way I should. First person POV belongs to my FAVORITE narration, but here it would bemaybe better to chose the third person pov. I really don't know.

All in all, the series is NOT bad, and it will for sure find its fans. But I think I'm not among them.

It is pity, because Neil S. Plakcy CAN write.


**Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
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I'm sorry to say that I couldn't finish this. I have a hard time with a story told from the first person perspective, and I found it impossible to connect to Angus. The switch in tenses and uneven grammar only added to that and just made it difficult to read. The awkward way information about the characters and laws and such was presented didn't help either.

The case itself and the setting are interesting and I requested this because I love FBI stories. But no matter how I tried, I couldn't get into the story and ultimately concluded this simply wasn't for me.

I received a review copy of Nobody Rides For Free by Neil S. Plakcy from Diversion Books. It's the second book in the Angus Green series, but I haven't read the first one yet. Nobody Rides For Free is a gay-themed whodunit mystery novel featuring red-headed, sophomoric FBI agent Angus Green. The story is light on the romance and heavy on the criminal investigation. It's probably as close to a police procedural as possible for readers of gay fiction. If you like gay culture, behind-the-scenes looks at how law enforcement could plausibly work, and convoluted mysteries, then this book is for you.
The eponymous Angus Green narrates the story. I didn't find his voice to be as engaging or relatable as the voices of my favorite narrators, but the story worked by keeping me drawn in with the steady progression of evidence gathering. Despite my complaints with Angus, Neil S. Plakcy shows mastery of the mystery genre because the story was makes sense, the conclusions are based on the evidence, and every detail is a clue.
Overall, I rate this book 4.5/5 which rounds up to a 5. My lack of resonance with Angus Green prevented this book from going from good to great in my eyes, but my appreciation of the novel's execution prevented me from rating it with the other books I've rated 4/5.

An excellent procedural about a segment of the population that is seldom covered. I liked the straightforward character of Angus Green. Off to find the first book in the series.

FBI Special Agent Angus Green is working on a case to help find drug dealers and stop under age porn. The case takes Agent Angus on a twisting and very unexpected ride.