Rookie FBI agent Angus Green thinks he is going to the local gay bar just to win the strip trivia game so he can send his baby brother, Danny, some money towards his Italy trip. Imagine his shock when he sees not one, but two colleagues that are there sniffing out a source who called in a potential robbery at the upcoming jewelry event in sunny Florida. When they catch Angus after the game, they pull him in on the case, giving the young agent his first big break at the agency. However, that one tip leads where no one ever expects and before he can blink, Angus has uncovered a murder, unearthed evidence of an illegal drug ring, and much, much more. Before Angus knows it he is knee deep in multiple cases all leading back to his jewelry heist and is on his way to proving himself as more than just a wet behind the ears rookie.

Author Neil S. Plakcy offers up a classic whodunit mystery in his latest release, The Next One Will Kill You. The action is swift, Angus is both determined and laser focused, and this novel goes a long way in establishing what I hope will be an ongoing series of gumshoe novels featuring this extremely likeable and down to earth FBI agent.

While the story was not terribly long on character development, what it did do (and very well) was set up the key players that will be the focus of this new series. We are introduced to several team members on the FBI; Angus’s brother Danny; Lester, potential boyfriend to Angus; and Jonas, his roommate. Interweaving these intros with a multi-layered jewel heist/murder/street drug cartel, and suddenly we had a great deal of action that kept me interested and the story moving along. Unfortunately, with so many balls in the air, there was not a lot of time to get to know Angus well—but he was compelling enough to make me want to learn more about him and that is exactly what you want in a first installment.

I am really looking forward to the next Angus Green story. If it is as well crafted and exciting as the first, this is sure to be a series that many will be flocking to read.

This mystery was fun and light on the thrills but still serious enough to entertain someone like me, a lover of noir and other hardboiled detective series. Our protagonist, Angus Green, is a plucky accountant for the FBI who gets his first real case offered to him after a gay bar trivia contest—where he ends up in his skivvies, puking drunk. Maybe he wasn’t exactly interview material, but he certainly left an impression. There’s something to be said about being in the right place at the right time.

Agent Green understands he’s being used for his insider knowledge and connections—an informant has gone missing from the local gay community, and fellow agents can’t get a word out of anyone. His job is to ingratiate himself with those suspected of involvement, and lead the more experienced agents to the trail. However, this is his first case, and Green isn’t about to do anything half-assed. With his strong work ethic and a certain flair for the dramatic, he cracks the case wide open. What started out as a simple missing person case quickly finds him in over his head.

Despite his naivety, Green was a fairly stable protagonist. He has a steady job, a good relationship with his brother (who I’m guessing we’ll see more of in the later books), and though he has a wild side, his ethics are sound. It’s the people around Green who create most of his drama. His brother is in the middle of being investigated for theft, the gay club he’s frequented for years is teaming with people of dubious morals, and his bright red hair and good looks make him a magnet for love trouble. He meets an alluring man during his investigation, but we don’t get to spend much time with him—right when things warm up in bed, Green’s case gets hot.

Not only is he green in his work, but despite his endearing qualities, Agent Green clearly has a bit of growing up to do. Plakcy exposes us to the very real ageism in gay culture. In the beginning, Green’s attitudes concerning older gay men seem to be those of his peers—in that most of them believe older gay men are to be tolerated at best, but his views shift. During his investigation he befriends an older gay man and the two form a unique partnership. I respected how, in the short span of a novel, Green experiences a subtle but significant change in his outlook, and that leads him to ultimately getting what he wants out of life, which is the sensation of competence in his craft. He has potential.

This series also has potential. The first novel admittedly felt as if it were introducing the major players while providing us with an entertaining plot, but it sort of neglected a more in depth feel of any of the characters. I’m looking forward to digging into them in the future works.