Next Victim (Tess McCallum & Abby Sinclair Book 2)

This book was an absolutely great read. I almost missed my train stop on more than one occasion. The characters were great, the story kept moving and I wanted to read every chance I got. Onto the next book in this series as soon as I find it.

Another great tale from Michael Prescott.

I downloaded this book after reading The Shadow Hunter. Based on the description in parentheses, I assumed Abby Sinclair (from The Shadow Hunter) would be featured in it at some point. Given the nature of her work and the fact that a psycho-sexual serial killer was featured in Next Victim, I kept expecting the author to bring her into the mix at some point. It never happened. While I was disappointed, I also was interested enough in the character of Tess McCallum to keep reading. Prescott did a great job of keeping the real killer's identity concealed until the very end. I am usually pretty good at figuring out the "who dunnit" part of these kinds of suspenseful mysteries, but this one succeeded in keeping me guessing until the author was ready to make his big reveal.

My only complaint about this book was it was a bit hard to follow in the beginning. First with the flashback, and then with all the back and forth introducing new characters. I had a bit of trouble keeping it all straight at first.

If you enjoy a good mystery, I recommend this book. Considering book 3 and on in this series apparently feature both Sinclair and McCallum, it might be advisable to read The Shadow Hunter as well if you haven't already.

With "Next Victim," Prescott comes to full fruition with his damsel in distress/psycho villain themes. This one's true culprit is a real shocker to me. The plot involves a serial killer named Mobius who has been killing women both in Denver and then two years later in Los Angeles. FBI agent Tess McCallum has a special interest in this case, as one of Mobius' victims was her partner/lover Paul Voorhees. Add to this a woman who has a secret chemical weapon she intends to sell to the highest bidder, which she stole from the government, and who makes the mistake of going to bed with none other than Mobius, and then who gets the disastrous chemical? Mobius! The identity of Mobius is concealed quite effectively and just when you think you know who it is, whammo...the revelation is pretty effective! The use of the "Wipeout" killing introduced in the prologue is chilling and its continued tie-in effective.
There are some obnoxious characters aside from the villian too: the disgusting cop Jim Dodge; the obnoxious FBI agent Michaelson, and the sexual pervert Hayde. A good book from a developing writer who seems to be finding his niche.
RECOMMENDED.

A little over three years ago, a serial killer nicknamed Mobius killed four women in the Denver area. FBI agent Tess McCallum, assigned to the Denver bureau, was working the case when Mobius decided to take her out. He got into her apartment but instead of killing Tess who wasn't there, he killed her lover and partner.
Two years have passed and Mobius has resurfaced in Las Angeles by killing three women using the same modus operandi that he did in Denver. Tess is brought into the case but this time the stakes are even higher. The fourth victim was carrying a chemical nerve weapon and Mobius not only knows what it is, he plans to use it. By bypassing rules, regulations and the chain of command, Tess intends to stop him any way she can.
NEXT VICTIM is a chilling thriller about a weapon of mass destruction in the hands of a psychopathic madman with a score to settle. The story itself focuses on that maniacs do not have to be heads of state to obtain deadly arms. The heroine, far from destroyed by her first engagement with Mobius, is ready to do whatever needs to be done to take him down and out. She is a human being to be admired because she puts the needs of others first. Michael Prescott scores again with this exciting suspense thriller.
Harriet Klausner

Sometimes, in the course of reading the work of a talented author who thinks up good concepts, knows the mechanics of good storytelling, writes interesting dialogue, and creates compelling characters, one has to wonder how much creative control they actually have and how much better they could've made their book if left to their own expert devices instead of being comprised by editorial micro-managing. I got an inkling of how Alex Kava's light was obscured by the editorial bushel while reading SPLIT SECOND and I couldn't help but speculate on the same thing while reading Michael Prescott's latest thriller (he'd wanted to name it WIPEOUT but the publisher choose the breathtakingly bland NEXT VICTIM).

A woman on the run from the FBI is carrying a canister of VX nerve agent and is intercepted by a serial killer, who then absconds with it and plans to use it on an unsuspecting Los Angeles. This is the best concept in recent fiction since Jan Burke's BONES (2001).

Not all the book's flaws can be blamed on editing, however- as one reviewer rightly posits, Mobius suffers from the talking villain syndrome, whereas the pieces could've come together in a more organic way, through skillful exposition or having Special Agent Tess McCallum, the book's heroine, tell the reader in her POV. Also, in the ATSAC HQ, Tess is actually relieved when it turns out that Mobius has VX in his possession, instead of the ebola that Tess had feared. I don't know of a single human who would ever be relieved to be dealing with VX, surely the deadliest substance ever engineered by Man.

But NEXT VICTIM'S virtues far outweigh its flaws and the characterization of the principals is good enough to garner sympathy for both antagonist and protagonist. and, while it's obligatory for the heroine to engage the villain in the Endgame in which the heroine (of course) wins, Prescott thankfully was able to break away from his usual DIE HARD-esque ending that involves a tall, abandoned/unfinished building to give the reader a more novel denouement.

As usual, I'll be on the lookout for the talented Prescott's next outing, hoping for both a hardcover deal for him and less editorial interference.

Wowza!!! This is definitely his best book. I have read most of them and loved them all but this one, I downloaded and read all the while I was making dinner. I couldn't put it down.
I wont go into details as there are already 75 reviews on this book, but if you have a kindle, you can get it free on Kindle free (10) program and if not the 5.00 price is worth every penny.... Great, great book.

Fast paced and relevant, it portrayed an environment that could be a reality today. Terror and chemical warfare in the U.S. is difficult to think about. The characters were not very likeable and I hope our law enforcement agencies work together and lose the attitudes.

We are always looking over our shoulders, careful about what information getting out about ourselves. But sometimes real terror right beside us and we know them. Very good thriller, might keep you up all night.

This is my first book by Michael Prescott, and although I was not dissappointed, I do not think it lived up to the hype on the cover. It is not a bad book, and it some places it the plot gets quite tense. Good story line, average characters that we have seen before add up to a mediocre book. I have a couple of other books by Mr. Prescott that I hope are more interesting.

The book says Michael Prescott. The copyright at the of the book says"2002 copyright Douglas Borton". What's going on, the store? Are we pushing books under Kindle Unlimited by name-branding obscure authors? Very misleading -consult your legal department.

Michael Prescott gets better with every novel he writes. This one is about Tess McCallum, an FBI agent who has been trying to capture a serial killer whose victims indluded Tess' lover. The killer has been silent for a while, but now has resurfaced with the same MO but in Los Angeles instead of Denver. Worse still is the fact that he has acquired a new weapon that will kill thousands if he is not stopped. This page turner is guaranteed to keep readers awake far into the night.

This is another amazing book by Michael Prescott! 'Next Victim' examines the race in time for the FBI to find a serial killer who has moved from Denver to Los Angeles. The story is complex with surprises and twists and turns that will have you reading late into the night.