Customer Reviews

Next Victim

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

I have read and really, really liked all of Michael Prescott's past books. I have gotten tension headaches from the suspense and action he puts into them. This one, however, just didn't grab like his others did. And the ending really didn't surprise me - I already had an idea of who it was. (Maybe I've been reading too many of these type of books.) I would still recommend Next Victim, but if you had to choose between reading The Shadow Hunter or Next Victim, opt for The Shadow Hunter.

I just want to say I love all of Michael Prescott's books. I read his first one, "Come's The Dark", and I had to go out and get all of the others. Once I start one, I can't put it down. This book really has a great twist at the end, I loved it!! I really look forward to his next one, and hope he has another one on the way!!

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.

Tess McCallum is an FBI agent who is determined to find and destroy the psychopath (Mobius) who murdered her lover and former partner. Mobius has been dormant for several years when Tess gets a summons from her former boss, Assistant Director Gerald Andrus, bringing her to L.A. to investigate a suspect who seems frighteningly similar to Mobius. At the same time a suspect in another FBI investigation turns up dead and the nerve gas she is carrying disappears. Again the M.O. of the murder is reminiscent of Mobius. Are these cases related and do they have anything to do with Mobius? Can a sociopath evolve into a terrorist who will unleash the nerve gas onto the unsuspecting L.A.populace? More important will Tess find Mobius before he puts his plans into effect? The story twists and turns until the satisfying conclusion. Although it lacks some of the charachter development and emotional impact of his previous works I enjoyed 'Next Victim' as I do all of Prescott's books.

Next Victim is the latest work from Michael Prescott. He deserves to be a top seller like Koontz and Connelly, but unfortuantely, he is not. He is a better writer than either of them and his plots rocket along with a crisp determination. Tess McCallum is on the trail of Mobius, a serial killer who worked out of Denver before disappearing and resurfacing in Los Angeles. Tess has a score to settle with Mobius because he murdered her partner and significant other when he had the unfortunate luck to be home instead of her. Mobius sent her postcards on occasion to push her buttons and keep himself interested and in control. Her career stalled out after her partner's death and she gets a shot at redemption when Mobius resurfaces in the City of Angels. She is called in to help with the investigation, much to the chagrin of the LA agents. They feel that she is still affected by the death and that she will be of no help in the investigation. Things surface to make things more intriguing when it seems like Mobius has gotten a hold of some very deadly nerve agent and everyone is afraid that he will use it to devastating effect in Los Angeles. There are many plot twists and all are resolved neatly and satisfyingly. Michael Prescott is also author of the Brian Harper novels like the "Prey" series and the "Sh" series (Shudder, Shatter and Shiver). All of his books are superb and memorable. More people should discover his books. They are very enjoyable and he deserves a much larger audience. Michael Prescott is a pseudonym for Douglas Borton. He may have written more books under other names besides Prescott and Harper. If he has, I would like to know about them. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

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.

This was my first Michael Prescott novel and I found it surprisingly enjoyable. The plot was creative, I learned a few things and the suspense kept me raptly reading late into the night. Like most books of this genre, things get a little silly toward the end of the book, and the protagonist is, of course, only a little less accomplished than God, and everything happens within a two-day time span and the universe is saved within a second or two of oblivion, etc. But, knowing in advance that's how most of these books unfold, the reader can just sit back and enjoy the show. I'd say Prescott is a cut above most thriller writers, so I intend now to order the rest of his books through Amazon and enjoy them.

Possibly the best thriller I have read in a long time. Very well planned plot and the characters were believable. Descriptions of characters' dress, mannerisms and speech created brilliant word pictures for the reader. The tension build up towards the end of the book had me sitting on the edge of my seat. A surprise ending.

Great story line and interesting plot. Prescott hit a grand slam on this one. This book was such an intense thriller, I read it in two days.