A twenty-something gay FBI agent tackles his first big cases with heart and smarts.
Assigned to South Florida for his first posting, Angus Green is worlds away from his hardscrabble upbringing in Scranton, PA. He has to cope with ethnic distinctions he's never considered, a multitude of foreign languages spoken around him, and a range of crimes and criminals that boggles his mind.
While investigating a jewelry heist with its roots in Fort Lauderdale's gay neighborhoods, Angus must learn how to use his education, his intelligence and his good looks without losing track of who he is and what he stands for. The street quickly teaches him that the only way to face a challenge is to assume that he'll survive this one--that it'll be the next one that will kill him.
In his second case, Angus discovers that gay teens are being sexually abused by a pornographer in the same neighborhood where he lives, and he has to bring his intelligence, his determination and his unique insights to save these young men.
The case takes him from Fort Lauderdale's seamy underbelly to boisterous beachfront bars where big-fish Russian emigres launder illegal cash. He'll befriend a beautiful Russian-American undercover agent and rekindle a romance with a man who makes him feel protected. In the end, he'll learn the truth of a saying he learned as a boy -- there is a price to pay for every decision we make. Nobody rides for free.
In the third installment in the series, Fort Lauderdale retiree Frank Sena is working with pawn shop owner Jesse Venable to retrieve a painting stolen from Frank’s uncle, a gay Venetian killed during the Holocaust. Angus volunteers to help Frank, and discovers Venable is the subject of a task force looking into smuggling immigrants out of war-torn countries in the Middle East.
Angus, who knows nothing about art and speaks no Italian, may be in over his head as he is assigned to befriend, and ultimately betray, Venable. But with the help of his Italian-speaking brother and his art-loving boyfriend, he may be able not only to retrieve the painting, but solve a smuggling case and potentially save thousands of lives. The investigation will take him from the sun-drenched rooftops of Venice to a private yacht speeding down Fort Lauderdale’s New River. Along the way, he’ll learn the true meaning of survival.
Kirkus Reviews says, "Plakcy's characters... charm" and Publishers Weekly writes "readers will look forward to seeing a lot more of Angus."
I have been a voracious reader all my life, mostly in mystery, romance, and science fiction/fantasy, though a college degree in English did push a lot of literary works into my list of favorites.
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I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment with A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn't know I was gay then, but I knew I was longing for an emotional connection with a best friend. That desire shows up across my writing, from romance to mystery to adventure. I am lucky to have found my special person, and I want to inspire readers to make those connections, to one person or a found family.
It took getting an MFA in creative writing to kick-start my career. That's where I honed my technical skills and began to understand what kind of storyteller I am.
I remember reading Freddie the Detective about a very smart pig inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I’ve always believed that dogs make the best detectives. They notice what humans miss — a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief inspired my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps his human, Steve Levitan, nose out the truth.
My passion is telling stories where community, loyalty, and sometimes love solve problems just as much as clues do. Whether it’s a cozy mystery in Bucks County, a thriller on the streets of Miami, or a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun, I want readers to feel the heartbeat of the place and the people.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up, and now I want to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my own goldens, teaching writing, or daydreaming about my next story. Since then I've written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and enjoyed the support of readers.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work — from a café where dogs guide healing, to a fraternity house in South Beach, to a police unit in Honolulu.
My goal is simple: to write stories that feel grounded in real people and real places, but with enough twists, romance, or danger to keep you turning pages late into the night.
I hope you'll visit my website, where you can sign up for my occasional newsletter, and also follow my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
I read book 4 first, not knowing it was a continuation of these 3 books! I loved these books! Neil Plakcy writes in a way that reels you in so you want to keep reading to find out what happens next!