The Next Best Thing by Brooks

Indie Reader listed The Next Best Thing as one of the top 16 reviewed books of the month for November 2019! IR says readers will love its fast-paced action and highly believable characters. Set in an exotic locale with a touch of R-rated sex.

Revenge can twist your soul. Sometimes it take years. Just ask Mason Ray. The ex-CIA officer got his revenge. Big time. Now his revenge is getting him. He's trying to track down a serial killer. Can he pull it together enough to stop Joey from taking the life of one last woman. And what about that woman, a beautiful redhead. Not what he expected.
Readers love The Next Best Thing. . .

"The author's pacing was perfect (fast, just the way I like it). . . Page after page I found myself marveling at what a great read this was. . . the conclusion was both satisfying and heartfelt."
". . .couldn't put it down!"
". . .strong plot and fascinating characters. . ."
". . .enjoyed it immensely."
". . .a real page-turner."
". . .flair for painting images with words."
". . . drew me in immediately & I had a hard time putting it down until the end!"

It's hard not to like Joey Jackson. He oozes charm to go with his good looks. Young women are especially taken by him. Right up until he kills them. Ex-CIA officer Mason Ray, a man who once committed a terrible act himself, plans to find him and stop him. For good.

In his debut novel, Brooks weaves a character-rich story through exotic locales in Malaysia. The year is 1987. It's prime time for young travelers from around the world to discover the beauties and mysteries of the long-time British colony. If you like a good thriller about a serial killer, buy The Next Best Thing today.

Joey is a complex guy. On one hand, he's irresistible to young women. He is attractive, for sure. But it's more than that. He's so sincere. And those eyes. It's as if he is looking right into their souls. And then there is the Joey they never wished they met. The one who coldly and without second thought slices his pearl-handled knife through their throats. To Joey, it's his job. He's a thief who is getting rid of the only witness.

Mason is Joey's worst nightmare. The dad of one of Joey's victims hires the skilled ex-CIA agent to find the sonofabitch and stop him. Permanently. But something about this case unearths a god-awful thing Mason had done years before. It was an act that seemed so righteous to him at the time. Yet, the consequences were so staggering that his mind had suppressed it. No more. The full extent of what he had done comes flooding back into his mind. It threatens his sanity. Yet, he presses on.

Then Joey targets a woman who, he tells his only confidant, will be his last victim. Jessica Stone is a beautiful, smart 33-year-old widow from Seattle. Joey figures she can set him up for life.

Tightly written and fast paced, if you're not put off by a dollop of steamy sex and a little bloody violence, then dive into The Next Best Thing today.