Shadows of the Dead: A Special Tracking Unit Novel

Spencer Kope

Aug 2020 · Special Tracking Unit Book 3 · Sold by Minotaur Books

About this ebook

The best tracker in the world, a man with a secret and a special set of skills, must find two nearly untraceable killers before time runs out for their victims, in Spencer Kope's Shadows of the Dead.

A woman—abducted and found in the trunk of a car after a high-speed chase—regains consciousness in the ICU to reveal two crucial pieces of information: the man who kidnapped her is not the same as the man who left her in the woods, and she's not the first victim—in fact, she is number eight.

Magnus “Steps” Craig is part of the elite three-man Special Tracking Unit of the FBI. Known for his ability to find and follow trails over any surface, Steps is called in on cases that require his unparalleled skills. But there’s a secret to his talent. Steps has a kind of synesthesia where he can see the ‘essence’ of a person—what he calls ‘shine’—on everything they’ve touched.

Brought in to track the driver through a dense forest after the blood hounds have lost his trail, Steps and his partner Jimmy find the driver laughing maniacally, babbling about souls, and hiding a pristinely maintained box of eight posed rats. Now the Special Tracking Unit must chase two villains—through not just the real world, but the dark web as well—tracking an enemy they can't see, as time runs out for the unknown victims.

Ratings and reviews

A different take on a FBI Thriller. Magnus “Steps”Craig is on the FBI Special Tracking Team. He has a unique gift he calls the shine that helps him catch the killer. Perfect for fans of Robert Crais and John Sandford. There is humor along with the very serious subject of a crazy , creepy serial killer know as The Onion King. This is my first book by this author and I have not read the first 2 books. “ All things considered, I suppose pushing a stuck car from the mud in Sasquatch country isn’t so bad.” Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the arc copy for my honest opinion.

Suspense, mystery , murder with some "shine" woven through. First read for me and I was not lost. I am intrigued enough to want to read book1 and 2. This was in depth and I could not afford to gloss or skim any part. Without knowing before hand the author was a Criminal Investigator, you know this book is different, You feel the reality in the book wrapped with that special "shine". There are twists as Steps and Jimmy investigate with the help of Diane (IT person) and the ending made the book. Thank you for the arc, Net Galley. Spencer Kope and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read a new author and indulge in some thrills. I voluntarily share my true thoughts and opinions.

About the author

SPENCER KOPE is the author of Collecting the Dead (a finalist for the Barry Award for Best Thriller) and Whispers of the Dead, the first two novels featuring Steps and the Special Tracking Unit. He is also the Crime Analyst for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office in Washington State. Currently assigned to the Detectives Division, he provides case support to detectives and deputies. He lives in Washington State.