5 stars out of 5
When I read Collecting the Dead, the first book in this series, I said in my review that it knocked my socks off. Then I got this one, and there went my toes.
It's absolutely exhilarating to find a new series that's this enjoyable; I love Magnus "Steps" Craig, an agent with the FBI's Special Tracking Unit. He's clever, amusing and "special" in another sense. Ever since surviving a childhood accident, he's had the ability to see "shine" - the essence, or aura, human beings leave behind wherever they go - in glorious living colors. It's not always a welcome talent, though, so he wears special lead crystal glasses that block it out when he doesn't need it on the job. As for that, his ability is a secret except to his partner, Special Agent Jimmy Donovan, his father, the head of the FBI and, of course, readers like me.
That ability is stretched almost to the limit in this book, when it's learned that the body of a female jogger in a wooded area isn't the first. Apparently, a serial killer has been plying his or her trade for years - and the modus operandi smacked of a seriously deranged individual. Steps and Jimmy catch the "perp," and that theory becomes a reality. Also a reality, though, is that at least one someone else is involved - someone who may be more dangerous than the one they caught (if that's possible).
When yet another woman goes missing, time becomes the enemy. The team has a pretty good idea how long they have before this latest kidnapping turns into a murder - and it may not be long enough. It takes the skills of every expert in the Special Tracking Unit, plus the help of other law enforcement officials with whom they routinely work, to identify and locate the person behind the grisly murders. The devil, of course, is in the details - and while I won't reveal any of them, trust me when I say they make for a highly engrossing story that I really, really didn't want to put down.
For the record (and for those who prefer to read books in order), somehow I missed the second installment, Whispers of the Dead, more's the pity. It's a mistake I intend to rectify as soon as possible. Meantime, thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Outstanding!
Shadows of the Dead by Spencer Kope (Minotaur Books, August 2020); 384 pp.
5 stars out of 5
Once in a while a book comes along so good that it's nearly impossible to describe without giving the impression that I must be one of the author's devoted relatives. This one is just that, and no, I'm not. In fact, when I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, I'd never heard of the guy before. This is his debut novel, and from beginning to end, it absolutely blew my socks off.
For openers, I love the main character, Magnus "Steps" Craig. He's smart, funny, a few degrees off center and, because of his uncanny ability to follow trails and turn up clues no one else can, one of three experts on the FBI's Special Tracking Unit. But only he, his partner Special Agent Jimmy Donovan, his father, the head of the FBI and readers know of his very special talent: he's able to visualize what he calls "shine" - sort of like an aura - on everything other people touch. Shine comes in glowing colors and he sees it everywhere - to the point that he must wear special eyeglasses when he doesn't want to be tormented by his nonstop visions.
This time, the team is called in when the remains of a murdered woman are found; immediately, Steps sees the killer's shine and realizes it is the same as he saw at another unsolved murder a couple of years earlier and 200 miles away. He also discovers a mark that prompts investigators to dub the killer Sad Face - a discovery which, when other bodies turn up (all told, nearly a dozen in three states over five years) proves that a serial killer is at work. The main story line follows that investigation to the end (which of course I won't reveal).
At the same time, Steps is fighting other demons from his past; specifically, a killer he calls Leonardo, whom he began to track some 10 years ago. Now, Leonardo's shine turns up once again, weighing heavily on Steps's mind as he tries his best to focus on and solve the case at hand before another victim is unearthed.
The plot is intriguing and well thought out with plenty of action and, at times, gory detail; when I had to stop reading to do something else, I was annoyed that I couldn't put the world aside and keep going. But what I loved most is the awesome writing. Not everything centers on solving the murders; there are recollections of past events, details on the lives of other characters and a lot more - all laid out so interestingly that at no time did my usually impatient self say, "Hey, man, get on with the story." It is also intricate, eloquent, witty and insightful, to-wit:
"The reason a person picks up a book in the first place is a story unto itself. One person picks up Mein Kampf because he's an anti-Semite, another because he wants to learn the origin of monsters."
There's no question that this book, and this character, will stick with me for some time to come. The ending does hint of the likelihood that is the first of a series, and if that's the case, I say bring it on - the sooner the better. I can't wait to see this guy and his team in action again.
Now you'll have to excuse me while I go find my socks - my toes are chilled to the bone.
Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope (Minotaur Books, June 2016); 320 pp.
