Collecting the Dead - Spencer Kope

Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope


First Paragraph:

She had small feet.
     I say she had small feet because to say she has small feet would imply that she's still alive.  She isn't.  I know.  I always know.  It's my special ability, my burden, my curse.  The others think we're searching for a missing jogger, perhaps hurt or lost but certainly alive.  I can't tell them we're too late; how would I explain such knowledge?


My Thoughts:

I really, really liked this debut crime novel by Spencer Kope. And, happily, it seems that this is the beginning of a series. Magnus 'Steps' Craig is part of the FBI's Special Tracking Unit. He and his best buddy, Special Agent Jimmy Donovan, work tirelessly to track and find criminals and their victims. What Steps and Jimmy don't share with other law enforcement agencies is the ability that Steps possesses - a type of synesthesia that allows him to see the 'shine' or the 'essence' of other people. Steps can track anyone over any surface. But, this ability has come at a price. I loved the characters in this book - Steps, Jimmy, and other team members. There was humor and sorrow and an intriguing story. Can't wait for the next book! This one is highly recommended.


Blurb:

Magnus "Steps" Craig is part of the elite three-man Special Tracking Unit of the FBI. Called in on special cases where his skills are particularly needed, he works as a tracker. The media dubs him "The Human Bloodhound," since Steps is renowned for his incredible ability to find and follow trails over any surface better than anyone else. But there's a secret to his success. Steps has a special ability---a kind of synesthesia---where he can see the 'essence' of a person, something he calls 'shine,' on everything they've touched. His ability is known to only a few people---his father, the director of the FBI, and his partner, Special Agent Jimmy Donovan.

When the remains of a murdered woman are found, Steps recognizes the shine left by the murderer from another crime scene with a physically similar victim. And he uncovers the signature at both scenes---the mark of a sad face. At the same time, another killer, one Steps has dubbed Leonardo and has been trying to track for over ten years, appears again, taunting Steps. But while Steps tries to find a clue that will lead him to Leonardo, the case of the Sad Face Killer heats up. The team uncovers eleven possible victims: missing women who fit the same pattern. Using his skill and the resources of the Bureau, it is a race against time to find the killer before it's too late.