Title: Whispers of the Dead by Spencer Kope
Special Tracking Unit Series Book Two
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Paranormal
Length: 324 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
A series of bizarre murders—the victims nearly unidentifiable—forces FBI tracker “Steps” Craig to match wits with the most cold-blooded killer he’s ever encountered.
There has been a murder, but not only is the identity of the victim unknown, most of the body itself is missing. All that’s been found is a pair of feet, stored in a portable cooler, and left in the house of a Federal judge in El Paso, Texas. The killer apparently broke into the judge’s house, left his grizzly message, and disappeared without a trace. With no clues as to the killer, the person killed, or the intent behind the cooler, all the authorities really know is that this likely isn’t the killer’s first—or his last—victim.
Magnus “Steps” Craig is an FBI agent and an elite tracker, easily the best in the world. Steps is renowned for his incredible ability to find and follow trails over any surface. As part of the three-man special team, FBI’s Special Tracking Unit (STU), he is called in on cases where his skills are indispensable. But there’s a secret to his skill. Steps has a kind of synesthesia, an ability that allows him to see whatever each particular person has touched in a unique color—what Steps calls ‘shine.’ His ability is known to only a few people—his father, the director of the FBI, and his partner, Special Agent Jimmy Donovan.
While the Special Tracking Unit tries to grapple with the gruesome scene in El Paso, they soon discover another, earlier victim. Once again, only the feet—in a disposable icebox—were left behind. With almost no clues besides the body parts, Steps and his team find themselves enmeshed in the most difficult case of their careers. And The Icebox Killer has only just begun.
Review:
Whispers of the Dead by Spencer Kope is an innovative mystery starring a protagonist with an unusual skill that is utilized while solving murders. This second installment in the Special Tracking Unit series can stand on its own, but I highly recommend Collecting the Dead as well.
Tracker Magnus “Steps” Craig and his partner Special Agent Jimmy Donovan are two members of the FBI’s Special Tracking Unit. Steps has an unusual ability to “see” a person’s “shine” (aura) and this allows him to track people associated with their cases. Of course, since no one would take these cases seriously based on Steps’ findings, he and Jimmy work together to find the physical evidence to back up what the “shine” reveals to him. Helping them with research and other assorted administrative tasks is FBI Analyst Diane Parker, who remains in the dark about Steps’ special skill.
Steps and Jimmy’s current case begins with the discovery of a pair of frozen feet left in a judge’s home in El Paso. Steps, of course, immediately zeros in on both the victim’s and suspect’s shine but who either of them are remains a huge mystery. Steps comes up with a clever way to narrow down the victim pool, but will he and Jimmy uncover his identity? When another pair of feet are left in a defense attorney’s home in Tucson, the killer’s shine is the same as the first scene. In this case, Jimmy and Steps have a much easier time identifying the victim. When the victims’ corpses begin to turn up, Jimmy and Steps find themselves in Baton Rouge and various other places in Texas. The trail then leads the FBI agents to New Mexico where they are in a race against time to uncover the killer’s identity and the (heartbreaking) motive for these gruesome murders.
Steps and Jimmy are partners on the job, but they also share a close friendship. They consider each other family and they are protective of one another even though they occasionally get on each other’s nerves. The banter between them is absolutely hilarious and it is quite fun to picture them on their car trips.
Whispers of the Dead is a riveting mystery that is fast-paced and engaging. All of the characters are well-developed and multi-faceted with true to life traits. Steps’ ability to see a person’s “shine” is a clever addition to his sleuthing repertoire and it is very easy to visualize how the process works. Spencer Kope keeps the killer’s identity and motive for the crimes tightly under wraps until the novel’s exciting conclusion. The brief glimpses of the case that has haunted Steps for many years will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment in the the Special Tracking Unit series.