About this item
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.
About the Author
I started writing while serving in the Navy in the early 80s. I was a Russian linguist with the Naval Security Group at a time when the Cold War was still going strong. After my enlistment, I worked as an intelligence analyst and then a project manager for the Office of Naval Intelligence. You'd think this experience would have led me to write espionage novels, but it wasn't meant to be. Mind you I tried, but my heart wasn't in it. Instead, I wrote horror stories and tales of a dystopian future. There were plenty of short stories, attempts at novels, and then novels. And while I've always had an incredible imagination, my early writing skills were pathetic. It's been said that to become a master at anything, one need only practice that art for ten thousand hours. Well, it's taken three decades, but I've walked that road; I've done my ten thousand hours. I'm no longer afraid to share my work, and I find that my own words can make me smile, laugh, and even bring me to tears. Often, particularly when I'm supposed to be editing, I find myself being sucked into my own story. I finally quit the intelligence business in 1999, and, beginning in 2004, started a new career as a crime analsyt. And while I still enjoy writing a variety of genres, particularly young adult, my career in law enforcement prompted me to write "Collecting the Dead," the first in a series about the fictional Special Tracking Unit. Named by Kirkus Reviews as one of the Best Books of 2016, and nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller, "Collecting the Dead" launched the new series with a bang. Best of all, I love the characters and the premise of the series, and look forward to writing these books for years to come.
