Collecting the Dead

April 18, 2016
FBI agent Magnus “Steps” Craig, the narrator of Kope’s compelling debut and series launch, can see the psychic residue—the “shine”—that people, both dead and alive, leave behind them. He uses this peculiar gift as the lead investigator in the FBI’s Special Tracking Unit. Steps is obsessed with a killer he’s dubbed Leonardo, because of the way the murderer, who’s still at large, displays his victims as the Vitruvian Man. More urgently, Steps’s attention is focused on a prolific killer with a penchant for murdering young women in Northern California. After finding a frowning face etched in shine—think of it as colorful paint invisible to everyone but Steps—the agent and his team begin calling the serial killer the Sad Face Killer. Steps knows that Sad Face’s latest abductee is still alive, thanks to the shine on a locket of hers, so it’s a race against time to find her before Sad Face kills her. Kope, the crime analyst for the Whatcom County (Wash.) Sheriff’s Office, has introduced a tortured soul who’s a welcome addition to the library of crime fiction heroes. Agent: Kimberly Cameron, Kimberly Cameron & Associates.

Starred review from April 15, 2016
A quirky hero who chases the worst of serial killers with a bit of supernatural help makes Kope's debut novel a winner. Magnus "Steps" Craig can see people when they're not there. Well, not really. What Steps sees is what he and his FBI partner, Jimmy Donovan, refer to as "shine." It's like a colorful, textured left-behind residue that envelops everyone Steps meets; and each person's shine is totally his or her own. Steps and Jimmy are the heart of the Special Tracking Unit of the FBI, which looks for lost and abducted people and the criminals who take them. For years, Steps has searched unsuccessfully for a terrible killer he knows as Leonardo, who leaves his victims posed like DaVinci's Vitruvian Man. But, so far, that killer's remained at large. Now Steps and Jimmy, working out of their Washington state headquarters, are chasing a serial murderer they've dubbed The Sad Face Killer--a particularly vicious man who abducts young women, keeps them captive for a while, then brutally kills them. Steps knows the murderer's shine and those of his victims, and he and Jimmy follow him from state to state and county to county, trying to catch him before he slays his latest captive. Kope, a professional crime analyst, brings a refreshing authenticity to his work, then raises the stakes several notches by giving Steps, from whose point of view the story unravels, a unique, funny, and intriguing voice. Crammed with characters who will capture readers' attention and writing that leaves much of the field in the dust, Kope's novel features a character who is different, talented, sympathetic, and gifted with great heart. He's surrounded by both ultracompetent investigative staffers and the worst criminals humanity has to throw at him. The combination is a winning one. Kope's fascinating debut will place Steps Craig alongside Walt Longmire, Jack Reacher, and Charlie Parker as an enduring literary hero.

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May 1, 2016
FBI Agent Magnus Craig is known as the Human Bloodhound because he has a secret sense for hunting serial killers. Craig can see the shine that people leave behindalmost akin to an auraand this supernatural ability allows him to follow criminals. Craig and his partner, Special Agent Jimmy Donovan, are currently on the trail of the Smiley Face Killer, who leaves a mark behindyes, a smiley facethat only Craig can see. Unfortunately, just as the detectives think they can close in on the current suspect, the shine from a serial killer they've been tracking for years to no avail shows up, pulling Craig's focus. Kope's debut thriller is tightly plotted and moves quickly. There is just enough tension without too much blood, and Craig's sixth sense is totally believable. Readers who like strong characters like Charlie Parker and Jack Reacher will find much to enjoy in Magnus Craig, and will eagerly await his next appearance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2016

Part of the FBI's elite, three-man Special Tracking Unit, Magnus "Steps" Craig is gifted with the ability to sense a person's essence, or shine. When he detects a shine lingering about a woman's desecrated remains, he starts tracking a serial killer possibly connected to 11 other victims. Steaming in-house excitement for this debut by Kope, a crime analyst for Washington's Whatcom County sheriff's office.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2016

Magnus Craig, aka Steps, is a member of the FBI Special Tracking Unit, but he doesn't use ordinary methods to assess clues. He employs his special power, "shine," which allows him to see an essence, a distinct color and vibration, everywhere a person has been. Since only his partner Jimmy knows about this paranormal talent, Steps has to pretend to be the "human bloodhound" that people expect. His new case involves the Sad Face Killer, who has kidnapped, killed, and mutilated multiple women. Steps knows that some of the victims are still alive, and he and Jimmy must save them before their shine fades. Quirky supporting characters offer a humorous counterbalance to the otherwise foreboding story line. Kope keeps readers engaged in the case by being detailed enough without bombarding them with police jargon. With a hint of the supernatural a la Stephen King, this debut novel by a crime analyst for the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office, WA, is a gripping crime drama that recalls Richard Montanari's "Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano" series or Chelsea Cain's novels featuring Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell. VERDICT Readers who enjoy serial killer novels will be talking about this book for months. [See Prepub Alert, 12/14/15; library marketing.]--Natalie Browning, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community Coll. Lib., Richmond, VA

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.