Backtracker

by Jason Koenig

Meet the ultimate serial killer. The Miraclemaker comes and goes like a ghost in the night, taking lives by the score as if he were Death himself. The streets run red with the blood of his victims. Only one man knows he exists, one man who loses everyone he ever cared about, one by one, to the hands of the killer. This man, Dave Heinrich, sets out on a desperate hunt to stop the Miraclemaker at any cost. But does Dave stand a chance against a murderer who just might have a connection to terrifyingly dark and powerful supernatural forces? A murderer whose deepest secret could rock Dave's world to its very foundations? Bodies pile up...time runs out...and the mystery of the Backtracker is about to unleash the ultimate evil and bring about a blood-drenched hell on Earth. Don't miss this exciting tale by storyteller Jason Koenig, a master of unique and unexpected supernatural thrillers that really pack a punch.

ebook

First published October 14, 2011

Reviews

[Mary Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book. What an experience. It's a long one with a long journey. But it kept me enthralled the whole time. This author really gives detail to where the reader feels like they are physically in the story itself. This story had me guessing left and right. Who was the killer? Who was the victim? What was really going on? This is a murder rampage mystery unlike any other. And when I say it's an experience, I mean it. I didn't mind that it was long. I felt like that helped me as the reader really feel every word. And that ending! I didn't see that coming. I love a book that keeps me guessing. And it's open for me. I would like to know more. To see how the future spans out for these characters. I am not giving details on purpose. Each moment of this book is a surprise and I am not going to spoil any of it. This narrator had the perfect voice for the feel of this novel. Overall it's a great thriller that will throw you on a wild ride to figure out what's real and what's something else entirely.

[H. Duby · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be perfectly honest, I am not entirely sure what I just finished reading. I will start by saying that this novel is definitely a time commitment, clocking in at almost 700 pages! Is it worth it? I think I’m going to come down on the side of “yes”, but I was most assuredly confused through large parts of this book. Part of my issue, I think, is the formatting of the book; I wasn’t always sure when the POV had changed. There were also a few continuity errors and some minor editing issues. However, all that being said, this was an interesting book. I will agree with another review in that there was a lot of repetition, but I honestly think that was an important part of the storytelling. Though I have to say that, by the time I finished reading the book, I was either tired of, or really wanted some, chocolate milk.

As I did with the ending Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, I had figured out who the killer was about a third of the way into the book. However, I was very much taken aback by the “why” of the murders. By the end of the novel, however, I am still not sure if the why that we are told is the actual why. Is the killer really who he claims to be? Can Dave, and by extension the reader, really trust this person? There are lies, half-truths, and downright mythic tales that come from the killer, and I am left at the end not really sure who or what to believe. And that, my friends, is the mark of a good storyteller!

While psychological thrillers are not my usual drug of choice when it comes to my fiction, I will definitely be seeking out further novels by Jason Koenig. Due to the graphic nature of some of the descriptions, I would feel comfortable in recommending this to mature readers, 16+.

Reviewed by HR Duby for Romance Authors that Rock

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out well, and even through the book it held up well. Right up until the end where Larry started paying for his so-called trip. At that point, I thought it just fell apart. May have been more of a whole if this payment had been mentioned before it came due, just popping out of nowhere made the book feel forced instead of the carefully narrative it should have felt like.
Except for that little glitch, I liked the book, and thought it was a good murder mystery, the whole supernatural angle just fell flat in my opinion, it wasn't handled well, and in fact could have been left out entirely, and wouldn't have affected the story in the slightest except to remove the falling flat near the end.
If you're a good mystery fan, this book should appeal, if you're a horror fan, it should appeal because of the method of payment, but that part just wasn't executed well, so you're likely to be disappointed, even though it really was an excellent premace.

[TE · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one was super slow. It was also super repetitive. In some places it would repeat the same thing 10 or 20 times. Without the 400 extra pages of redundancy, it might have been an enjoyable read.

For those who want to know: Backtracker has a little language, a little sex, and a lot of violence.

[Andy Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story was ok very much like Dean Kootze book, but it went on to long and I got quite bored with it but managed to get through it.

[Thomas Roth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much repetition in the scenes. Could not finish

[Aviar Savijon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One book that once you read it you will never forget it. Deep in the details its an astonishing thriller of a unique look at a serial killer or is he? I loved it!

[Melody Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really waffled between 2 or 3 stars. I liked the premise of the book, but I think the author missed a chance to tell a good story. At the beginning it was like reading 2 books, as the chapters alternated between stories. The book was halfway through before the 2 came together. While I realize that repetition is an effective literary tool, it loses its effectiveness when it is used on every single page. In some cases, I had to check the previous page to see if I had turned the page. I don't think I would recommend this book to anyone.