The Tracker

Sam Callahan #1

by Chad Zunker

Trust no one.

Sam Callahan learned this lesson from a childhood spent in abusive foster care, on the streets, and locked in juvie. With the past behind him and his future staked on law school, he is moonlighting as a political tracker, paid to hide in crowds and shadow candidates, recording their missteps for use by their opponents. One night, after an anonymous text tip, Sam witnesses a congressional candidate and a mysterious blonde in a motel indiscretion that ends in murder, recording it all on his phone.

Now Sam is a target. Set up to take the fall and pursued by both assassins and the FBI, he is forced to go on the run. Using the street skills forged during his troubled youth — as well as his heightened mental abilities — Sam goes underground until he can uncover who is behind the conspiracy and how far up it goes.

(Revised edition: This edition of The Tracker includes editorial revisions.)

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Crime

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2017

About the author

CHAD ZUNKER is the author of the David Adams legal thriller, An Equal Justice, as well as The Tracker, Shadow Shepherd, and Hunt the Lion in his Sam Callahan series. Chad has worked for some of the country’s most powerful law firms and serves at Community First! Village, a 51-acre master planned community that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. He lives in Austin with his wife, Katie, and their three daughters, and is hard at work on his next novel. For more information visit www.chadzunker.com.

Reviews

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many things to like about this book; fast action, interesting plot, good character development. Sam Callahan is about to graduate from law school and to make extra money he has been hired as a Political Tracker. Their job is to follow politicians running against their chosen candidate to film and record any inappropriate moments. Tens of millions of dollars are spent just for this purpose; to upset any candidate running against their favorite who they want in power. By posting a video of any unbecoming or improper behaviour, the organization knows it will give them the edge for the politician they want to succeed. Sam’s target is a Senator Lucas McCallister, married with children and who is being groomed to become president of the United States. What Sam has just filmed of Lucas in a hotel room will soon have him running for his life including those closest to him. The Tracker is well written and will keep the reader engrossed to the end. My one issue would provide spoilers, but happy to give 4* this book deserves.

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Action packed political thriller with an intelligent and unique lead character.

25 year old law student Sam Callahan has led an unconventional life. He grew up in the foster care system and dealt with his fair share of horrible people and situations. To make some extra money, Sam takes a job as a political tracker, for which his main responsibilities are to attend political candidates’ rallies etc., with the hopes of finding enough dirt to sway an election.

One night, Sam is sent a mysterious text luring him to a location where he witnesses a horrible event and catches a candidate in a rather sticky situation. What Sam doesn’t realize is that someone saw him at the scene of the crime. Sam’s life is put in danger and he is framed for murder. He either must find out who is trying to frame him or he will die.

The narrative switches back and forth between Sam’s childhood and current events. I liked seeing how his childhood experiences shaped him to survive his current situation.

The Tracker has an engaging premise. Some elements seem a little far-fetched, but overall this is an interesting new series, and I look forward to seeing what happens next

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Callahan (25) grew up in and out of the foster care system. This story begins with him being hired as a political tracker, and seeing something he shouldn’t have. He is soon running for his life.

The chapters toggle back-and-forth between the current time and the past of Sam’s troubled childhood. Narratives like this usually frustrate me, but it worked here!

Mystery/thriller
Excellent side characters
Fast paced
Political intrigue
A dash of romance

I really wish there had been more discussion about Sam’s special abilities, this added such an interesting plot to the story, and I wanted to know more about it!

Besides the intense action, there was a sweet overlaying feel to the story. Despite Sam’s rough upbringing, he was a very gentle character.

My favorite side character was Pastor Isaiah. Everyone needs someone to believe in them, to see their value, and he clearly saw Sam’s.

You’re a talented kid with a good heart. I believe in you. I think you just need a second chance.” I felt numb. No one had ever offered me grace before. The term felt foreign.

This being Zunker’s first novel, I am very impressed with his writing style and ability. I will certainly be reading the next in the series.

Thanks for the recommendation Dan!

[Vera (Estante da Vera) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, rounding on 3 stars

I guess I wasn't the right reader for this one?

The Tracker isn't badly written, let me start with that. It is well written, well structured, with a good plot and a good pace. It is a political thriller, and after reading The Short Drop, I was eager to find another exciting book in the same genre.

The problem, for me at least, is that Sam Callahan is basically a Gary Stu. He has qualities and talents that make him not relatable and not believable. I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes reading about the many ways he is clever and street smart. And because he being so amazing wasn't enough, he also has a brilliant journalist ex-girlfriend and a hacker extraordinaire as a friend. The perfect storm.

Some events ever also a bit far-fetched but so are the events on many movies, so I'll let that one go.

So yeah, this wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't the book for me.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and author Chad Zunker for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Paul]

DNF!!!

there are some really interesting pieces here and when it comes out I may try again. But in the opening 60 pages the 1st person main character talked about shuffling foster homes, then called his mom then talked about time on the streets. this may all be "true" and explained but I'm surface such a amalgam of back story made me give up on this one

[Delaney Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first chapter, this book grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go. I read several reviews about the lack of plausibility of Sam's skills and his ability to get the upper hand and outthink the enemy, but for me, that made the book even more appealing. The fact that an ordinary guy could get caught up in a vast conspiracy, outsmart the bad guys, and come out on top. And it's not so far-fetched when you consider his background, growing up on the streets and having to learn to fend for himself.

He has a crew of sorts to help him, of course. The ex-girlfriend and the computer hacker/geek. But for the most part, Sam is the lead, figuring things out as he's rushing to stay alive. I also enjoyed getting glimpses into his backstory through flashback--though it was tough at times--learning about his past in foster care and what his mom went through before she had to give him up.

I'll certainly be checking out more books by Zunker.

[Wiseask · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was liking this book a lot until Chapter 30, when it went from improbable (which is okay for a work of fiction) to implausible (which is not okay). The Tracker wants to work as both a thriller and a mystery, and pretty much does. The story is told in the first-person by Sam Callahan, a smart and resourceful Georgetown Law student, who in Hitchcock fashion finds himself framed for murders he did not commit, is targeted by sinister forces who are trying to kill him, and has less than three days to clear his name and to find and expose the complicated political conspiracy behind his misfortune. The book is well-written, efficiently edited, carefully constructed and free of profanity. A solid four stars, I was thinking.

But then, by the end of the book, the implausible had become the incredible, and my four-star recommendation dropped to a disappointed three.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone I follow read this, I guess...so I try new things due to Kindle Unlimited.
This was not for me.
Politics/murder/video of murder/all hell breaks, etc. Dude is hunted and chased in every conceivable way as the clock ticks closer to election. But, hey...he wins the girl.

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5 heartstopping stars!!

What a ride! I loved this book and I'm honestly surprised it received any low ratings at all! In Sam's past, he was shuffled from foster home to foster home until he couldn't take anymore. Sam then became a street kid, where he acquired skills – like breaking and entering, jacking cars, and picking pockets. He also has a hacker friend with high-level abilities. And beyond that, he possesses a natural gift – situational awareness at an unusual level, allowing him to find ways of escape where others would be baffled. (I hope there is more use of that gift in the next book.)

The reason I took half a star off is because a part of me felt a little resentful whenever I was ripped away from the action and the book went into “flashback mode.” However, once I got past the bulk of the flashbacks, and the story settled into the present, everything started moving at a fast and furious rate.

[Barbara Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This thriller captured my imagination in the opening scene because it is set in Boerne, Texas. Sam Callahan is a 3rd year law student at Georgetown, when he takes a part time job to follow a political candidate running for Texas House District 21 (my district!). Sam grew up in the Texas Hill Country, and has a very troubled past. This assignment takes him home, briefly. The story begins just days before the election, and Sam is working covertly to follow the opposing political candidate (be a "tracker"). The candidate is from a well-connected, wealthy political family, and has "future president" written all over him. Sam receives a strange text one evening telling him to be at a certain hotel at a certain time. He arrives just in time to witness the murder of a woman through the hotel window. The killer is the political opponent Sam is tracking. Sam managed to capture the act on his cell phone. Of course, Sam is being watched, and the remainder of the novel revolves around Sam's attempts to flee from scary, well-connected people who are trying to kill him.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast Paced Political Thriller

Protagonist Sam Callahan is a richly developed character who struggles through an early life of abandonment and adversity to ultimate redemption with a scholarship to Georgetown law, a promising job offer, and a beautiful and smart girlfriend. Then he witnesses something that sends him on the run in a nationwide manhunt. This is The Firm meets Jason Bourne.

Congratulations to new author Chad Zunker who I have to disclose is married to my college roommate and actually performed the marriage ceremony between me and my husband. With that said, I don't believe in ratings inflations because it's not fair to other readers, and as an avid reader I rely heavily on goodreads reviews, so I am so glad to give this book an excellent and genuine review.

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very exciting first book by this author,an excellent storyline with wonderful characters. I even stopped myself when reading to check out who the author was and if he had written other books,I was so impressed by the writing of this tale. The characters are well fleshed out, I found myself feeling as if they were people I knew. The action moves at a good pace,and the story surrounds a 'political tracker', which I knew nothing of therefore have been educated. I am glad to hear the author is writing a sequel and encourage anyone who likes thriller/action novels to give "The Tracker' a try.

[Russ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book beats us over the head repeatedly with what a hard-knock childhood Sam had in foster care and on the streets. Yet Sam also seems to have a lot of suburban, upper-middle income, athletics, social ease, and pop culture awareness as a star law student/rising political talent/young adult. The transformation struck me as inauthentic. I also found the dual timeline with his rough upbringing mostly distracting from the main story.

The main story itself started off as pretty compelling. I like the idea of a political tracker recording something so explosive that he becomes targeted by powerful political interests. But it eventually becomes very convoluted. And of course we are subjected to stock character computer geeks who adore Sam and are able hack the powerful conspirators from a couch in an arcade. Meanwhile bullets are raining down on the good guys but Sam and his hot/athletic/smart/investigative journalist girlfriend are impervious.

I realize my review is probably coming off as very negative, but it’s really not that bad. It’s an OK political thriller that, as I said, has a pretty good hook at its core. The mystery behind the political conspiracy is enough to sustain interest until the end.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tracker is quite well written given the author is an ex journalist. The structure of the book is fantastic! I really enjoyed the way we were taken back to the protagonist’s childhood in foster care. Backwards and forwards we would go and it was done seamlessly. But in the last one third of the book we struck some snags with some unreasonable and unrealistic things happening. They were ‘roll your eyes’ moments. However I will certainly read another one of Chad’s books because this was his very first. Good effort and for a crime/political thriller I was very pleased to note the absence of the modern day over use of swearing. 3 1/2 stars.

[Rellim]

Note for self: Didn’t click with narrator - back to WTR

[Terri Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this and am already looking ahead to the next book in the series set to come out in September. Sam Callahan has had a hard life. Abandoned by his drug-addled mother as a child, he spent years in abusive foster homes until he escaped the system as a young teen and started living on the streets. It was only when he was 16 and taken in by a pastor named Isaiah and his wife Alisha that he got his education and a decent home life. Now Sam is a law student at Georgetown University, a brilliant scholar who is trying to earn some extra cash while on break by acting as a tracker. Trackers are people hired by politicians or political parties to follow a candidate around and get video of what they say and do in hopes of catching them saying or doing something that can be used against them.

Things are going fine until Sam gets a mysterious text message to be outside a specific motel room and wait to film what he sees. He does so and what he sees is one of the candidates coming in drunk with a woman. He films him pawing the woman and then, to his shock, when the woman tries to push the candidate off, he kills her. Sam has it all on tape and then sees the candidate staring at him through the window. The candidate, of course, knows who he is.

Sam returns to his own motel and calls Rick, his supervisor. Rick comes, sees the video and has just uploaded it to a site with a pig and crossbones as its emblem when he is shot through the motel window. Sam barely makes it out without his computer or clothes and he drops his phone with the video while the killer pursues him. Rick had told Sam that he had notified his supervisor Ted only when Sam goes there, he finds Ted dead and the FBI is hunting Sam, thinking he killed Rick and Ted. Sam had told police about the woman's death but when they went there, the body was gone.

This is an exciting thriller. There are chapters that tell Sam's story as a child, teen, and young adult and of his romance with a journalist named Natalie who broke up with him because he couldn't tell her he loved her (he was afraid to say it due to people he loved walking away when he was a boy). The current day storyline finds him teaming up with a boyhood street friend who is a hacker who can get new ID if needed and with Natalie while running from the FBI and police. He had reconciled with his birth mom in recent years and she suddenly disappeared from the cancer treatment center after reporting to Sam that an FBI agent had visited her. On top of that, why does a mysterious CIA agent keep helping Sam escape in his darkest hours? Read and find out!

[Jon Seals · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

What a great plot! A law student named Sam Callahan is working as a political tracker. (Apparently, a "tracker" is someone who digs up dirt on political candidates.) One night, Callahan gets an anonymous message and ends up recording video of the candidate he's tracking murdering a young woman. From that moment, Callahan is on the run and doesn't know who to trust.

Great, right?

The story bounces back and forth between Sam being on the run and his time in foster care.

This book is well-written, fast-moving, and hard to put down.

Thanksgiving plans got in the way, or I would have finished this much quicker.

I'm adding all of Zunker's books to my queue, especially everything in this series.

[Gloria ~ mzglorybe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars from this new fan...

This grabs your attention quickly and moves along at a rapid pace. Sam Callahan is a law student living in Washington DC and employed as a "political tracker," one who follows around a political candidate, taking photos and gathering information that can be used in political campaigns, usually against a candidate. It's a way to pay his rent. He gets a message to be at a certain place, outside of a motel and be ready to witness what will probably change a candidate's lead in the polls from "up by several points" to zilch. What he witnesses will change his life drastically and target him as a suspect in 3 slayings. An edge of your seat suspense. Sam's on the run, his face all over the news media, but he's determined to find out who's setting him up and why. With a little help from his friends, a few disguises, and a lot of grit, he's out to prove his innocence.

This novel gives you a past and present look at Sam's life. You can't help but like Sam. A boy from the streets, in and out of the foster care system, this gives the reader glimpses of what it was like for him. Truly horrific experiences contributed to his determination to learn the law and defend those that can't defend themselves. His street smarts come in handy now in this present day quest that begins just two days, 22 hours, and 42 minutes before Election Day, and the clock is ticking. Each chapter gives you a count-down.

Well done. Grab this one. It will keep you reading longer than you intended to.

[Judi Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I couldn't read this one fast enough. What a great suspense, thriller, romance, it has it all and it will have you turning the pages just as fast.

Sam Callahan has had a hard life, but through his many trials, he has made it through and is a law student. I loved how the book went back and forth on Sam. It would take you to his former life, growing up, being abandoned, living in foster homes, and then bring you back to the present.

Sam is a "tracker". What is that? Well he takes a side job trying to earn some money. He has to follow around the two candidates running for the Presidency and try to find some good "gossip" on them. But, what he finds, can cost him his life. Sam has been set up my someone when he is told to go to a certain hotel and just watch. From this point on, Sam is on the run for his life.

This book moves at a fast pace and you won't be able to put it down. I can see why they might want to make this into a tv series. Sam is a great character and you gotta love his girlfriend, Natalie. She works for a newspaper and is a top reporter.

Can't wait for the second in this series. Great book from a first time author. I loved it!

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced story with an ingenious hero. Sam is making good despite his disastrous beginning: abandoned on his first birthday, in and out of foster homes, a street kid who ended up in reformatory. Redeemed and now a law student at Georgetown. His summer job was supposed to be a breeze: track a political candidate and take video in the hopes of catching something embarrassing. Instead he records a murder and ends up on the run. Fast-paced with lots of twists...already planning to get my hands on #2. I love Sam.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Sam is an interesting character and the story is my kind of story...conspiracy, twisted plot and action.
But why 3.5 stars? the narrative. I mean, Sam as a character is interesting and his story and flight and fight situation are entertaining except his narrative sound to me like a juvenile than promising George Town undergrad student.

[Page Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced thriller that was hard to put down. There was a lot of back and forth between the present and the past for Sam, the main character. I’m not a fan of back and forth, but the story was a page turner and a good read.

[Dwayne Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I liked it okay, but it just seemed to have the feel of a late-night movie I'd watch on TV. Lots of action, first-person monologue, almost Phillip Marlowe sounding. It could be made into a movie, easily, but if I watched it, it would probably be non-memorable.

[Dee]

No rating. Gave up at 12%. Not my cup of tea.

[Mahita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short take: action packed page turner!

Now, super heroes are not unfamiliar to all of us who have read marvel comics. This here is another super hero, except he is not exposed to any biology altering chemicals, except may be the drugs taken by his mom during pregnancy. And as with all super heros, his life or upbringing has not been easy, perhaps because fate knew that he will have an even tougher grown up life. And so, this guys special ability is to see the escape routes as a map in his head and in that adrenaline pumping moment, everything turns slow and his mind races to find alternative paths. This proves a lifesaver many a time for Sam Callahan. And when he is following an election campaign and witnesses something that could potentially alter the election result, and is witnessed by the perpetrator, his life becomes a running nightmare. Dodging bullets, fighting fate, he has to unravel the mystery before the killers get to him. And he is not alone, as he seems to think! How does he finally manage to prove his innocence, when the media, police and FBI seem to think he committed murder after Murder, when in fact he was just finding himself in impossible situations and his escapes from them seem to l leave a trail of bodies behind??

Fast read, despite the Time I have taken. Enjoy fellow action thrill seekers!! :)

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed The Tracker from the Kindle Unlimited program.

Sam Callahan grew up in Denver after being left at a hospital on his first birthday and being abandoned by his mother. He grew up in the foster care system moving from one abusive home to the next until he ran away at age thirteen. The next three years he lived on the streets and learning how to survive even in the hard cold winters of Denver.

The book is the story of how he is working as a political tracker and becomes involved in a murder mystery involving powerful politicians, paid murders and a twisted plot. Sam is in the middle of it all as he is accused to a series of murders that are just to cover up what Sam filmed in a motel room.

The flashbacks to his childhood and how he grew up, received a break and went from a street kid to a college graduate with a 4.0 grade point and is now almost a graduate from Georgetown Law. The take the job as a political tracker to earn the money he needs for his mother's cancer treatments.

Now that I have read the first two Sam Callahan books, which were both great; I am looking forward to another as soon as Chad Zunker releases his next book.

[Tracy T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, narration by Noah Berman kind of MEH... (audible review)

So, enjoyed the story for the most part. it was entertaining, and has some good twists and turns. I liked Sam a lot. I liked his back story and the flashbacks, it made you really get to know this character. I liked Natalie too and enjoyed there was a little romance thrown into the mix. No sex but a nice relationship.

The story line and plot was pretty good. Like I said a couple twists and turns and surprises and always something happening. Sam's street skills were great and fun to listing too.

As for the narration, well it was Meh.... The narrator makes Sam sound to juvenile or reads to juvenile??? not sure which but it kind of made Sam seem immature and the way he grew up he was anything but immature.

I don't know if I can listen to the next book in this series. I will have to think on it.
This was a free read with my KU and 1.99 for the audible. Good deal.

[Samuel Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thought: liked the premise, the order and writing style of the novel. Suspenseful and very exciting.
Final thoughts: Liked that the reader got some glimpses of the main character’s past and what shaped him. There was really nothing I didn’t like about the book. Very fast paced, pulling the reader in and lots of different things going on. Very addicted throughout, when I thought it was a little too long or unbelievable the author changed my mind almost instantly, always rooting for the main character. Definitely made for the big screen and would be an incredibly successful movie

[Marian L. Siedzik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have read in a while!

It is incredibly well written. It is action-packed and full of suspense. I especially like that it does not have bad language or a bunch of sex scenes in it.

[Terry Sohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good (believable!) read

Just coming out of the ugliness of the recent 2020 election, I almost passed this one by, as I wasn’t in the mood for political shenanigans. I’m glad I stuck with it. A good read that kept you guessing until the end. What I really appreciate is that overall it was generally believable, both in terms of what lengths people might go to in a political environment, and in terms of plot lines that didn’t get too outlandish.