"From the bestselling and award-winning master of suspense, the first novel in a thrilling new series, introducing Colter Shaw. 'You have been abandoned.' A young woman has gone missing in Silicon Valley and her father has hired Colter Shaw to find her. The son of a survivalist family, Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a 'reward seeker,' traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. But what seems a simple investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of America's tech hub and the cutthroat billion-dollar video-gaming industry. 'Escape if you can.' When another victim is kidnapped, the clues point to one video game with a troubled past -- The Whispering Man. In that game, the player has to survive after being abandoned in an inhospitable setting with five random objects. Is a madman bringing the game to life? 'Or die with dignity.' Shaw finds himself caught in a cat-and-mouse game, risking his own life to save the victims even as he pursues the kidnapper across both Silicon Valley and the dark 'net. Encountering eccentric game designers, trigger-happy gamers and ruthless tech titans, he soon learns that he isn't the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast. The never game proves once more why 'Deaver is a genius when it comes to manipulation and deception' (Associated Press)"--