Yes. CBS’s Tracker, starring Justin Hartley, is based on Jeffery Deaver’s 2019 novel The Never Game, the first Colter Shaw book. Start there even if you’ve watched every episode. The book opens with a missing-person case in Silicon Valley, while the TV premiere sends Shaw to Oregon to look for a missing teenager.
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What Is The Never Game About?
Colter Shaw makes a living finding people for reward money. Raised in a survivalist family, he brings the same habit to an investigation that he would to unfamiliar terrain. He pays attention to what people leave behind and thinks through what they might do next.
In The Never Game, a father hires Shaw to find his missing daughter in Silicon Valley. A second disappearance sends him deeper into the video game industry, where he begins to suspect someone is using a game as a blueprint for real crimes. That setup gives Deaver room to make Shaw’s deductions part of the suspense. When the person he’s tracking may be following someone else’s rules, even figuring out which clues matter becomes a problem.
How Different Is Tracker From the Book?
The clearest difference is the first job. In the CBS premiere, Shaw’s handlers send him to Klamath Falls, Oregon, to investigate the disappearance of 14-year-old Gil Brown. In the novel, the missing young woman and the Silicon Valley investigation drive the story. What carries over is Shaw himself, from his work as a reward seeker to the complicated family history that follows him from case to case.
If the family story is what keeps you watching, give the books three installments. The Final Twist picks up just hours after the events of the first two novels and puts a mission Shaw’s father started at the center of the case. Publication order lets you see that thread develop without giving away where it leads.
Jeffery Deaver’s Colter Shaw Books in Order
Five full-length novels are available as of November 6, 2026. The sixth, Freeze Frame, is scheduled for May 4, 2027, in the U.S.
| Order | Novel | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Never Game (2019) | Shaw’s first novel and the source for Tracker. A missing woman leads him into the world of video game development. |
| 2 | The Goodbye Man(2020) | A pursuit in Washington State leads Shaw inside a group that claims to help people cope with grief. |
| 3 | The Final Twist (2021) | Clues left by Shaw’s father send him looking for evidence that could expose a corporate espionage operation. |
| 4 | Hunting Time (2022) | Shaw is hired to find and protect an engineer and her teenage daughter. The engineer knows how to evade a search as well as he knows how to conduct one. |
| 5 | South of Nowhere(2025) | A levee fails in Northern California. Shaw’s sister Dorion brings him in to help find a family swept away in the flood. |
| 6 | Freeze Frame(scheduled for May 4, 2027) | A missing police officer draws Shaw into an investigation in the small town of Knox Crossing. |
Which Book Should You Read First?
Start with The Never Game on Amazon for Shaw’s introduction and the case that lets you see how Deaver writes the character. Follow it with The Goodbye Man on Amazon for a case that pushes him undercover, then pick up The Final Twist on Amazon for the payoff to his father’s investigation.
If your favorite episodes are the ones where finding someone and keeping them safe are two different jobs, Hunting Timeon Amazon is the later book I’d pick. Try South of Nowhere on Amazon if you prefer a rescue with a ticking clock, and look up Freeze Frame on Amazon if you’re already caught up and want Shaw’s next case.
Do You Need to Read the Colter Shaw Short Stories?
The novels make a complete reading path on their own. If you want a short introduction, Deaver published “Captivated” as an early look at Shaw. It’s the one I’d pick if you want to sample the character in one sitting before buying the first novel. The other short cases give you something to read between the longer investigations. Deaver’s short-fiction list
- “Captivated” on Amazon (2019) offers a quick introduction to Shaw.
- “The Second Hostage” on Amazon (2020) and “Forgotten” on Amazon (2021) are two more short cases.
- “The Deadline Clock” on Amazon (2022) follows a ransom investigation in Maine. Deaver’s story synopsis
- “The Bookkeeper” on Amazon (2026) sends Shaw after a professional killer in New York City. You can also find it in Deceptions on Amazon, Deaver’s 2026 collection. Deaver’s story and edition details
Read next — Is The Hunting Wives Season 2 Based on Another May Cobb Book?
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