Leave No Trace by A. J. Landau, Jon Land, and Jeff Ayers is a fast paced thriller that gives readers a glimpse into what people with strong political views are willing to do to their country and each other. Really enjoyed the bits of historical information at the beginning of each chapter.

This was a really fast paced read that was enjoyable. It follows a crime investigation as domestic terrorists are wreaking havoc on important national monuments. The team has to quickly put the pieces together and try to stop a growing danger from wiping out the US leadership before it's too late!

FANATICAL PLOT TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT


America has the most beautiful National Parks. They are symbol of our democracy and history. Beauty and solidarity are evident across the country.

This thriller encompasses nationalism through a fast-moving mystery. It starts out with a family visiting The Statue of Liberty. Danny is very excited and takes his video equipment. Special Agent Michael Walker is called in when he is notified of an explosion. Also the FBI is part of the this team, Gina Delgado, a self-assured smart professional.

There is plenty of danger and action but the author introduces points of view of other characters which fleshes out the story. Danny is important because he has video which provide images of the deadly explosion. This book becomes a detailed portal to our National Parks. Some people live to destroy and the reader can find them in this fast-moving tale of destruction and death.

My gratitude to Net Galley and Minotaur for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

An edge of your seat thriller, the Statue of Liberty being toppled immediately drew me in.This is a heart pound ing book of domestic terrorisim at national parks.The authors did an excellent job bringing the story alive and kept me turning the pages looking forward to more by these authors.#netgalley #St.martins.

When US national park landmarks are targeted in terroristic attacks, a Special team of Park Rangers and FBI work to uncover those responsible for the first attack, while thwarting others before they start.
With tidbits of information on various national parks scattered throughout, this novel spoke to my love of both mystery and history as Landau unfolded the plot. The characters are varied and their back stories are unique while the storyline kept me wondering what would happen next. The expertise throughout, on explosives, weaponry, logistics of historical sites, the role of the various government agencies and their interconnectedness is fascinatingly pieced together, case by case and time is of the essence. I was on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out each next move and I couldn’t put this one down!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

It begins with an explosion in the base of the Statue of Liberty which leaves the Lady lying on her back and hundreds of tourists killed and injured. National Park Service Special Agent Michael Walker is the closest one to the scene and he finds chaos. He also comes across a teenage boy, covered in ash, dust and blood who cannot find his family, but was taking a video of a boat that "shouldn't be there" when the explosion occurred. Michael takes charge of him and arranges to have him protected by a Park Ranger until he can be seen my medics and transferred to safety. But safe from who? When FBI agent Gina Delgado of the Joint Terrorism Task Force relieves him of duty, he goes to find the boy and gets his phone, which was heavily damaged, but may still hold vital clues. Threats of another attack makes the first priority to get everyone off Liberty Island, so Michael doesn't think again about the phone he has.

Than another attack, this time on the Gateway Arch in St Louis takes place. And explosions at Zion National Park cause flooding and unbelievable damage to the park. When a secret highly classified meeting is bombed and the President of the United States seems to be the main target, things are really out of hand.

Lots of characters to keep track of and lots of action. This could almost be ripped from the headlines and is very tense, but was a fast and a good read.

WOW! The book was full of action that started on page one and didn't let up! The story really kept gaining speed as it went on and I couldn't put it down. Be prepared that you will need to carve out some free time to read this one as you won't want to be interrupted. I really liked the main characters of Gina and Michael. I loved the whole way the story linked everything together. The writing was great, painting a picture of everything that was going on very clearly in my head. Scarily, the events seemed a little too real but it felt believable. I'm happy that the ending set up the potential for more books with these characters. I really enjoyed the facts about the landmarks, they were extremely interesting. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Plan to be captivated.
Been a visitor to the Nationals Parks as the center of the actions described in the story made me enjoy this book even more and if you love action and suspense this is a book for you.
As the story goes on it seems that the domestic terrorist group is always one step ahead, but Michael Walker special agent with the Park Service isn’t willing to give up. Wearing a prosthesis only slows him down slightly. We see some of the friction between the FBI and the Park Services but Michael substantial knowledge of the various national park sites aiding in preventing some of the destruction helps Gina our FBI agent be less critical and starting to appreciate his aid. There is a lot to digest reading the story so take your time and enjoy.

Leave No Trace by A.J. Landau, Jon Land and Jeff Ayers

This is a fast paced story about good and evil, which, if you are paying attention, parallels some issues going on in the U.S. today. The two sides are skillfully blended into an exciting tale involving the National Park Service. As an aside, many facts the authors add about America’s national parks will surprise you.

The characters are ones the reader will enjoy and either love or hate. To the good, Michael Walker and Gina Delgado take center stage throughout the book, while Jeremiah and General Terrell are evil incarnate.

Having received this book from the publisher and Net Galley, I had intended to wait to read it. Once I got started though, it was a race to the finish. The ending slowed me down, however, with too much technical and tactical information. All the same, it’s a solid four star book for this reviewer, which I recommend to all readers.

Imagine that the January sixth incident was run by a former Army General with a force of thousands using a military command structure. Would the U.S. government have fallen? That is essentially the plot of Leave No Trace.

Someone is targeting national parks. Michael, who has a prosthetic foot from a previous incident, is a member of the National Parks Service’s Investigative Services Branch. He is placed in charge of the aftermath of a terrorist bombing at the Statue of Liberty. He is soon overridden by FBI agent Gina who is placed in charge of a special joint terrorism task force. But the carnage doesn’t stop there. The two jet across the country trying to stop a gaggle of incidents at various national parks and landmarks.

As the spouse of someone with a prosthetic lower leg, Michael’s struggles with his prosthetic are accurate although there is currently no such thing as a prosthetic foot. They amputate foot injuries about four inches below the knee. Also, suction is used to keep shorter prosthetics on—not straps.

Each chapter begins with a fact about the national park where the chapter takes place. I found these small tidbits to be a welcome palate cleanser between the characters’ adventures. The plot moves along rapidly and there are some twists too. Overall, Leave No Trace is an enjoyable, adrenaline-fueled ride that I really enjoyed. 5 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Leave No Trace is a great start to a new series by AJ Landau, the pseudonym for writing duo Jon Land and Jeff Ayers. Setting the series in the US national parks is inspired, as is the fun fact at the beginning of each chapter.

I enjoyed the intrigue and the locales. The main characters were likeable, smart, and capable. My only quibble is the couple of gigantic coincidences that the story hinges on. If you overlook those, the book reads quickly and is filled with good action.

I liked this book and fans of action thrillers will too. Now, I want to take a few trips to some national parks.

Not family friendly due to profanity and violence.

This book provides a tense investigative thrill ride. Set in America's national parks, this story is filled with the continual threat of bombs and other forms of danger at every turn. A large group of active and inactive military personnel, along with local militia groups lead by a disgruntled citizen seeking revenge, are planning a cataclysmic assault that would kill millions of people and lead to the takeover of the U.S. government.

If I didn't know better, I never would have guessed that there are three authors credited with writing this book: two experienced writers and one debut author. The ideas are cohesive and the narrative flows seamlessly, blending into an ingenious plot and an overall successful storyline.

The main characters, Michael Walker and Gina Delgado are a unique combination, and both have interesting backgrounds. With courage and determination and disregard for their own safety, this duo races to find out who is behind the devastating bomb attacks and bomb threats that are targeting memorials, monuments, and national landmarks all across the U.S. The excitement builds to a predictable but satisfying ending. This is a very good start to an exciting new series by these authors. I hope there will be more.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

***ARC received from Minotaur Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

An act of terrorism that brings Lady Liberty to her knees, or in this case onto her side, is a fascinating concept and this book really delivers even if it is a little to close to reality for comfort.

The book is split between a few POV but the main being the two leads, Michael Walker with the park service and Gina Delgado with the FBI. I liked both Michael and Gina individually and as a team. Because they are in different departments with differing levels of security clearance we get different things from their chapters that really add to the story and help flesh it out. I liked Michael’s chapters the most probably because of him being with the park service we get information about the nationals parks and monuments. Gina’s chapters add more of the government and what they are up to. Its a good balance and allows each characters to not overshadow the other with what they bring to the story.

I wasn’t really sure what I thought about the antagonists, some of them bordered on caricature but the more that I thought on it and the further the book went the more I liked them. You can start to draw the parallels between the real events and people that may have inspired the characters and it makes it a little darker. The fact that you can draw those parallels makes everything a little more scary.

Which is something that struck with me on this book. Yes its a bit bigger than I think could happen in real life, at least I hope so but it is something that could happen. Maybe not to that extreme extent but sure something on a smaller scale. Not only something that could happen but something that has, to lesser extents. The book even references it regarding the January insurrection that there were those who served in some branch that were there thinking that they were doing something right. It is easy to see how it could spiral to the point that it did, escalating to a point where they believe that overthrowing the government is not only something that they are capable of but that they will be welcomed. Sure, they probably will be but they also admit that there will be those that will revolt against them. Its a scary thought to have that I felt the book handled well.

The writing is good, the plot moves along at a quick but not rushed paced. Things resolve fairly quickly and while the book has an explanation for it I wish it hadn’t been resolved so quickly. There is also a secondary plot that ties in with the main plot but left much to be explored, like how did they get to be so involved with knowing what the domestic terrorist group was up to. I believe its setting up to be a theme within the series but I wish it had been explored a little more. One other nice little thing the book does is that at the beginning of each chapter it gets a little history on the location the chapter is set in. It is nothing to in depth but it was a nice touch.

Leave No Trace is a good start to a new series with strong characters and a plot line that feels a little too real.

I found this book to be rather confusing. There’s way too many characters to keep up with. There is a lot of action. I did find the little notes before each chapter interesting. It looks like I’m the odd person out in not really caring for this book
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Michael Walker is an Investigative Service Branch special agent and he is tasked with Gina Delgado a special agent that specializes in explosives to find out who is wanting to blow up all these National Parks treasures. Danny Logan and his parents and sister are visiting the Statue of Liberty when he notices a boat with some men on it that are watching the Statue really closely. He know that boat model is an old one that is not connected to the security for the Statue. He decides to film them and them and then suddenly a huge blast occurred. Hundreds of people were killed and now they are looking for who was responsible for this action. We end up in several parks before they can figure out the connections and why. The Saint Louis Arch, Zion National Park and the underground of the White House. Then the flooding at Zion! This is a fast paced book and really keeps you on your toes.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

LEAVE NO TRACE, a debut novel by Jon Land and Jeff Ayers (A.J.Landau), opens with a bang with an attack at the Statue of Liberty.

Agent Michael Walker of the National Parks Service arrives as the agent in charge, followed by Gina Delgado from the FBI. Their roles and relationship are well-written. Both are dedicated and thorough investigators. But barely do they begin to work on one incident, when another attack takes place. Crisis follows crisis in this nail-biting race to stop the villains.

I was impressed with the amount of research in this novel and enjoyed the descriptions of the national parks. This is a knotty thriller, full of conspiracy theories and a taste of political intrigue.

Leave No Trace is an action-filled, explosive debut from A.J. Landau.

"In a shocking act of terrorism, the Statue of Liberty is bombed and toppled from her base. Hundreds are killed. Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service is sent to the scene. He finds the FBI already on-site and SA Gina Delgado from the Joint Terrorism Task Force running the investigation. Michael finds a young survivor with video evidence of the explosion and stumbles into an even greater conspiracy."

What a fantastic debut from Landau. I did not want to stop reading. The "topple the government" story is not new, but the way he goes about it is - going after the national landmarks. Michael has a tragic back-story but Landau portrays him as someone wanting to do the right thing. SA Delgado has some special talents with her military background that come in handy.
So many wild action scenes - the flooding at Zion and the final battle are insane.

Wildly entertaining read from Landau. I look forward to more stories with these characters.

Leave No Trace is a well written, interesting novel which can certainly be compared to the political situation in the country today. The story concerns attacks on our nation’s monuments and national parks - symbols of our democracy and freedom. The book is educational with respect to the history of some of our monuments and parks and also to prosthetics and their challenges. Along the way to a stunning conclusion, we get to witness inter agency government squabbles, a vengeful father-in-law and the resourcefulness of the major characters.
I highly recommend reading this book and thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I have recently been reading more books with National Park settings so this was a fit. Leave No Trace is a chilling story of terrorists employing methods and gathering insurrectionists in much as the attack on the Capital in 2021. The leaders are demented narcissists, so really similar.

Our main characters are Michael Walker, who works for the national park system, and has been in law enforcement there. His boss, also his ex-father-in-law, hates him. The other key player is Gina Delgado, who has lots of experience in explosives, and heads the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Together, they piece things together to try to minimize or stop attacks while also hunting the terrorists. I like Michael and Gina. They are committed and intelligent. Michael has a bit of a John McClane style.

The action is non-stop and a wild ride. I enjoy the level of technical capabilities and strategy the team uses. It is a deluge and there is no time to breathe until the end. Thriller was a very accurate naming here.

There is a bit of development on the world and characters but the action and its mysteries are primary. The start of a series makes me wonder who will be main characters going forward. Typically, Michael and Gina would not work together as they are in very different agencies. Will they become co-workers, friends or lovers? My guess is Michael will be a character since he is already in the park system. I look forward to more of the National Park Thriller series which are truly a thrill ride.

A fast paced tense thriller featuring dynamic good guys and bad guys that makes a good start to a series. This starts with a terrorist attack against the Statue of Liberty and never lets up. FBI ASAC Gina Delgado and Parks Service SA Michael Walker make an effective pair as they look for answers and try to thwart further attacks. Know that there's a high body count but there's also a nice spark of humanity. The bad guys remain a little murky to me even now but that's a small matter. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner. No spoilers.