A thriller mystery with a domestic terrorist aspect. The story starts out strong with the horrific bombing/explosion at the Statue of Liberty.
I did like the main characters, Gina and Michael.
Terrific story for fans of a story full of suspense, intrigue and action.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the authors for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion. This is the first book I have read from A.J. Landau. I really enjoyed the this and found it so interesting with all the national parks. This had everything you want in a thriller, heart pounding, sitting on the edge of your seat thriller. This was very fast paced and enjoyable. Thank you!

Leave No Trace A National Parks Thriller by AJ Landau

320 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Release Date: February 27, 2024

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Terrorism

The statue of Liberty has been attacked. 15-year-old Danny Logan saw a park’s service boat coming towards the island just before the attack. He felt something wasn’t right, so he began filming the incident. Michael Walker, an investigator for the Parks Service sees Danny walking around in shock after the attack. Danny gives him his phone with the video on it. Now Danny needs protection since he is the only witness to the attack.

Ferris Hobbs renamed himself, Jeremiah, has vengeance on his mind. When he was a child, his family’s land was taken as a part of Mt. Rainier Park. He blames his father’s death on the Park Service. Now it appears other National Park sites are being attacked. It is up to Michael to stop Jeremiah and his followers from destroying the United States.

The book is fast paced, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. It is action paced and the author did a good job of moving from one character’s story to another. If you like action books, you may enjoy reading this one.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of Leave No Trace by A. J. Landau in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this book, I kept switching between the audiobook and ebook and thought they were both great. The only complaint I had was the mispronounced Eads. My ancestor designed the Eads bridge and we pronounce our name phonetically, like leads but without the l. Other than that it was a great book with intrigue. I've already recommended it to others.

Leave No Trace
By: A.J. Landau

5 Stars

I am not big on books like this, but I am so glad I took a chance. It was like reading a tv show. It was so captivating and fast-paced. It kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. When an attack happens on american soil, it's all hands on deck. This was an amazing visual of the terrors that can wait in the United States. Danger, conspiracy, this book had it all.

Wow. This book was written well. It was descriptive and easy to read and follow. Usually, books like this are hard to keep up with, but I found myself so engrossed in the drama and danger of this book. The beauty of the national parks shines through the descriptions and quotes. It really made this story more real. Which makes it that much scarier as well.

I can't wait to read more from this author and this series.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

Wow! This book starts off with a bang and never stops. Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Parks Service was initially in charge when a bomb goes off at the Statue of Liberty, but BI Agent Gina Delgado quickly takes over. A video that a tourist has gives the biggest lead, but it quickly morphs into a race to stop the next explosion.

This was a fast-paced, action-packed intense read that I could not put down. I also enjoyed that each chapter started with history/trivia on various national parks.

This was an great start to a new series and I'm definitely has a new fan of the author(s). I cannot wait for the next installment.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

Ebook/Thriller: This book holds no punches with the Statue of Liberty has the same fate as one of Stephanie Plum's cars, but far from funny. Among the dead is a teen, now orphan, with the video of a suspect.
I liked the book as far as a procedural, but there was lack of depth in the characters, like they were all compartmentalizing all their feelings.
I did get this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is such a good read. It keeps you hooked right away and the chapter aren’t too long so makes for a fast and easy read.

Leave No Trace is a gripping, fast paced story which starts with the Statue of Liberty being toppled by domestic terrorists. The Visitor Center is blown up and hundreds of visitors are killed. The story then moves around the country to the National Parks where the terrorists are planning further destruction. Leave No Trace is an exciting and captivating book.

This is the first book about Special Agent Michael Walker, a National Park Investigator and ASAC Gina Delgado of the FBI. When the Statue of Liberty is blown up the FBI starts to take over but since it's a National Park they have to work together to figure out what is going on. It's fast paced thriller, I look forward to the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

LEAVE NO TRACE was an engaging, fast-paced thriller. Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service is called to the site of an explosion that topples the Statue of Liberty and kills more than 600 people. There he meets FBI Agent Gina Delgado and, after a brief tussle for the lead in the investigation, the two work together to find out what happened.

Gina is an expert on explosives which comes in handy since a rare and supposedly well-controlled explosive was used. Michael discovers a young witness who has video of a suspicious boat watching the island just before the explosion. The young boy becomes the target of the terrorists who planned the action, but Michael manages to keep him safe.

The terrorists have a big, well-coordinated plan to make the events of January 6 look like the dry run they turned out to be. Someone has managed to unite all the disparate groups who want to take down the United States to rebuild it in according to their plan. Gina and Michael need to track down the conspirators before they can begin their new civil war.

Since the terrorists are beginning their terror spree by destroying national monuments and national parks, we get a look at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Arch in St. Louis, and Zion National Park as terrorist acts occur.

I enjoyed this story and like the characters of Michael Walker and Gina Delgado very much.

American landmarks are being threatened by a homegrown terrorist organization. But within this terrorist group there is also a faction of corrupt politicians who have their own agenda to topple the government. This was a fast paced and tense thriller. The two main characters, Gina Delgado of the FBI National Task Force and Michael Walker from the National Park Service, are multilayered based on their past experiences and both are motivated to save lives no matter the cost. I also enjoyed reading the interesting factual information regarding the history of our National monuments and parks that was given before the start of each chapter..Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books for this excellent book. This review is my opinion.

Ok, full disclosure here! One of the reasons I requested this book was because of the series name. I know, so stupid, but I love national and state parks and a terrorist group running around blowing up statues and icons at national parks? I just knew it was going to be a good read. I was right!!!

The book summary lays out the premise for the primary storyline of the bombing of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty that results in the statue falling down. While Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Parks Service was initially in charge of the site, he loses it pretty quickly (less than an hour) to FBI Agent Gina Delgado. However, while Gina is busy with setting up a tactical command center, Michael meets a kid, Danny, who is looking for his parents. Michael soon discovers that Danny can identify the bombers. Michael takes responsibility for Danny and doesn’t immediately turn him over to Gina, because Michael suspects that that the bombing was probably an inside job, a suspicion that Gina also holds. None of this is a spoiler since it’s revealed really early in the story.

There are also secondary storylines with one being that Ethan Turlidge, the Secretary of Interior, hates Michael’s gut and does whatever he can to make life miserable for Michael. Turlidge is still angry that Michael married his daughter, Allie, who was a park ranger when Michael met and married her; Allie was later killed while trying to apprehend a poacher. There is another one where an environmental activist, Lantry, a member of the Lakota Sioux nation, is tracking a shipment of chemicals that are known to be used to destroy their lands and the environment.

Most of the story revolves around investigating the leads that Danny’s video provides. There are more bombings, at various other national parks and historical sites, as well as an attempted bombing that Gina and Michael foil by locating the bomb before it goes off and having it defused, which pisses the bombers off. It’s well into the second half that storylines all merge and Gina finally realizes who the bombers are and what their motivations are and what their endgame is going to be resulting in an explosive ending of military proportions.

This was a fast-paced, action-packed read with intense, Kindle gripping scenes that kept me reading last night well passed my bedtime on a work night because I simply could not go to sleep until I knew how it ended. I also really liked how each chapter started with some history and trivia on all the various national parks, locations, and historical statutes/icons. I love learning stuff like that. This was an amazing start to a new series and Landau definitely has a new fan. I look forward to the next installment.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #LeaveNoTrace

A fast paced, domestic terrorist thriller with great characters and non-stop action. The bonus for me is that each chapter starts with some information about that chapter's location, usually a National Park. This is the first in a new series by A. J. Landau, the pseudonym for two authors, Jon Land and Jeff Ayers. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy.

4.25 – 4.5 STARS

Set against the backdrop of multiple US National Parks, “Leave No Trace” is a riveting, fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller that I quickly devoured. It is well-written and definitely well-researched, as there is quite a bit of interesting historical information included, along with very detailed scientific facts that I struggled to fully comprehend. While parts of this story seem rather implausible, domestic terrorism in and of itself not so far-fetched, which makes this thriller all the more terrifying. Initially, I was drawn to this novel by my personal history with NYC and a friend who works for the National Park Service, but it was the intensely gripping storyline that kept me engaged from start to finish.

This was an enjoyable read! Definitely intense, but super action-packed and fast-paced, which I always love in a thriller! I've not read anything from these authors previously, but I think they'll be a dynamic duo for sure and I look forward to more from them!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the digital copy to read and review!

Thank you to NetGallley and Minotaur Books/St. Martins Publishing for the ARC of 'Leave No Trace' in exchange for an honest review.
Calling all armchair thrill seekers. This one's as good as it gets.
Talk about monumental villainy......literally. How about toppling the Statue of Liberty by blowing the immortal Lady right off her perch, killing hundreds of innocent tourists.
And the vile odious perpetrators are just getting started - with similar catastrophes planned for National P:arks all over the country, followed by an apocalyptic attack designed to kick off a civil war. A ;mad, mad General and an equally unhinged loon have managed to unite the various factions of right=wing militia groups into one massive army......and their convention of crazies stands assembled and ready.
But they didn't count on the unstoppable Good Guys on our side....National Parks Special Agent Michael Walker and FBI Special Agent Gina Delgado.
Resourceful and fearless in the face of the formidable enemies arrayed against them, this powerhouse duo separately brave and endure one spectacular, harrowing assault after the other. I don't want to spoil anybody's fun by over-detailing the lethal dangers put in their path, so let's just put it this way - you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough. And fair warning.....it's the kind of book if you start in the evening, you may find yourself greeting the dawn while racing through the final chapters.
Believable? I'll admit the feats accomplished by Michael and Gina are dialed up to "Die Hard" cinematic levels, but the ripped-from-the-headlines villains and their warped ideologies sound all too real, current and terrifying.
As much as I enjoyed 'Leave No Trace' as a breathless, mile-a-minute throwback to those 1980's and 90's action adventure films, I can only hope it's not a prescient preview of coming attractions. But since it's the first in a series I'll assume Agents Walker and Delgado will stay on duty to bring well deserved doom to those homegrown enemies of America. And that their feats remain fictitious only......,

I received a free copy from NetGalley. First in a new series, I look forward to more. The settings of National Parks was well done, historical information about them that was given at the start of every chapter, which often tied in well to what the action of the story was doing in the park. Interesting characters with good back stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book!

Took me a while to get into this book, but when I finally go past the first few chapters I enjoyed the read.

Not something I would typically choose.

For me it was a three star book. For others it might be more.

This book is gripping, fast-paced, and action-packed!! Shall I say it again, it's gripping, fast-paced and action packed. If you are a fan of conspiracy theories this is the book for you.

In addition to this, the book included national parks. It was awesome to read the history behind them.

A great read that I would highly recommend.