4.5 rounded up

This is the second book in the author's National Parks Thriller series, and I will most definitely go back and read the first book.

National Park Service ISB Special Agent Michael Walker is tracking a man who killed a couple stealing native artifacts when he is called to Glacier Bay National Park to locate a missing USGS team. When he finds the team dead alongside a frozen woolly mammoth, he must figure out what happened. FBI Special Investigator Gina Delgado is in the Everglades investigating the murder of an environmental science intern, linking it to a USGS team's experiments that are destroying the fragile ecosystem.  There is also a sunken submarine; the crew should have survived, but they all perished, frozen from the inside out. Can Agents Walker and Delgado connect the dots and prevent a global catastrophic event?

Told in multiple POVs, this book was a riveting, action-packed thriller! It was totally my kind of book! From the compelling story to the diverse settings, I was completely captivated! I absolutely love national parks and love reading books set in them. I loved how all the settings connected, from Glacier Bay in Alaska to the Everglades in Florida, and there was even a mention of Crazy Horse in South Dakota! I absolutely loved that each chapter started with a tidbit of information about the location. I was also fascinated by the Tlingit tribe and the scientific aspects. This book was definitely an adventure, and I really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend it!

Second in a series, Cold Burn was an interesting and entertaining read with a twisty storyline that keeps the reader thinking. It was researched to the point it had more science and technology than I prefer. But it would be right up your alley if that’s what you’re looking for. On the other hand, since I was drawn to the series because I am a fan of this country’s national parks, I was satisfied with the descriptions of the parks represented but would have liked even more descriptive details.

The multiple settings, characters and subplots—perhaps a few too many—seemed disjointed at first and were a bit challenging to juggle. And on top of all that, the investigators also changed venues. However, the author did a fine job bringing it all together.

For this reader, this was not your typical rollercoaster of a ride crime/thriller. The pace was more in the slow burn lane. However, if you stick with it there is plenty of action and surprises in the last quarter to make it a worthwhile read with enough intrigue to sustain an ongoing series.



FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Something has been discovered that could be a next-level fuel source...

...or a bioweapon that could eradicate all life forms on Earth.

Michael Walker is an Investigative Services Branch (ISB) special agent for the National Park Service, investigating crimes that take place on NPS property. His latest assignment has him working undercover on a cruise ship stopping at ports along the Gulf of Alaska, where artifacts belonging to the native Tlingit people have been disappearing from museums and other historical locations for which the NPS is responsible. While the artifacts don't necessarily have much monetary value, to the Tlingits they are an important tie to their culture's history. Relations between the NPS and indigenous people are rocky enough without letting steady pilfering of cultural items happen undetected. Even as that case is reaching an unexpected conclusion Walker is asked to go to Glacier Bay to look into a missing group of researchers from the US Geological Service. At the same time FBI Special Agent Gina Delgado (who had paired up with Walker on a previous case) has been sent by the White House to look into a dead body found in the Florida Everglades, with little explanation as to why the corpse might be of national importance. She too is suddenly redirected from that assignment to Alaska where an experimental submarine has collided with a WWII era mine, with all crew members dying in what should have been a survivable mishap. As each investigator delves into their respective cases their paths begin to intersect....and if they don't find out what is at the root of the deaths and devastation that have already taken place, more are sure to follow.
With a plot that combines a greedy multi-billionaire who is obsessed with sending the first spacecraft to Mars (yes his first and last names each have only four letters apiece, no neither name is Elon or Musk), a Russian general who regards the killing fields of Ukraine as only the first rung of victories on his way to usurp Putin, a prehistoric organism which may have wiped out the wooly mammoth and other species during the Ice Age and has been unleashed from its hibernation by climate change, Cold Burn has a little something for everyone. Authors Jeff Ayers and Jon Land (writing together as A. J. Landau) have written an action-packed thriller set against two of the US's most stunning national parks which combines investigations by law enforcement and science-based menace. Having enjoyed the first book in the series I was eager to see if this second installment lived up to it. I was a little disappointed....with four separate cases unfolding in alternating chapters with no immediately apparent connection, it took a while for the actions to merge into a single narrative (although it was pretty much a given that they would). and some plot devices I felt were a bit of a reach. For those who haven't read the first book in the series, Leave No Trace, the two main characters' backstories may not be as fully explained as one might like. Those observations aside, it is still a very good read, with the Alaskan setting and characters (and the history of the Tlingits and how their way of life has suffered from governmental and environmental oversight) in particular a standout...I rate it a solid 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4. Readers of Clive Cussler, C. J. Box and Nevada Barr should add this series to their TBR pile. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to a copy of this latest National Parks Thriller in exchange for my honest review.

I would recommend but highly suggest you make sure you have the time to invest for your pleasure and understanding. Thriller, intense, informative, intriguing told from different points of view. I was a little flummoxed when I started and then I saw plots being woven together little by little with a twisted, ending and somewhat HEA as can be with this huge plot. Thank you for the advanced copy. I freely share my honest thoughts and opinions. #ColdBurn #NationalParksThriller #A.J.Landau #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley

A fast paced and entertaining if implausible thriller with a, ahem, recognizable villain. This is the second outing for National Park Service ISB special agent Michael Walker and FBI special investigator Gina Delgado, both of whom operate separate from line management and at the direction of, in Gina's case, the President. Gina is sent to the Everglades to investigate a gruesome murder while Michael is in Alaska trying to identify who is smuggling Native artifacts when two other things happen-a landslide disappears a group of scientists on Tlingit land and a US submarine sinks. How are these four things connected? And there are a lot of dead fish. This blends science with conspiracy, among other things. Know that Michael and Gina are not in the same place but that both of them find capable and engaging partners as they work their way through the clues and the threats. It leans in on climate science and topical villrainy. Gina is more opaque than Michael but you'll root for both of them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC A page turner.

This is the second book in a series featuring a National Parks Investigator and an FBI agent whose paths cross once again. I didn’t read the first book, but it wasn’t necessary — this one stands alone easily.

The premise had potential: a prehistoric substance thawing out and attracting all kinds of dangerous interest — pure Michael Crichton vibes. Unfortunately, while the setup was promising, the execution didn’t quite live up to it. On the surface, this reads like a procedural, but in reality, it’s an action-heavy thriller that bounces from one violent episode to the next. It’s fast-paced and exciting... if you don’t think about it too hard.

For me, it veered too far into the over-the-top category to really get invested. I also had major issues with the portrayal of the Tlingit tribe. Instead of grounding their representation in reality, the book heaps on supernatural abilities, turning Indigenous characters into “magical trackers” who brush aside a little snow to somehow locate people buried under avalanches. Respect for Indigenous religions and cultures is great — reducing them to fantasy superpowers is not. It felt lazy, patronizing, and borderline ridiculous.

(Frankly, I wouldn’t blame the Tlingit for laughing this one off.)

Add in the near-magical speed of a certain "cure" being created, and the book asked for a suspension of disbelief that was just too much for me.

Bottom line: if you’re fine checking logic at the door and just want non-stop thrills, you’ll probably have a blast. If you like your thrillers a little smarter and more respectful, you might want to look elsewhere.

Cold Burn was an exciting and fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages. I loved how the authors made the settings so real—you could feel the cold of the Alaskan glaciers and the heat of the Florida swamps. The mix of history, science fiction, and action was really well done. There were a lot of characters and storylines at first, which made it a little confusing, but once everything started coming together, it was worth it. I liked learning about the Tlingit people and the history of Alaska too. The mystery was solid, and I enjoyed seeing how everything tied together in the end, even when it seemed impossible at first. It’s definitely a book that makes you think about climate change and its possible consequences. Even though it’s part of a series, I thought it worked great as a standalone. A fun, intense read!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

The author descriptions made reading Cold Burn a terrifying glimpse of science fiction set in real places. Feel the cold of Alaska glaciers. Feel the sludge and smell the swamps of Florida Everglades.

Meet the Tlingit people of Alaska. Learn their history and traditions. Meet Amka and her brother Yehl.

When David Lees, team leader of the US Geological Survey and his students Bellows, Shayna are caught in an avalanche their sanctuary cave has a bear in it. FBI Agents Gina Delgado and Michael Walker are sent to find them. A top secret submarine is sunk in Alaska and all on board are dead. What is happening in the waters of Glacier Bay National Park and the Florida Everglades?

Agent Michael Walker is back on the case. Set in the beautiful Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Nonstop gritty action. A bit of history and education weaved into complex and compelling narrative. Walker is investigating the theft of Alaskan artifacts,  Gina Delgado investigating a death in Florida. How are the cases related? This is book two in a series, I was able to read as a stand-alone. An excellent fast paced read.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Minotaur Books / St Martins Press / Macmillan Publishers for the ARC.

Whew. I feel full with knowledge (chuckle). I just got a crash course in history and climate change…holy sugar. I’m not saying this in a bad way, but information overload. Whew (chuckle).

A. J. Landau gives us a very well thought out mystery that involves multiple National Parks, different countries, and kills people off with no qualms (chuckle). I have no clue whether they had or didn’t have any qualms, but lots of people die who they let us get to know first, seriously. I kind of had a hankering for the Captain of the submarine…just saying.

I have to admit in the early part of the book I was like how the heck does an avalanche in Alaska, a dead body in the Everglades, and someone smuggling Indigenous artifacts all tie together? Oh and someone wanting to go to Mars. See?! I can’t even keep it all straight and I read the book! (smile) Now it probably would have helped if I read the blurb first (I know, I know). So I will say it took a bit for me to connect with the story because there was just so much to try and remember. Never mind all of the history that is given and you don’t know what is important or not.

Cold Burn is a solid mystery about the climate, history, and present day human practices. I had just watched a documentary on Indigenous Alaskans so I was familiar with what the U.S. Government has been doing to them. I will admit to being completely clueless to the full history of Alaska and how Russia “owned” it before the U.S. in 1959. Just crazy.

The authors put in a lot of work into Cold Burn and it shows. Solid mystery with a cast of characters that make it worth reading. I learned so much and I’m grateful for it.

I read A.J. Landau's first book, [book:Leave No Trace|126919617] while looking for that title by another author. I went ahead and picked it up and have no regrets. Which brings us to Cold Burn.

Park Service Agent Michael Walker is called to investigate multiple deaths at Glacier Bay National Park. On the other side of the country, FBI special investigator Gina Delgado is called to investigate the death of a USGS environmental science intern. Beneath the icy waters of Alaska’s Elfin Cove, an accident causes the maiden voyage of a new stealth submarine to sink. During the rescue, it is discovered the entire crew is dead.

Meanwhile, the theft of cherished Native artifacts is occurring at an increasing rate.

AND, a billionaire thinks he is found the answer to the problems with his space program in a seemingly naturally occurring, but difficult to find substance.

A global disaster is coming fast, with pieces of the puzzle all over the map. Delgado and Walker race to try to determine what they are facing, and how to stop it.

This book was so twisty. Landau built such a story and each chapter felt like a cliff hanger. But the next chapter started an entire new rollercoaster.

I really enjoyed the National Park facts at the beginning of each chapter. This is a political crime thriller and it is non-stop. The only reason I put this down was when a new reveal came and I was shocked all over again.

Detailed, Fascinating and Clever!!

A murder mystery in the Everglades, a billionaire who is trying to fly to Mars, a missing geological team in Alaska, stolen artifacts, and a sunken submarine. Each is its own intricate and interesting story. As we get deeper into this narrative the tendrils begin to get woven together. All are relevant, all are connected, and it could mean a cataclysmic event on the horizon.

Great character building, and well laid out plot as the author provides each delicious morsel to the reader and both characters and reader discover the truth of the complicated and seemingly plausible threat.

An exciting tale. Switching locations from the Everglades to Alaska and other places at first was annoying. Once I got engaged in the story that was no longer an irritant but an enhancement. There was technical information that I tended to skim over. The action kept me reading. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I had the pleasure of reading this as an arc and the story did not disappoint. Definitely a good story if you are into science, thrillers, and native tribes. Michael and Gina set out to save the world and many mysteries had to be solved in this story in order for it all to make sense. I would highly recommend this book to friends and family and anyone looking for a good story. thank you Minotaur Books and St Martins Press for allowing me early access to this great story and I hope everyone else enjoys it.

This was an excellent sequel and twisty thriller for those who are on trend readers and true crime addicts. Well done!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, A. J. Landau; Jeff Ayers; and Jon Land for the chance to read Cold Burn.

While the writing was easy to follow, it was too many technical terms that I just couldn’t enjoy it.

This second in series is filled with interesting facts/info that make it a bit more than just your average run-of-the-mill thriller. The series is obviously set in various US National Parks, and this outing covers both the Everglades and Glacier Bay.

Michael Walker, a National Park Service investigator, is tasked with uncovering a smuggling operation singling out priceless artifacts which he discovers contain a mysterious black powder substance. As the questions around the substance swirl, he is called to Glacier Bay to investigate the disappearance of a US team of scientists.

Meanwhile, Gina Delgado, our other protagonist and an FBI special investigator is working in the Everglades to discover the why of the death of a US Geological Survey Team intern and the possible connection to the experiments that are disrupting the fragile ecosystem there. She is also called to Glacier Bay to investigate the horrific and unexplained deaths of the entire crew aboard a US nuclear sub.

Are these cases connected? Perhaps by the discovery of a deadly prehistoric organism which was frozen for thousands of years and reappears following global warming?

This story obviously has lots going on...murder, theft, a power-hungry billionaire, and oh yeah, an organism that could effectively destroy life on earth.

Even though I had to suspend disbelief on several instances, I found myself enjoying the ride on this one. The plot is well-paced, well-written, and interesting. And while, at times, having two mains to toggle between was a bit distracting, Michael and Gina were both well-drawn characters that I found myself drawn into their diverse investigations. They are both intelligent and dedicated to their jobs, and I found myself looking forward to digging deeper into each of their lives.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to and now find myself eagerly looking forward to further adventures.

My sincere thanks to the authors, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of Cold Burn for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Michael Walker and his wife, Allie, used to be park rangers, until Allie was killed in the gunfight that cost Michael his foot. Now he is a member of the National Park Investigative Bureau. He is sent to Alaska to investigate the theft of Tlingit artifacts from various museums but he uncovers something much more frightening: a microbe that might have been responsible or the extinction event that took place at the end of the last Ice Age. Meanwhile, Gina Delgado, a special investigator for the White House, is in Florida, trying to discover who murdered a young intern working for a science group studying the warming ocean climates. The lead scientist believes they might have found a fix. But how are these two cases linked together? Axle Cole, the world's richest man, believes he will be the first to establish a colony on Mars. He is is pursuit of a super refined oil, only found near a Tlingit village in Alaska. Too bad the Russians think they want it, too. After all, they used to own Alaska and want to own it again. This is the second in a series of National Park books and if you like adrenaline rides, I highly recommend this book.

Not quite for me, but I did enjoy my time reading this! Perfect for readers who love procedurals and in-depth science.

If you enjoy action packed thrillers set in parks in the United States, then look no further than A. J. Landau’s (pseudonym for authors Jon Land and Jeff Ayers) national park thriller series. Cold Burn is the second book in the series and it continues to feature book one protagonists FBI Special Agent Gina Delgado and National Park’s Investigative Services Branch Agent Michael Walker.

Michael has been assigned to a smuggling case involving artifacts in Alaska, but he’s soon sent to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve to help search for a team of scientists who are missing. Meanwhile, Gina has been sent to Florida’s Everglades National Park to find the killer of an environmental science intern. After teaming up with local Law Enforcement Park Ranger Clark Gifford, she is dispatched to Alaska to the scene of a sunken U.S. submarine in which the enter crew has died. Once again, there is a connection between the cases, but the story takes readers on a thrilling adventure before the big picture is revealed.

Michael and Gina are likeable characters and readers get to see their points of view as well as that of a couple of protagonists. The multi-angled view of the characters allows readers to see how each character connects to the story; adding depth and complexity that is effective. Additionally, it is written with smooth transitions that keep the flow going and the intensity level high.

The authors kept me rapidly turning the pages with gripping scenes, plenty of action and danger, a superb plot, and excellent writing. Along the way, readers also learn a bit about both national parks making this an educational as well as an exceptional thriller read. There are several twists and a couple of surprises. Additionally, the world-building is excellent. A constant sense of urgency, a state of uneasiness, and lots of action combined with great characters and a well-written plot make this suspenseful novel a must read. There are several topics woven throughout the novel including cultural differences, greed, power, grief, climate change, death, lies, corruption, and much more.

The authors’ note talks about when they used creative license with folklore and legends while the facts at the beginning of each chapter give readers more insight into the various locations. There is also a fair amount of scientific information included in the storyline that was shared in a way that was easy to understand.

Overall, this is a gritty, intense, and chilling story with complex characters. It’s intense and dramatic and kept this invested in the investigations from beginning to end. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I recommend it to those who like political, action, and military thrillers.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and A. J. Landau (Jon Land and Jeff Ayers) provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 29, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.