Michael Walker is back on another fast paced, wild adventure through the beauty (and danger!) of our glorious National Parks. From the heat of Florida to the arctic mountains of Alaska, Landau once again shows us the beauty of this land, all while keeping my heart rate up and the pages flying. As a fan of 1990's action flicks, this series speaks directly to my nostalgic heart while still immersing me in modern technology and issues like finite natural resources, climate change, and shady government experiments.

Landau does a fantastic job of piquing my curiosity with historical and geographical facts, which send me off on a research tangent every few chapters. This was once again a fantastic reading experience and I'm delighted to have discovered this series. While this one could technically be read as a standalone, I'd encourage you to start with the first in the series, Leave No Trace.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the authors Jon Land and Jeff Ayers for the opportunity to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for my honest review.

** I will share my review to StoryGraph closer to publication and will post to IG (@bookish.moment) on April 24. I will update this page with links to those once they are live.

Cold Burn was a good follow up to Leave No Trace. I liked the multiple plots in different areas and enjoyed seeing how they came together. I would've like to have seen some more of the events that happened between the last chapter and the epilogue but I guess it didn't really impact the story too much. I hope that maybe in future installments we see Amika join Michael and Gina on some other adventure. Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for this ARC. #ColdBurn #NetGalley

Michael Walker and Gina Delgado return for another addition of the National Parks thriller series. Unfortunately, I did not read the first installment of this series, so I went in completely blind. Based off my own opinion, this book could be read as a standalone, without needing to read the first, as bits and pieces of the events of the first book are discussed within this one, bringing the reader up to speed.
In Cold Burn, a series of events is leading to a potential extinction event that hasn’t been seen in the world for thousands of years. Michael and Gina, while apart, work together to stop this extinction from occurring with assistance from, most prominently, the Tlingit tribe in Alaska.
When a thousands-years-old substance is rediscovered and begins to kill off humans and animals alike, freezing them to death in normal circumstances, Gina and Michael find a way to stop the spread, in addition to protecting the remainder of the substance that is hidden underneath the Tlingit village, where it has been housed since what feels like the beginning of time.
They are successful in their efforts, though it’s obvious that while this particular situation had been rectified through the various efforts of the characters, an extinction event could occur at any time, and they must be prepared for that.
Cold Burn hints at Tlingit history and knowledges, along with various topics such as politics and climate change and global warming. As I mentioned, I went into this book blind after being invited by the publisher to read and give my honest review. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but truthfully, this duel author knows how to keep a reader mesmerized through their writing. They often left a chapter off on a cliffhanger, rendering you unable to stop until you learn what happened.
4/5 stars from me on this wonderful scientific thriller. Thank you to Minotaur Books, A.J. Landau and NetGalley for an ARC of Cold Burn. The opinions written within this review at that of my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of others.

COLD BURN is a fun and fast-paced story from the writing duo known as AJ Landau. This represents the second story in their popular National Parks Thriller series, after 2024’s LEAVE NO TRACE. We are again submerged in the worlds of National Park Service investigator Michael Walker and FBI investigator Gina Delgado. But here, two seemingly unrelated crimes in locations as disparate as possible keep the reader engaged, asking what could possible happen next? What every good thriller strives for.
A group of researchers uncover a frozen wooly mammoth in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park, only to later be found dead themselves. Why? How? Thousands of miles away, in Florida's Everglades National Park, the murder of an environmental science intern draws Delgado into the case.
How could these murders possibly be linked? The unraveling of that mystery drives this story and make readers madly flip the pages until the solution comes to light. Entertaining and then some.

DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series

This is the second book in the Michael Walker National Park Thrillers series. I haven't read the first one but I still really enjoyed this one. Michael investigates a mysterious problem in Alaska with the native culture there who are quite upset with their treatment by the U.S. government. Thefts of their native materials is also on Michael's radar. Everything comes together, including activities in Florida's Everglades. This book is quite good, well-written, with skillfully drawn characters and lots of action. Also included are unusual and wide-spread geographic locations, environmental issues, and scientific solutions. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for providing an ARC.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

Book two of a series. Good characters and story. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this e-arc early. This books is #2 in the National Parks series. I enjoyed working out the mysteries and I loved getting to know the parks.

You will enjoy this one if you like police procedurals with a twist of nature. I would have liked to see a little more about the parks

Cold Burn is the second book in A.J. landau’s National Park series. It can be read as a stand alone book and I have not read the first book, Leave No Trace, so I was new to the characters. Cold Burn is a thriller that captivated me from start to finish and weaves multiple story lines throughout the novel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers that include action and environmental issues.

While I am not a fan of reading a series without reading them all, I was gifted this book and didn’t realize it was a series until about a fourth through it. I didn’t have to stop and read the first book to understand the dynamics of the characters…. So for me this is an unexpected win.
In 2023 I promised myself to read more books about other cultures and happenings within the US grounds. This book didn’t disappoint on that and also while a secret conspiracy theory person this one amps you up to do some Google searching of your own to wonder…. Could this happen?

Definitely an action packed installment with this second installment of the National Parks Thriller. The beginning is a little confusing as it jumps around a lot starting with a missing geological team, dead bodies in the Everglades and what appears to be smugglers in a museum. But once the story starts to come together it gets crazy intense and the clock is ticking!

Gina and Micheal end up working together again but at first it would appear they didn't even know it and why. It is interesting to see how this all ties up. I also found it interesting to see how the Tlingit tribe fits in to this story line and I really end up liking the two main tribe members that help Micheal.

The only real issue I had with this book was a lot of the description was over the top and technical. I found myself glancing over the pages when there was a lot of submarine "talk" and I feel like it too a long time to introduce the Russians into the story.

I would try the next one in this series if there is one as I do like an action packed story with these two main characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read "Cold Burn" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This 2nd book in the Walker and Delgado series takes the reader from the glaciers of Alaska to the Everglades of Florida, with death and smuggling along the way. A timely piece on the dangers of Climate Change and inaction especially with two such special ecosystems as glaciers and everglades. Very well written, easy to engage and read.

Thefts of artifacts in Alaska. Scientists missing in an avalanche. Death by alligator in the Everglades. A missing nuclear submarine. How are these random events related? You’ll find out in Cold Burn, the second thriller in the National Parks series by Jon Land; Jeff Ayers; A. J. Landau. National Park Service Investigator Michael Walker deals with the Alaskan mysteries while FBI Special Investigator Gina Delgado is assigned to Florida. The events are linked and Walker and Delgado must discover how before an environmental disaster happens.

The nonstop action in Cold Burn moves from location to location as the investigators close in on the truth. Walker and Delgado are both strong characters who play off each other. All the disasters here seem possible as, unfortunately, does the ultimate conclusion. I’m looking forward to the next in this well written series. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jon Land; Jeff Ayers; A. J. Landau for this ARC.

This book presents an interesting alternative to the last mass extinction event that arises now due to climate change warming up the atmosphere causing melting of ice and releasing the cause. It also includes the Everglades and a government experiment that ascorbates the situation. It is an engaging and thought provoking read.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

Cold Burn
By A.J. Landau (Jon Land and Jeff Ayers)

This is the second in the National Parks thriller series. Having been a fan of Mr. Land for many years, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this latest book from the publisher and NetGalley.

This book revolves around Michael Walker, an ISB agent for the National Park Service investigating crimes taking place within the parks, and Gina DelGado, an FBI agent serving directly for the President.

Michael and Gina worked together previously in "Leave No Trace", and have a good working relationship. While both are on separate assignments – Michael in Alaska and Gina in the Everglades – they soon realize that their assignments overlap. They both must succeed in order to literally save the earth from one man's greed and another's lust for power.

The tension mounts as the story shifts back and forth with the authors' consummate skill at raising the ante. I was not disappointed; this one will keep readers on the edge of their seats. And, as an added bonus, the reappearance of Blaine McCracken (McCrackenballs) and the seven foot tall Johnny Wareagle (the Indian) brings back so many memories of the earlier Jon Land novels. I can't wait for the next installment.

I have recently become fascinated with national parks, so I was excited to get this ARC. I left this thriller moved along a decent pace, and I loved the park setting. i was not aware that this was part of a series, but I will be going back to read them now

Cold Burn is my first introduction to A. J. Landau, so I had not read Leave No Trace before. I will now. This was a great read. While investigating stolen artifacts from the Tlingit people of Alaska, National Park Service Investigator Michael Walker stumbles across a smuggling ring using the artifacts to move a strange substance (no spoilers here ;-) An acquaintance from the FBI, special investigator Gina Delgado, is working a murder case in the Everglades. They end up working together to solve both cases and, yep, true to the genre, saving the free world in the process. This series is now on my Must Read List.

I haven’t read any other books by this author, but I loved this one so much! Super fast paced, loads of action, well fleshed characters, and very atmospheric! Will definitely check out their other novels now!

Cool story! I loved the themes of environmental preservation and living with the land that was at the center of the plot. It was masterfully woven into a story that grabbed you and didn’t let go until the very last page! At first, I was a little confused with the bouncing around between different locations, but then it all came together and made sense. If you read this and feel this way, keep going! It will definitely be worth it. It was riveting and the characters were well done. Read this book, it’s great!