"Leave No Trace," a National Parks Thriller by A. J. Landau, Jon Land, and Jeff Ayers, delivers a gripping and fast-paced narrative that combines the excitement of a thriller with the intrigue of national park trivia. The story kicks off with a daring act of terrorism, as the Statue of Liberty is brutally attacked, setting the stage for Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service to take charge of the investigation. However, the plot thickens as Walker collaborates with Gina Delgado of the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, discovering a shadowy domestic terrorist group led by someone known only as Jeremiah.

The narrative unfolds with a relentless pace, taking readers on a thrilling journey across the country's iconic national parks. As the investigation intensifies, the authors skillfully weave in small nuggets of trivia at the beginning of each chapter, adding an extra layer of fascination for readers interested in the parks. The combination of action, suspense, and educational elements makes for a thoroughly engaging read.

One standout aspect of the book is its warp-speed narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The collaboration between Walker and Delgado adds depth to the story, and as they uncover the layers of the terrorist plot, the stakes rise, creating a sense of urgency.

The inclusion of trivia about visited or desired national park destinations adds a unique and educational dimension to the book. It not only entertains but also sparks curiosity and appreciation for these cultural and natural treasures.

"Leave No Trace" successfully captivates with its thrilling plot, well-developed characters, and the added bonus of intriguing national park trivia. The satisfying ending leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series. Overall, a must-read for fans of action-packed thrillers with a touch of educational flair.

I love a great thriller, national parks, and trivia. This book has it all. The story of domestic terrorists who are taking down our national treasures starting with the Statue of Liberty. In response is Michael Walker, Special Agent with the National Park Service, where he connects with Gina Delgado of the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force. Together they discover how deep this plot against democracy goes and they are hot on the trail of the leaders behind it which takes them across the country's favorite national parks. This story moves at warp speed and has a very satisfying ending.

I think my favorite part though was the small bit of trivia that begins each chapter which taught me a lot I didn't know about places have have already visited or now I want to visit.

I can wait to read the next one in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Started off strong and initially held my interest. Tapered off very quickly and the thrill was gone. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Full of action and suspense, Leave No Trace tells a harrowing tale of insurrection. Michael and Gina join forces to protect the citizens of the United States. Michael faces extra challenges as he navigates with a prosthetic foot. Too much more and I’ll spoil the story. A great read for fans of action and suspense.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Michael has to go to New York to help solve an attack that happened. He will need to use everything in his arsenal to figure it out. I liked this book.

I just really enjoyed this book. It was just really easy to get lost in this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Leave No Trace
Michael Walker works for the National Park Service and is on the task force to find out who bombed the Statue of Liberty. He has to work with the FBI who initially do not want to share information because he has no security clearance. He finds a witness, a young boy who was filming with his iPhone when the statue blew up. The film gives them clues on the identity of the terrorist group who is targeting National parks.
This book is action packed and the characters are very interesting. The author gives us enough background to make them real and they spin quite an intriguing story. I hope this is the first of many.

What a timely story giving all that's going on in the world!

Lots of twists and turns and great tie in with the National Parks (lots of good info sprinkled throughout on those, too!)

Loved the short chapters because it felt like I was whipping through the 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 the Statue is a national park the park service has authority.
Gina and Micheal work together to find out who is behind this act.
Each chapter has a little history about the Park Service which I found interesting.

I liked the story and the help the Native Americans gave to stop the next bombing. I really enjoy Jon Land’s books and this one did not disappoint. Recommended

I really wanted to love this book and it started off great. The premise of using the parks as the setting for the book was new and interesting. I felt the really short chapters left the story lurching from point to point and I didn't really get a feel for the characters. It was a fine book but not what I expected or hoped for.

Leave No Trace was an enjoyable read for me. I liked how the author was knowledgeable about many different national parks and landmarks and how precise the detail was. This book starts off with a terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty and that attack is followed up by attacks and attempted attacks at other national landmarks/parks. At first I found it a bit confusing trying to figure out the different characters as some of them were native Americans and some were former American soldiers, some who had been framed to have already been killed. The plot line was a bit convoluted, but not something that is impossible to figure out. I may go back and reread it now that I know the ending and it will probably make more sense. I liked how the main character used a prosthetic foot, and the way that his everyday challenges were described. I can tell that AJ Landau does his research from disabilities, to national parks to weapons/bombs.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a super fast paced thriller - it begins with a terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty. We're quickly introduced to the main characters, Special Agent Michael Walker with the National Park Service and Gina Delgado of the FBI who will be investigating. Due to the observations of a young boy as the event was unfolding, they gain a primary clue a to who is behind the explosion. Very soon after (virtually immediately) more incidents are in the works at iconic American sites. The pace is breathless. The investigators are smart and good at their jobs, but the plot is overarching and heinous, so it remains doubtful that they will succeed at stopping it. I read the book in just a few days - in today's political climate it is not at all unrealistic that something like this could unfold.

My main criticism was the time frame. It just happens all too quickly and it stretched my credulity that Walker and Delgado could be so many places, seemingly at once or within a few hours. Nevertheless I give it a solid 4 star rating. The subtitle of the book is "a National Parks Thriller, so I imagine we will see agent Walker in a sequel. My suggestion is to curtail the plot a bit to just a couple of sites.

thanks to #MinotaurBooks and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

What an exhilarating, heart thumping thriller! Espionage within America’s borders by rogue ex- US military soldiers! Domestic terrorism of epic proportions! This is a 5 star WOW! Almost flawless, with the exception of minor editing errors, Leave No TRACS is deserving of my highest rating. Of particular interest are factoids of the US National Parks and landmarks at the beginning of each chapter. Very interesting! The plot is enthralling- and perhaps possible. Even if one needs to suspend disbelief, it is still a terrific and suspenseful thriller!
The characters are dynamic, round and well developed and endearing to the reader!
The pace is fast and furious!
The rising action is full of action, culminating in an electrifying climax!
The denouement is thoroughly satisfying! I also liked that it sets up for a sequel!

🙌 ! Can’t wait!

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My Thoughts

Special Agent Michael Walker and ASAC Gina Delgado of the FBI find themselves embroiled in more than they signed on far as things escalate over the course of this story.

There is a complexity mixed with simplicity when reading this book as you need to tune out the sheer overload of alphabet soup agencies and law enforcement involved within the ongoing investigations that take up large chunks of your reading time.

I did like how the short chapters gave us information involving each monuments historical backstory, liked the way Delgado and Walkers’ characters played to their individual strengths as well as how they interacted with each other throughout the book.

For me almost the entire time feelings of intensity almost became too much before an actual explosive, then almost anticlimactic ending, brought this particular phase of authors story arc to a close.
[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

The first half of this book had me glued to my seat. The plot was of no other I’ve read before which had me so very intrigued. Every time I thought I knew where the plot was headed, I was proven wrong. However I will say after that 50-75% mark of the plot began to slow and not in a good “conclusion” sort of way. It was like all the energy was put into only the first half of the book. Nevertheless I was entertained which is all that matters to me when it comes to books. I needed something to captivate me, and “Leave No Trace” did just that. I want to thank Netgalley/the publisher for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Uneven

The premise, a group of people are trying to overthrow the current US government by violence, is all too real of a threat. In this book they are doing it by first destroying national parks/monuments like the Statue of Liberty and Gateway Arch. But the execution was very uneven. Parts were very good. Others were almost unreadable with sentences that should have been broken down into three. There were a couple of parts where the idea (like looking for a support) was repeated in slightly different ways three times. The end was a jumble that was hard to follow. I read a galley copy, so I hope further editing will correct some of these issues. Misspelling and grammar errors will likely be removed, but will they take out where Michael, one of the two main characters, calls Ty, a Native American "Red"? Or has the natives that are fighting a battle shooting arrows? I found those points appalling.

Michael and Gina were great main characters and the book is set up to have them return in future ventures. I will likely try another by these authors. But this needs a lot of re-writing to be the gem that it could be.

I wanted to divert from my usual literary fiction and read a thriller so I turned to this book.

The setting: An act of terrorism leads to death and destruction at the Statue of Liberty. Enter Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service sent to New York as the agent-in-charge. Gina Delgado, FBI [formerly stationed in Iraq and a munitions expert] enters as the person in charge of the investigation, head of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. They learn of a radical domestic terrorist group led by "a shadowy figure" known as Jeremiah who wants to take down 10 milion people and start a new world [US] order. WHOA.

The writing is fine. It is a fast read. BUT. IT WAS TOO DEPRESSING GIVEN THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS [for me]. As a thriller, I kept turning the pages--a good thing. A disconnect was I did figure out one of the trajectories [a negative for me when reading a thriller] less than halfway through,

There's a factoid built into the beginning of each chapter [on the National Park Service/sites, military bases, etc.] --I enjoyed these tidbits of information.

Although Walker and Delgado [and Jeremiah] are the main characters, there are many others populating this novel, including a female president, Cabinet members, miitary -- present and former [the latter of which form a large part of Jeremiah's force --"read" January 6], a Native American tribe that plays a role in thwarting the attack, and much more.

If this type of book is your jam--go for it. I'd give it a 2 but as there were no nails on the chalkboard writing and it kept me going, I'll rate it 3 stars. But I'm not recommending. And too neat and tidy an ending.

action, crime-fiction, thriller, suspense, bombing, national-park, hatred, revenge-killings, retribution, law-enforcement, cooperation, radical-militants, survivors, due-diligence, forensic-computer-science, spec-ops, conspiracy, unputdownable, dual-narrators, investigations, investigators, amputee, false-information*****

History, mystery, multiple law enforcement agencies, and bombs. What more could I want?
A real adrenalin fest! Beginning with a sudden bombing of the Statue of Liberty and moving along to real threats needing defusing at successive National Parks in the Us. Alongside the narration by Delgado and Walker is narration by the mastermind of a diabolical revenge plot carried out by rogue special forces operators. As a history nerd I loved the appropriate tidbits heralding the head of each new chapters. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

A pleasant sightseeing afternoon for the Logan family means a trip to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty. Fifteen-year-old Danny notices a discrepancy in the Park Patrol boats and begins to film the boat and its inhabitants.

But an explosion tosses him around and topples the Statue of Liberty.

Michael Walker, an agent for the National Park Service, investigates along with the FBI’s Gina Delgado and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The media receives calls, threatening a second terrorist attack, leading to fears that other American symbols might be at risk.

Who is behind the attacks? And why?

=========

A strong sense of place, believable, realistic characters, and an intriguing, action-packed plot all work together to pull the reader into the telling of this complex tale from the outset.

Each chapter begins with a simple statement of a fact relevant to the chapter’s portion of the narrative. Informative and interesting, it’s a perfect addition to the telling of this tale. Suspenseful and filled with tension, the narrative keeps the reader’s interest as the horrifying events in the unfolding narrative keep those pages turning as fast as possible.

Readers who enjoy domestic thrillers, police procedurals, and thrillers will find much to appreciate here as the unfolding narrative leads to a mostly-satisfying denouement, albeit with an elusive hint of more mayhem to come.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#LeaveNoTrace #NetGalley

Terrorism is at play in this story called "Leave No Trace." It begins with a massive and deadly explosion at the Statue of Liberty which topples the statue but does not destroy her. There is a Park Service investigator, Michael Walker, who happens to be on scene. He is mobility hampered by a line-of-duty incident that cost him his foot; but he is determined to help survivors and find the culprits.

Thus begins the saga of the book. It seems that national parks and monuments are being targeted and Michael is on the move trying to get there first. Thanks to a cell phone video, there are leads on who might be doing this but these clues just don't make much sense.

Many people are in for a deadly destiny unless Michael and Gina Delgado, an FBI agent with whom he partners, can get to the bottom of who and why this is happening. They are being stretched thin as are their agencies but they are very determined to find the perpetrators. These two are not the only two involved in the search that goes to the highest levels of the American power structure. Other outside players are also involved!

Many deaths have taken place as the story unfolds, but untold millions more will follow unless the teams are successful in figuring out who and how the damage is to go down. A shadow figure called Jerimiah is involved but what is his story? Back and forth goes the storyline with clues pointing one place but then other power players are thwarting the investigations. There is a lot of adventure and edge-of-seat action in this story.

A great story that is sure to hold the reader spellbound. I definitely recommend it.