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.

This was a really really interesting story that moved at a fabulous pace and kept me thoroughly engaged from start to finish. I loved everything about it, from the characterizations to the plot to the pacing. I'm not exactly sure how it will be a series - the world can only be threatened spectacularly so many times before it feels forced - but loved the world enough to definitely come back for more+

Really interesting book. Quite different take on the mystery/thriller genre. Great info on the national parks. Engaging read. Not at all predictable. I look forward to reading more from this writing team.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say this book took me by surprise. I was sucked in from page one until the end. It had history, adventure, action and made you think. It was also terrifying in a way because while fiction, it seemed realistic. I gave it four stars because to me it felt rushed towards the end. I even went back to reread thinking I missed something since it felt like there should be more. Overall this was a great read and I will be recommending it to others who are fans. I also want to read more from this author. Make sure you grab this and prepare for a ride that will keep you guessing and wanting more.

I had high hopes for this one because I am a huge national park lover. However, the book is disjointed and has these random intros that don't always seem relevant to the chapter. I think sticking to one park at a time might have worked better.

Leave No Trace is a thrilling tale of domestic terror that threatens our National Parks. The characters cover the gamut of bravery, dedication, over-comers, tragic, evil, and endearing. Readers are treated to vicarious visits to several National Parks as well as facts presented at the beginning of each chapter. The overall story is strong; however, long titles and names sometimes drag the momentum down and make it difficult to follow. I found this book intriguing and look forward to reading more!

Leave no Trace

I truly love a great thriller, I also love stories about national parks. I had great promise in this book especially because it kicked off with a bang. The initial story of events happening at the Statue of Liberty was exciting & the story seemed as though we were going to be fully surprised as it unfolded. However I hate to say that it felt messy. As the story unfolds adding in other National Parks it starts to feel rushed, chaotic, and hard to follow. The eventual discovery of new evidence connecting ex-military members to a plot to over throw the government was both believable & the part of the story you could see happening today.

Personally for me the story felt as though there were pieces missing, little to no depth in the characters except the job, the big highlight I loved were all the historical references in the story as well as how each chapter shared a fact about the National Park being discussed in the pages.

All that to say it wasn’t a favorite, I know others have loved it.

Shoutout to NetGalley, authors & publishers for the chance to review an ARC of this title. I attest the following review is my own unbiased work.

This book is billed as a national park thriller and it succeeds in that endeavor. While the storyline is current and somewhat of a stretch, it is fast paced and engaging. One of the interesting things about this book is that each chapter opens with a one or two sentence fact about where that chapter takes place. Overall, I recommend this book for those who are interested in this genre of books.

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

Excellent debut novel. A horrifying terrorist attack. The characters are fabulous and well suited to their professions. Especially loved Gina and Michael. I hope this is the beginning of a series. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press for the invitation and the Authors for allowing me to read and review this book.

I was hopeful that I would like this "National Parks thriller," but I did not like it very much. It should have been a tip off when I saw that the novel has three authors. You know what they say about too many chefs, and it goes the same with authors. The plot in the novel is so broad that it was hard to see how it came into being and where the money came from to fund it. The characters had little personality. So, other than not wanting to see National Parks defiled, there wasn't much in the novel for me.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I like this book as I like anything history and thriller and when you combine them it’s a win for me . I loved the fast paced book it reminded a lot of Nevada Barrs books and it was a good read worth your time .

The book starts off with a terrorist attack toppling the Statue of Liberty and killing or wounding hundreds in the process. Michael Walker, an agent with the National Park Service's Investigative Services Branch, is sent to Liberty Island to assist in the investigation. Walker is a former law enforcement park ranger, but an injury a few years ago cost him his left foot, which has been replaced with a state-of-the-art prosthetic. FBI Special Agent Gina Delgado, who is also a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, takes the lead on the investigation. She also has a specialized knowledge set which allows her to recognize something about the nature of the explosives that most other investigators would have missed.

Both Walker and Delgado expect that Walker's involvement in the investigation will be brief. However, that changes when Walker comes across a survivor who observed an anomaly and had the presence of mind to record it on his phone, providing the authorities with their first significant lead (but also placing the witnesses' life in jeopardy). More significantly, the next attempted terror attack is at Independence Hall, and then the Gateway Arch, both National Park Service properties. Walker's knowledge of those parks, and other National Park Service properties, will be critical in stopping a conspiracy that links various domestic extremist groups, the membership of which includes numerous current and former members of the military and law enforcement, as well as government officials, in a plot to overthrow the government and take back the nation. Delgado will also have a significant role to play, which will include utilizing her special skill set.

The conspiracy is led by two charismatic individuals -- former General Archibald Terrell (General Terror) and Ferris Hobbs (who has renamed himself Jeremiah after the biblical prophet). Unbeknownst to Walker, he and Jeremiah have a significant history, and Walker's involvement in the investigation and disruption of Jeremiah's plans will make things much more personal for Jeremiah.

Yet, while Walker, Delgado, and allies will save the day, the victory will likely prove temporary, as the book ends with the implication that other deadly plots are in the works. This is a positive, as the idea of a sequel is quite appealing.

Each chapter starts with a fact about the location where the events in the chapter take place -- Liberty Island, Independence Hall, Gateway Arch, Zion National Park, DC, etc. I thought that was a good addition. Some of the facts will be familiar to readers but many of the facts will probably be new unless you have a special interest in the particular location.

Leave No Trace, which starts with a bang, literally, sadly does not continue the momentum to hold my interest. There's got to be some semblance of truth for me to remain engaged in a thriller, but on the plus side, there was originality in its style. At the head of the short, almost cinematic chapters, there was a snippet of historical fact concerning the National Landmark being threatened and exposed. Very interesting and made the progression of the plot viable.

I was super engrossed in this one from the start! it gave me designated survivor vibes with the government conspiracy and race again time to stop it!

however, it got progressively slower and more boring as the plot continued. instead of intensity, the storyline was repetitive and predictable 🤷🏼‍♀️ and maybe that’s because I’ve read so many thriller books and watched so many spy movies…

BUT, other than gina (who was the backbone of this entire story), I would have liked to see more likable characters. I didn’t feel invested in them at all, and the ones that I felt a pull to (like danny) were quickly shoved to the side and never mentioned again.

this book could definitely have used some editing when it came to the details of the science and technology, making the dialogue seem more “telling” rather than “showing”

thank you to minotaur books for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this one’s out in february!

rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot

The thriller version of a candy bar. Don’t miss this quick and satisfying read set in a variety of National Parks! Thanks to the authors and publisher for an advance review copy!

Leave No Trace was a fast paced novel which provided history on the US National Park System while entertaining the reader with a fast paced thriller. I enjoyed the tidbits of information on the US Park setting for each chapter.

A thriller from the first page to the very last. Keeps you riveted and totally engaged.
Michael Walker, a Special Agent from the National Parks Service and FBI agent Gina Delgado find themselves in charge of the investigation into a terrorist bombing of the Statue of Liberty.
Their trail takes them to other National Parks as they track down the group behind the attack and try to prevent another.
Fascinating, well-developed plot with characters that are so well defined you can see them standing right in front of you. The descriptions and background on the various parks that are part of the story is simply fascinating and so incredibly in tune with the story. that you easily absorb it in with the developing mystery as it unfolds.
Walker and Delgado make a great team and are supremely intriguing characters, each with their own not so picture perfect background.
Just an all around great thriller that has you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
Waiting now for the next story.
There has to be one, right??