Intriguing story that holds your attention throughout. The narrator is very good and easy to listen to. The premise was original and scary. Small details about the US National Parks was a bonus.

Leave No Trace by A.J. Landau

Thank you to @authorajlandau, @recordedbooks, and @netgalley for the chance to read this #advancedlistenercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is available February 27 so preorder now!

First of all, I really appreciate and enjoy the love for the National Parks system and its employees that shines through this book. The combo of that with the thriller element made this so unique and enjoyable. So many complex and multifaceted characters make up this POV shifting terrorism suspense read and it’s so captivating. I highly recommend this for fans of nature, parks, thrillers, suspense, and police procedurals.

TWs: terr*rism, loss of a loved one, explosion, exploitation, v*ndetta, religious extremism, more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.25/5

Leave No Trace is an action-filled, explosive debut from A.J. Landau.

"In a shocking act of terrorism, the Statue of Liberty is bombed and toppled from her base. Hundreds are killed. Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service is sent to the scene. He finds the FBI already on-site and SA Gina Delgado from the Joint Terrorism Task Force running the investigation. Michael finds a young survivor with video evidence of the explosion and stumbles into an even greater conspiracy."

What a fantastic debut from Landau. I did not want to stop listening. The "topple the government" story is not new, but the way he goes about it is - going after the national landmarks. Michael has a tragic back-story but Landau portrays him as someone wanting to do the right thing. SA Delgado has some special talents with her military background that come in handy.
So many wild action scenes - the flooding at Zion and the final battle are insane.

Gregory Abbey does a great job with the audio. The tension and emotion continue to ramp up the closer we get to the end.

Wildly entertaining read from Landau. I look forward to more stories with these characters.

Suspense. Action. Thriller. Terrorism. Sketchy government leaders…
Looking for any of these? Well then, you’ve chosen the right book!

This one gets you involved from the very beginning, as we start with an act of what they believe is terrorism as the Statue of Liberty is brought to the ground, taking with it, many people in the area, visiting.

Micheal Walker, from the Parks Dept, is brought in to investigate.
Gina Delgado of the FBI is brought in as well.

As they are trying to figure out what happened, and who is behind this, new threats begin to emerge…and more people are killed…

As it progresses we learn more about the two agents, and their backgrounds.

So many factors involved in this one…and it really makes you think!

From the multiple agencies involved, to the Native Indians, who lost land, to crooked Government Officials, Military who seem to have their own agenda, and Parks Dept people who are trying to save National Landmarks…and people.

Great storyline. And, it’s book #1, so we can look forward to more of the same!
Oh, and did I mention the plot twists?

Thanks to #NetGalley, #MinotaurBooks and #RBMedia for an ARC of the audiobook which will be released in a few days on 2/27/24.

#LeaveNoTrace by #AJLandau and beautifully narrated by #GregoryAbbey.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

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My first national parks thriller. A young boy sees something he shouldn’t. I loved getting to learn about the parks. From the bombing of Statue of Liberty to Zion national park you are on a fast paced ride to find the terrorist

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was absolutely amazing! His voices were spot on, he made the suspense even better and he helped keep me interested the entire time. The storyline was super intriguing and I was pleasantly surprised at how well written it was. There was all plot and action, no boring extraneous parts like so many other mysteries have. Highly recommended this one and I can’t wait for more!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

The narrator was great. He did a really good job with all the characters.

The overall story of the book was good however it just did not keep me captivated.

This one was really slow to start, but once it picked up I found myself really getting invested. I’d definitely recommend to slow burn thriller lovers!

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Narrated by Gregory Abbey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story by A.J. Landau ⭐⭐

The narrator has a fantastic voice

The cover is really good and definitely a book I would click on in the Kindle store or a digital library.

Unfortunately overall I could not get into this book. It was definitely action packed (which I normally love) but I could not get invested in the overall story.

This was the first book of its kind I’ve ever read. It was action packed and kept me intrigued the entire time! I did not want to shut this audiobook off - the narrator was excellent. I definitely cannot wait for the next book in the National Parks Thriller series for more of Michael and Gina!

The combination of National Parks and mystery thriller had me hooked from the start. While I'm not typically drawn to detective, military, or terrorist attack narratives, I found myself intrigued by the plot, although it was challenging to keep up with at times.

There were moments where the story lost me, perhaps due to abrupt transitions (like the NP facts), but the audiobook narrator skillfully reeled me back in whenever my interest waned.
Nonetheless, I suspect that reading the physical book would offer a smoother experience.

One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the depth of the character stories, especially Gina Delgado—who was an absolute boss!

Despite my mixed feelings about the book, I'm eager to see where the series goes from here, and for that reason, I give it 3.5 stars bumped to 4. It's easy to envision this story adapted into a compelling series or show.

Honestly this is a me problem. I thought I would give mystery another shot, but I realized when it focuses solely on the investigators I'm not a huge fan. It took me everything to get through it, I was just not feeling it. It is super well written and the story is intriguing, I think a lot of people will love it !

I picked this one up because I was totally intrigued with a thriller set with a national parks backdrop. I just discovered that this book is written by an author duo, and I am curious to learn more about their writing process together and the direction this series is headed. Gina Delgado was definitely my favorite character, although Michael is a close second. I appreciate all of the strong female characters that the authors included throughout the book in various positions. I also enjoyed the tidbits about the various national parks that kicked off each chapter. The audio narration was well done, and it definitely upped the tension and suspense. At times I did lose the plot a bit, but I don't think that is a fault of the writing, but more that I am not a huge military-type person and aspects of the book did get a bit military heavy. I will definitely check out the next book in the series.!

This book jumps right into the action when an apparent act of terrorism fells the Statue of Liberty. National Parks Services Special Agent Michael Walker is sent to NY to lead the investigation. He arrived to find the FBI has named Gina Delgado to lead the Joint Terrorism Task Force and that there have already been more threats against US Landmarks.

Michael doesn’t have the security clearance needed to meet with the task force. While they meet, he finds a young boy among the survivors with a video he took on his phone just before the attack – – a video with potentially critical info.

Together, Michael and Gina work to protect their young witness and stop the assault on America. All evidence points to this being a domestic group with potential ties within the government. Who can they trust?

This fast-paced, high anxiety thriller kept me on the edge of my seat as Michael & Gina race across the US to stop the attacks and uncover the conspiracy.

I also appreciated the history, facts, and trivia about the landmarks that were added in. I’m fortunate enough to have personally visited most of the landmarks mentioned in the book, so I could already visualize these different places. I thought the extra info helped add even more emotion and connection.

I hope this becomes a series. I’d definitely read more!

4 stars!

I found this to be a great surprise of a book from a first time duo of writers. Who would've thought that a book about a National Park Service investigator would have such great action? I enjoyed Michael and his FBI counterpart, Gina as they try to track down the group setting off explosions at our national monuments and I adored how every chapter started with a different fact about a national park. I very much look forward to Landau's next entry into the National Parks Thriller series and will recommend this title highly. Thank you to Macmillan, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion.

The first in a new series by author A.J. Landau (Jon Land and Jeff Ayers), Leave No Trace opens with the Statue of Liberty being toppled by a blast. Fifteen-year-old Danny Logan is a visitor that day, one who is fascinated with boats. He takes some video on his phone of a boat that he tells his father is 'wrong' and not actually a park service boat. After the explosion, Michael Walker who is an investigator with the National Parks Service talks with Danny and the boy's video sets Walker off on the hunt for the terrorists.

Michael Walker's wife was killed several years past when they were both working at Mount Rainer National Park. He lost his foot during the incident. His wife's father is determined to make Michael's life hellish and, as a prominent politician, is well-placed to interfere in Michael's job. Gina Delgado is an FBI explosives expert assigned to the Statue of Liberty case. After a rocky start, Gina and Michael work together as more threats to US National Monuments begin to appear. The two of them navigate through nonstop incidents around the country, trying to save monuments while getting to the bottom of who is behind the attacks. Unknown to Walker, he has a significant connection to the leader of that group.

Fascinating facts about the national parks are offered up to readers, creating an engrossing read. Especially when mixed with the non-stop action in the book.

Recommended for fans of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series as well as anyone who enjoys a good fast-paced thriller. Actor Gregory Abbey realistically voices all of the characters. (When does the first sequel come out?)

.Note: I listened to an ARC of the audiobook, courtesy of NetGalley.

Michael Walker lost his wife and part of his leg and is now a Special Agent in the National Park Service. He will work with Gina Delgado of the FBI after an attack on the Statue of Liberty. But this was only the first act of terrorism which comes from America's own citizens.

Enjoyed this well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Strong characters who must work with others to save America's future. The National Parks are the central locations for this plotline, which is full of twists and turns and plenty of dangerous situations. Enjoy.

This first in series grabbed my attention from the start. Non-stop action and settings in urban National Parks combined with conspiracies in this thriller. I liked the trivia and historical tidbits about parks, buildings and places, the backstories of Michael and Gina, and the promise of some secondary characters. The narrator reads so well he disappeared and only the story remained, which to me is the best possible outcome. Characters were clear and pacing and intensity added to the tension. This is the first in a series and I look forward to the next. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5⭐️

I listened to the audio version of this novel. It is a story about a terrorist attack, an explosion at the statue of liberty. This story is packed with action and has many characters that come in and out of the chapters. At times this made it a bit hard to keep straight at times.
I received an audio eARC copy for my honest review.

I did not love this, but please do not let my opinion deter you. Looking at the other reviews, I am in the minority. And I didn't hate it- it just wasn't for me for a variety of reasons.

For the first half, I enjoyed the plot. I wasn't a fan of the organization/formatting. I was listening to the audiobook, and I have a feeling that it would have been different in print. The chapters starts with some facts about whatever historical site that chapter takes place in. I actually found it a bit distracting. I think with print, it would have transitioned in and out of these facts easier. And I could have skipped them. It also felt like things jumped around a bit at first. Either it got better or I got used to it, because it wasn't an issue later on in the book.

Now for the second half- the plot was not for me. After Michael Walker and Gina Delgado separated, I didn't enjoy it as much. While a few years ago, I may have said the plot got too far fetched, but after January 6th, things are less surprising. However, I read for escapism and that definitely did not help me escape.

I would have enjoyed it more if it were a police procedural solving a crime in a National Park. Because I did find the National Park aspect interesting and different. However, it just got to be too far out there for me.

Gregory Abbey narrates the audiobook and no complaints.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.