A.J. Landau—a pseudonym for veteran authors Jon Land (the Caitlin Strong series, etc.) and Jeff Ayers (Voyages of Imagination)—kicks off an exciting new series with Leave No Trace, an expertly crafted thriller wrapped in a mystery with more than enough surprises and action to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Lady Liberty started her day standing tall, majestic as ever, before yet again bearing witness to another deadly attack on New York City.
The Statue of Liberty has fallen, but that’s just the beginning—literally and figuratively—of this captivating and page-turning new thriller, which opens with fifteen-year-old Danny Logan, in town to visit the historic site, spotting a suspicious boat fast approaching near the shoreline of Fort Wood. Alerting his father, Josh, who is too busy staring at the screen of his phone to notice anything amiss, Danny whips out his iPhone to record the scene and, a moment later, is rocked by a violent explosion that kills everyone near the blast.
In Front Royal, Virginia—near Shenandoah National Park—Michael Walker is awoken by his boss, Angela Pierce, who calls on his day off, a mix of urgency and panic creeping into her voice. “Turn on the TV,” Pierce tells Walker, who does as instructed and, seconds later, watches as news coverage shows the carnage through long-distance camera shots of the wreckage on Liberty Island. Hundreds are dead. Thousands more are injured. And Lady Liberty is no more, sparking horrific memories from 9/11, prompting Walker to ask his boss the question everyone wants to know: was this an act of terrorism? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. “Too early to tell,” Pierce, the Special Agent in Charge with the National Park Service’s Investigative Services Branch (ISB), tells Walker before tasking him with heading to and taking charge of the scene as her proxy on-site.
Snapping into action, Walker does as instructed and heads to NYC, only to learn upon his arrival at Liberty Island that FBI explosives expert Gina Delgado, who is heading up the Joint Terrorism Task Force, is already present and in charge. Though their initial interactions are a bit icy, the two eventually team up after Walker finds Danny, whose video of the suspicious boat proves to be the first tangible clue to what happened. But as their investigation gets underway, both Walker and Delgado begin to fear that the attack near Fort Wood is only the beginning and that those behind the killings have their sites set on something even bigger. If they can’t stop future attacks, countless more will die—and as the stakes rise, so does the tension, which is palpable, igniting an epic final act that delivers all the goods in a big and high-octane way.
Not enough can be said about the fine job Landau does setting up this high-powered story, which is jam-packed with tons of information about various national parks and historical locations inside the United States. The ability to entertain while providing informative details is a nice touch and brilliantly utilizes the book’s hero, Michael Walker, and his unique background. In a genre where we typically see protagonists as ex-Navy SEALS turned cold-blooded assassins, Walker manages to stand out for a number of reasons. So does Gina Delgado, who is sure to be a favorite among readers, and the pair’s chemistry and banter work well really well to balance out an otherwise intense plot.
Finely plotted and blistering with action and suspense, A.J. Landau’s Leave No Trace is perfect for fans of Steve Berry and Brad Meltzer and will no doubt have readers begging for a sequel.
Book Details
Author: A.J. Landau
Pages: 352 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1250877334
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: February 27, 2024
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, is also in bookstores, and his third book, OUT FOR BLOOD, comes out on June 4th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. To interact with other readers and talk about your favorite books and authors, join The Real Book Spy’s Discord server.