Leave No Trace
National Parks #1
By A. J. Landau (Jon Land and Jeff Ayers)
ISBN 9781250877338
Author’s website: jonlandbooks.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
In a daring, brutal act of terrorism, an explosion rocks and topples the Statue of Liberty. Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service is awakened by his boss with that news and sent to New York as the agent-in-charge. Not long after he lands, he learns two things – one that Gina Delgado of the FBI has been placed in charge of the investigation as the lead of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and two, that threats of a second terrorism attack are already being called into the media. While barred from the meetings of the Joint Task Force for his lack of security clearance, Walker finds a young boy among the survivors with a critical piece of information – a video linking the attackers to the assault.
As a radical domestic terrorist group, led by a shadowy figure known only as Jebediah, threatens further attacks against America’s cultural symbols, powerful forces within the government are misleading the investigation to further their own radical agenda. (from Goodreads)
Review:
This first in a pulse-pounding new series has a lightning-fast pace. The protagonists think on their feet, and are loyal to their President, supervisors, and country. One doesn’t merely read it, one becomes fully immersed in the plot, the action, the brilliance of the good guys, and the incredible beauty and rich history of the national parks. The parks were so well described, I felt as if I were there. Each chapter begins with interesting current or historical information on the park service.
Without warning, Lady Liberty’s platform exploded, toppling her over and onto what was left of her platform, killing hundreds inside and out. Michael, a special agent of the Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service, was sent to the Statue of Liberty to act on behalf of his boss. The National Park Service is a member of the New York City Joint Terrorism Task Force yet despite the Statue of Liberty being a national monument, the FBI had ultimate authority when they arrived. Gina’s boss has been on leave; in his absence, she had authority to lead the task force. Michael reluctantly relinquished authority to Gina.
Michael is one of the best ISB special agents in the country. While searching the site, he found a fifteen-year-old boy stumbling around the area in shock who became, to Michael, much more than one family member looking for the others. The teen was probably the only witness to people involved in the explosion, and had a video on his phone to prove it. Danny couldn’t even notice the injured and deceased people around them, but he did know he had to show his video with the special boat, to someone, and Michael was in uniform.
Instead of turning him over to the FBI, Michael made sure the teen received medical attention, was hospitalized, and under guard from those who had already called in threats of another attack. Michael was called on the carpet by his boss, by Gina with the FBI, and ultimately would face the wrath of his late wife’s father, the Secretary of the Interior. Ethan had not forgiven Michael for his daughter turning her back on him, nor had he ceased blaming Michael for her murder.
Gina admitted that, had she been Michael, she might have done exactly as he had. She saw the video and they examined it thoroughly. Gina had a strong history with the FBI and the expertise and experience to determine what explosive was used. She also had the best software and other tools to fit their needs. They quickly determined the park they suspected would be hit next. They worked together with what he was allowed to, since he lacked security clearance. He shared, as needed, an impressive knowledge of most national parks and monuments.
Experienced national parks staff could be moved like pawns in a manic chess game if his former father-in-law called the shots. By the time Gina trusted Michael, he was relocated across the country. Gina learned that those targeting the national monuments belonged to a home-grown terrorist militia that included former military and current government officials determined to take over the government and kill millions of citizens. Gina’s phone was blocked from outside calls, so she and Michael had minimal opportunity to share what they learned to find and destroy the terrorists and their weapons.
Gina and Michael are the kind of people I would like to think works on behalf of our country, even though I didn’t like Gina at first. Brilliant, loyal, and hard-working, they laid their life on the line for the greater good. Each person was defined as fitting their roles. While we primarily see the points of view of Gina and Michael, there are others, both minor and critical, both good guy and bad guy, who tell a story. Each had lived with great adversity, and have become better, stronger people.
This amazing author team exceeds the “what ifs” of creativity, crafting mostly realistic scenarios that could play out today. Part of the horror of this stunning, high-action thriller is just how it could actually play out in reality. I did figure out the identity of a couple of the bad guys, but I never would have guessed a couple who were actually good guys! I was very satisfied with the overall novel and ending. I highly recommend this thriller and hope this series will have a long, adventurous run!
