Cold Burn

If you enjoy action packed thrillers set in parks in the United States, then look no further than A. J. Landau’s (pseudonym for authors Jon Land and Jeff Ayers) national park thriller series. Cold Burn is the second book in the series and it continues to feature book one protagonists FBI Special Agent Gina Delgado and National Park’s Investigative Services Branch Agent Michael Walker.

Michael has been assigned to a smuggling case involving artifacts in Alaska, but he’s soon sent to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve to help search for a team of scientists who are missing. Meanwhile, Gina has been sent to Florida’s Everglades National Park to find the killer of an environmental science intern. After teaming up with local Law Enforcement Park Ranger Clark Gifford, she is dispatched to Alaska to the scene of a sunken U.S. submarine in which the enter crew has died. Once again, there is a connection between the cases, but the story takes readers on a thrilling adventure before the big picture is revealed.

Michael and Gina are likeable characters and readers get to see their points of view as well as that of a couple of protagonists. The multi-angled view of the characters allows readers to see how each character connects to the story; adding depth and complexity that is effective. Additionally, it is written with smooth transitions that keep the flow going and the intensity level high.

The authors kept me rapidly turning the pages with gripping scenes, plenty of action and danger, a superb plot, and excellent writing. Along the way, readers also learn a bit about both national parks making this an educational as well as an exceptional thriller read. There are several twists and a couple of surprises. Additionally, the world-building is excellent. A constant sense of urgency, a state of uneasiness, and lots of action combined with great characters and a well-written plot make this suspenseful novel a must read. There are several topics woven throughout the novel including cultural differences, greed, power, grief, climate change, death, lies, corruption, and much more. The authors’ note talks about when they used creative license with folklore and legends while the facts at the beginning of each chapter give readers more insight into the various locations. There is also a fair amount of scientific information included in the storyline that was shared in a way that was easy to understand.

Overall, this is a gritty, intense, and chilling story with complex characters. It’s intense and dramatic and kept this invested in the investigations from beginning to end. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I recommend it to those who like political, action, and military thrillers.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and A. J. Landau (Jon Land and Jeff Ayers) provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 29, 2025.