Oline Cogdill recently reviewed Cold Burn by A.J. Landau for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. A. J. Landau is actually two authors, Jon Land and Jeff Ayers. Both authors appeared at The Poisoned Pen, and signed copies of Cold Burn, which are available through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/463gTm9
Once you read Cogdill’s review, you can also watch the video of the authors’ appearance at the bookstore.
Book review: Florida and Alaska landscapes vital to plot of ‘Cold Burn’ thriller
Author Jeff Ayers is one of the authors behind the pseudonym A.J. Landau. (Greg Ayers/Courtesy)
‘Cold Burn: A National Parks Thriller’ by A.J. Landau; Minotaur; 336 pages; $28
Geographically, thousands of miles separate Alaska and Florida, but the states have in common breathtaking landscapes, open spaces and natural resources — all of which are ripe for exploitation as A.J. Landau explores in the high-concept thriller “Cold Burn.”
Landau, a pseudonym for writers Jon Land and Jeff Ayers, is setting a precedent for hefty plots stuffed with science, action, high adventure and evocative visits to national parks, all of which was established in the 2024 debut “Leave No Trace.”
“Cold Burn” once again teams up National Park Service investigator Michael Walker and FBI agent Gina Delgado, who start out working on different investigations across the country until situations bring them together. And once again, the threats are cataclysmic.
Jon Land is the other author behind “Cold Burn.” (Rayzor Bachand/Courtesy)
“Cold Burn” starts with Walker on a cruise to Alaska, but this is no pleasure trip. He is following leads on thefts of Tlingit artifacts. Although that investigation takes a turn, Walker is not done with Alaska. A U.S. Geological Survey team disappears after hiding in a cave during an avalanche. About the same time, an entire crew of a submarine on a training mission dies after the vessel is struck by a supposedly dormant explosive device in Alaska’s Icy Strait.
Meanwhile, Delgado is in Miami investigating the murder of a U.S. Geological Survey team intern whose body was found in Everglades National Park. The team had been working on climate change, specifically the collapse of subsystems of ocean currents.
As the cases begin to intersect, Delgado and Walker work together. A link between the two investigations is a ruthless billionaire whose obsession with becoming a trillionaire and power has no limits.
The landscapes of Alaska and Florida provide an intensity, as both regions are vital to the plot, and may inspire readers to visit these parks. Everglades National Park with its hardwood hammocks is like “a tropical oasis of all the beautiful muck that defines the Everglades.” In Alaska, “mist-shrouded hills colored the richest green” Walker had ever seen. A focus on American Indian culture and connection to the land enhance “Cold Burn.”
Landau injects a large dose of science into the complex-but-understandable plot, adding a further sense of realism and authenticity. This National Parks series focuses more on plot and action, but the characters of Delgado and Walker are well-explored. Their respect for each other and the work they do enhances “Cold Burn” and their return is a treat for readers.
Rip-roaring adventure keeps the exciting “Cold Burn” on high alert from the beginning to the pulsating finale.
Check out the interview with Jon Land and Jeff Ayers.