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Powerful, thrilling, and explosively authentic, the novels of Brigadier General A.J. Tata have won acclaim from President George W. Bush, Glenn Beck, and the bestselling masters of suspense. In Besieged, he tackles the rise of domestic terrorism in America—and puts his hero, Jake Mahegan, in the crackling center of a firestorm...

It starts with the unthinkable. A school under siege. A shooter in the classroom. A nightmare scenario that has become all too common in today’s United States. But this time, former Delta Captain Jake Mahegan is there when it happens.

Checking in on the schoolteacher daughter of a colleague, Mahegan finds himself face to face with a merciless gunman rigged as a suicide bomber. Without warning, the school is attacked from the outside as well—and all hell breaks loose. The teacher shoots the gunman, Mahegan is knocked unconscious, and a twelve-year-old autistic girl named Misha is kidnapped.

When the smoke clears, Mahegan is left with a long list of unanswered questions—and a deeply personal mission to rescue Misha. Racing against the clock, his search will take him from the tech-fueled think-tanks of a North Carolina factory to the top-secret nerve centers of embedded Iranian agents. It’s all part of a bigger, darker conspiracy that’s taking domestic terrorism to a whole new level. And it’s up to Mahegan to stop what could be the most devastating attack in U.S. history...

Praise for BESIEGED

“Tata’s hero...is still someone you want on your side when the odds are not favorable. Fans of Lee Child and Brad Thor will also enjoy [Jake] Mahegan’s adventures.”—Booklist

Praise for A.J. Tata and his electrifying thrillers

“Anthony Tata ups his game to a whole new level in Three Minutes to Midnight, which just might be the best pure, hardcore thriller of the year so far. It’s Brad Thor and the late, great Vince Flynn mixed with a heavy dose of C.J. Box and James W. Hall.  The perfect mix of style and substance that’s as ambitiously plotted as it is exquisitely realized.” --Jon Land, The Providence Sunday Journal

“Riveting...Mahegan stands out from the crowd of usual thriller heroes...Vivid descriptions of close-quarters combat are detailed enough to be instructional and Tata keeps the story twisting to the rousing final pages.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Absolutely fantastic...pulse-pounding.” —Brad Thor

“I thoroughly enjoyed it...well done!” —President George H. W. Bush

“An explosive, seat‑of‑your‑pants thriller!”—W.E.B. Griffin

“A riveting look at the terrifying reality of domestic terrorism.”—Glenn Beck

“Topical, frightening, possible.” —James Rollins

“A must read for fans of thriller fiction.”—Newt Gingrich

“General Tata’s story mixes high-threat combat with an intriguing and surprising mystery...a fascinating read.” —Larry Bond

“Powerful and timely. Great stuff!”—John Lescroart

“Written by a man who’s ‘been there,’ this vibrant thriller will take you to places as frightening as the darkest secrets behind tomorrow’s headlines.”—Ralph Peters

“Crackling with action and tension.

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2017

106 people are currently reading
503 people want to read

About the author

Anthony J. Tata

22 books344 followers
Tony is the bestselling author of 16 novels, including the Garrett Sinclair Series from St. Martin's Press, the Jake Mahegan series from Kensington Books, the Reaper Series from St. Martins Press, and the Threat Series from Variance Publishing. He recently signed a new contract with Kensington Books to write two Zara Sheridan air marshal thrillers. Publishers Weekly selected Besieged as a 2017 Best Book of the Year and Foreign and Domestic was a Barry Award Finalist in 2016.

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5 stars
276 (46%)
4 stars
224 (37%)
3 stars
75 (12%)
2 stars
11 (1%)
1 star
9 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
6,210 reviews80 followers
March 29, 2019
Captain Jake Mahegan is at a school, checking out the daughter of a friend, when a school shooting starts with multiple perpetrators. When Jake wakes up, the daughter has disappeared. We all know what happens next.

Not bad, but nothing very memorable. Probably could have cut out 100 pages and never missed them.
Profile Image for Chris  Miller.
143 reviews25 followers
February 3, 2017
Besieged by General AJ Tata, takes character Jake Mahegan all around the coast of North Carolina dealing with explosions, shootouts, kidnappings and autonomous nanotechnology systems. What is that you may ask! I was curious myself and it was a very neat story line that had me guessing for the longest time. Everything Gen. Tata puts in his book gives the reader detail, action and intrigue! I did feel a little bit of a slow pace in the first quarter of the book but it definitely picked up and got a ton better!
856 reviews2 followers
June 25, 2017
Good book. I like the Jake Mahegan character
Profile Image for Frank Williams.
Author 2 books16 followers
September 14, 2017
This is the best so far in AJ Tata's Jake Mahegan series. The plot was suspenseful and well thought out, and the characters -- especially Misha -- were well-developed.
181 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2019
First read of the author, enjoyed it thoroughly and now will have to get #1 and #2
Profile Image for Helen.
553 reviews
May 31, 2017
Great book. If America truly had a jake mehagan, they would be invincible. However I am still puzzling how a large car plant bristling with top notch security could be overrun by a small gang of Iranian military. And it was doubly annoying that mehagan had no backup with homeland security or any other crack military. Obviously the author has no use for them either.
3 reviews
June 1, 2017
This is a great read!

I really enjoyed this book, from the very beginning, to the last page that entices readers to look forward to the next Jake Mahegan adventure.
Profile Image for Judy NH Gardener.
122 reviews2 followers
April 22, 2017
A. J. Tata brought his character, Jake Mahegan, to life again in a real page turner that could hardly be put down. Besides the usual talented cast of characters in Jake's life, he meets a very interesting young girl that plays a large role in this mystery. Good read.
49 reviews
January 10, 2018
Damn fine read!

The thing that impresses me the most about the General's books is the breadth of his knowledge. I would expect deep knowledge of weapons and tactics, which are evident here, but computer systems, advanced math, and autism spectrum disorders? I'm impressed!
Profile Image for John Purvis.
1,360 reviews23 followers
December 27, 2017
"Besieged" eBook was published in 2017 and was written by A. J. Tata (http://www.ajtata.com). Mr. Tata has published 9 novels. This is the third of his "Captain Jake Mahegan" series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the contemporary US. The primary character is US Army Captain (retired) Jake Mahegan.

While Mahegan is retired from his time as a Special Forces operator, he is still loosely connected. When responding to a call for help from a deceased colleague's daughter, he is drawn into the plot for an attack on the US by terrorists.

Mahegan must avoid terrorists that come after him. He must also find a young girl they have kidnapped. She is autistic, but a brilliant mathematician. Her math and programming skills are sought by the terrorists to aid in their large scale attack on the US.

I really enjoyed the 10 hours I spent reading this 464 page Fiction Thriller. I have read other novels by Mr. Tata and really have enjoyed them. He does a good job crafting a modern military thriller. I thought the characters were well developed and I liked the plot for this novel. I liked the inclusion of drones into the plot. The choice of art work was very appropriate for this novel. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
265 reviews2 followers
May 17, 2017
Wow! I don't know how I missed this series. Former Delta Captain Jake Mahegan is a real hero, who does whatever is needed to protect the United States. When thrown into the middle of a terrorist plot to bring down the country, it is up to Jake to save the day. I loved the characters, the non-stop action, and the complex plot.
Profile Image for Sarah.
130 reviews5 followers
January 29, 2018
Another Great Jake Mehegan Adventure!

I have been binge reading/listening to A.J. Tata Jake Mehegan books all week. After the first book, I just couldn’t get enough. I live that he is quiet, lovable and a hundred percent stone-cold killer when he needs to be. Constant action. Just can’t get enough of Cheyton!!!!
25 reviews
June 15, 2018
Another great read

Good story and great writing. Jake is 1 of my favorite heroes, but it is sad that he never gets the girl.
235 reviews
April 26, 2020
What a page turner! Every chapter is action-packed and the characters are well developed. This is my first Jake Mahegan book, but I think there will be more in my future.
10 reviews
May 8, 2017
General T does it again.

Tight action, real characters with whom you can relate and technical plot to rival Clancy. Who would have thought autonomous vehicles could challenge us.
348 reviews2 followers
June 18, 2017
A real roller coaster ride.
Profile Image for Pat Byrnes.
167 reviews
February 16, 2017
This is my first Tata novel. What an Awesome author!!!

The story and the characters made a great thriller I didn't want to put down. Misha, the young girl in this novel, was a welcome in the writing world today. While people may have impairments that make others avoid contact with them. These people often have something to contribute to society. While Misha maybe an odd individual, she enriched and inspired me as a reader to not be so judgmental to other I cross paths with on a daily basis.

This novel was a thriller from the starting gates to the finish line. I will patiently was for the next novel, to see what Tata has in store or Mahegan. Mr. Tata has a new loyal reader...
Profile Image for Mike Welch.
179 reviews4 followers
July 21, 2017
Besieged

This is the first book I've read by A.J. Tata and he's now on my list of authors to look for.
It was a good tale and kept me entertained throughout the story.
Profile Image for Ric Ulloa.
197 reviews3 followers
April 21, 2017
Really Compelling

This was my first A.J.Tata book, but I'm definitely a new fan. I'm ordering more, starting with t :) e first in the Jake Mehegan Series
Profile Image for Janet.
129 reviews6 followers
July 8, 2018
I had the good fortune to meet Brigadier General Tata a few months ago and I’m so glad I started reading his books. Tata served in the military for 28 years, and held a number of political positions, including Secretary of Transportation for NC from 2013-2015. I confess to not being a big fan of action packed fast paced shoot ’em up novels. (It’s more my husband’s cup of tea.) However, with New Hanover and Brunswick County’s as the central locations of the third book in Tata’s ex-Delta Force Captain, Jake Mahegan series, I couldn’t pass it up. The book is rich with research on autonomous systems and how they can be used to target and destroy. Added to that intriguing concept are the thinking patterns of an eleven year old girl. A mathematics autistic savant, who’s coding writing skills provide the heroes with an edge over evil. With references to our local area Tata uses his military experience to weave a tale that could almost be futuristic. Please enjoy this fantastic story of military brothers who stick together to protect their military family no matter the risk. And if you have or are serving in the military, police, or other capacity that protects our American privileges – thank you for your service.
Profile Image for deep.
396 reviews
Want to read
October 31, 2017
PW Best of 2017

PW Starred: Tata, a retired brigadier general, combines distinctive characters and unconventional threats to thrilling effect in his terrific third Jake Mahegan novel (after 2016’s Three Minutes to Midnight). Jake, a former Delta Force operative who was dismissed from the Army for killing an enemy prisoner of war, arrives at an elementary school in rural North Carolina—where Promise White, the daughter of an old Army buddy, is a teacher—just in time to thwart the attempted kidnapping of 11-year-old Misha Constance. An autistic prodigy, Misha has coding skills that are integral to the success of the Cefiro self-driving car company and a terrorist plot to use that same autonomous technology to cripple American infrastructure. When an explosion at the school puts Promise in a coma and Misha later falls into the hands of vicious Iranian terrorist Darius Mirza, Mahegan teams with ER nurse Casey Livingstone to help the brilliant girl take down a threat of her own design. Tata portrays Misha’s autism as more of a superpower than a disability, but he handles the condition with sensitivity and nuance. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (Mar.)
682 reviews9 followers
February 3, 2017
BESIEGED BY A.J. TATA. Wow! From page one to the very end you get action, bombings, Iranians on American soil & in the middle of all the chaos a little girl with special talents and special needs. Jake Mahegan former Special Forces walked into the middle of a hornet's nest when he visits an elementary school. After the school is bombed, Jake must figure out why the bad guys want a little girl. Misha is no ordinary girl as we (and Jake) find out the hard way. From the moment he enters the school its non stop action, numerous bombings and bad guys who want him dead and the girl in their possession. Jake must stop them at all costs.

This is the first of this series I have read ( This is book three) but I've become an instant A.J Tata fan! He makes sure there is no dull moments in his books!

I recieved this book free from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
Profile Image for Pam Venne.
607 reviews26 followers
December 1, 2017
This is my first of A.J. Tata's books and he knows how to draw one into the action. He had everything but a dog. There were special ops military (Mehegan, the hero), small children, talented and attractive women, a killer plot and a special needs 11-year old who was capable of programming and doing Ph.D. level analysis.

The book was a bit over the top in a James Bond sort of way but a fun and fast read. I had a hard time putting it down.
Profile Image for TJ.
3,284 reviews279 followers
February 22, 2018
Extremely good and surprisingly realistic thriller. Mr. Tata can take a real-life situation then weave all the possibilities into a very creative and thought-provoking story. It’s one that I couldn’t put down!

The only downside is (again) the female lead. She seems to be written from a male POV rather than a realistic female perspective. Small things throughout such as Casey, who is grieving the death of the love of her life, jumping into bed within a few days of meeting Jake... it just doesn’t fit.
Profile Image for Lonnie Mixell.
32 reviews8 followers
May 28, 2018
This was a great book! Our main character, Jake, is called to check the status of someone he watches over and ends up stopping a plot to destabilize the western world’s economy and also a major assault on Washington DC.
The author includes an eleven year old autistic girl as a central character and really shows the reader what it might be like to live with that condition.
This book is an amazing story that keeps the reader engaged in the characters and the action is non-stop.
I am a newer fan of this series and am very eager for the next book to be realeased!
Profile Image for Camisa.
273 reviews2 followers
August 3, 2018
This is a story right out of today's headlines. I am glad that Jake and his friends were in Wilmington when all this was happening.
It was a page turner from the first paragraph until the final scene. I am not a great fan of the military procedural genre but this one makes me want to review my preferences.
The story explores military tactics, trending technology and how the things we are learning about people with spectrum disorders will amaze us.
I will want to read more from Tony Tata.
Profile Image for Caryl.
1,926 reviews24 followers
March 30, 2024
Tata has crafted an edge of your seat thriller. I was immediately immersed into the drama. Twists and turns kept me turning the pages. This novel is hard to put down. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

I borrowed a copy from the library. I have expressed my honest view.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews

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