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Captain Jake Mahegan #2

Three Minutes to Midnight

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One Army geologist is kidnapped—on U.S. soil.
Two nuclear plants are attacked—in a matter of days.
No American is safe—from the next, and final, wave of terror.
Enter Jake Mahegan, a Delta Force veteran
on the most important mission of his life.
If he fails, our nation falls.

The countdown is launched. The clock is ticking.
Armageddon begins . . .

465 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2016

267 people are currently reading
505 people want to read

About the author

Anthony J. Tata

22 books345 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
226 (39%)
4 stars
219 (38%)
3 stars
102 (17%)
2 stars
22 (3%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Profile Image for Cheryl.
2,426 reviews68 followers
March 7, 2016
"Rather die a hero than grow old."

Well, this is one frightening book. I don't know whether it's because it's written by a retired Brigadier General or not (I'm sure it has a lot to do with it) but THREE MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT reads all too possible.

Jake "Chayton" Mahegan is someone you want fighting on your side. He is part Croatan Indian, born on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He is huge, 6 1/2' tall with a 7' arm span, an ex-Delta Force operative that works for the Joint Special Operations Command, and he's on the trail of the last man alive that raped and killed his mother when he was just a boy.

His search for justice for his mother happens to coincide with a deadly terrorist plot in North Carolina and so he's also on the trail of missing engineer/geologist Army Reserve Captain Maeve Cassidy, just returned from a classified mission in Afghanistan.

This story moved quickly except for the "right in the middle" section, which was kind of bloated. That didn't detract too much from this bloody, gutty, rollicking behind-the-scenes look at a too possible terrorist operation.

The characters were well drawn and believable. The storyline was crazy but followed logical steps and soon had me believing in the possibility of the deadly happenings spelled out in the pages of this dynamite thriller.

This is a super thriller, adventure story, military action story.

NOTE: I received this book from Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review.
114 reviews
January 12, 2026
Excellect read….

I wasn’t quite sure how fracking worked and understanding how it works learned much more to include the chemicals and by products used when fracking.

The greater concern is there are chemicals used by companies that conceal or fail to mention when contaminating the environment and ….

“There are dozens of documented cases where those solutions have leaked into the aquifers of other states, the water tables where we get our drinking water."

Well laid out and orchestrated!!

Loved the character’s…,

Bravo
Profile Image for Tom Tischler.
904 reviews16 followers
September 11, 2016
Captain Mauve Cassidy is an Army Reserve Officer. She is a professional geologist
specializing in natural gas drilling and fracturing. Less than twenty four hours upon
her return from Afghanistan she disappears from Fort Bragg. This is more than a security
breach. It is the first stage of a large domestic attack that few Americans could imagine -
or survive. Delta force veteran Jake Mahegan is on a personal mission of vengeance
tracking down his mother's killer at a drilling site in N.C. He's assigned the task of
locating the missing geologist. He can't help but wonder if this is connected to the fracking
magnate that he is pursuing. When a nearby nuclear plant is attacked and then another in
a matter of days Mahegan know's that it's no coincidence. It's a brilliantly conceived,
ruthlessly orchestrated assault on the U.S. that no intelligence analyst could ever foresee.
When a third plant is targeted Mahegan has no choice but to try and stop this.If he fails the
nation falls. The countdown is launched and the clock is ticking. This is book #2 in the
Jack Mahegan series. It starts off a little slow but once it gets going you'll probably be
reading all night. I gave it a strong 4.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
858 reviews2 followers
February 15, 2017
A good story. Jake Mahegan is definitely my kind of protagonist
Profile Image for C. Stuchl.
207 reviews
April 21, 2016
Three Minutes to Midnight
A. J Tata

Mahegan, ex-special ops, is on a mission of his own. He is finally going to avenge the rape and murder of his mother.
Captain Mave Cassidy, just back from a special mission in the middle east,, has been kidnapped and forced to help steal natural gas by fracking.
This book grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. Real enough to make one wonder, "Could this really happen?"

A fast paced thriller, well-researched with some devious twists and turns. Heart stopping action and villains you will love to hate. I am definitely going to get the other books in this series. Jack Mahegan is a fantastic character and a very life like Hero.

The Cover is perfect for this story. The red cast to the art really brings it home.
I may have to listen to it again. It is that good
Profile Image for Darin Brown.
Author 4 books163 followers
October 9, 2017
Following up on a great first book, Tony Tata pens another strong action thriller where Jake Mahegan saves the day. The plot unfolded nicely, intertwining Mahegan's revenge on the man who killed his mother with the domestic terrorist attack. The military jargon throughout reminds you that Tata is a general himself, and since the protagonist is a soldier, it works. My favorite character is Grace, a local whom Mahegan recruits into his cause. The only major drawback of the book was the question of motivation behind Maeve Cassidy's need to continue drilling once she discovers the truth. That seemed very unrealistic for a soldier. However, otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I am looking forward to the next in the series!
Profile Image for Megalion.
1,481 reviews46 followers
July 14, 2016
I'm not going to recap any of the synopsis.

All I have to say is that this is a SOLID Action thriller. 4.5 stars. Very current with fracking being driving conflict of the plot.

I kept thinking that this would make a great action movie. Wouldn't be surprised if it does get optioned. My only concern is that they don't white wash it by casting Grace and/or Hawthorne as white. I could see casting agents tempted to get Chris Hemsworth as he certainly has the size of Hawthorne.

If you enjoy good action thrillers, you won't be sorry to pick this one up.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for John Johnstone.
262 reviews
July 25, 2016
Fracking good story. Stealing natural gas when you have none seems like a good idea for a get rich quick scheme, however this one has a few twists that make it more that just tale of natural resource exploitation. Jake Mahegan a special service veteran is tasked to find a military geologist who has gone missing after returning from a tour in Afghanistan. With her husbands murder things take a turn for the worse, Mahegan has to start digging for clues and get the action underway. This book explores some of the terrifying scenarios that could just be plausible in today's global uncertainty. So it is good to know this just fiction but very exciting and scary fiction.
Profile Image for David.
251 reviews21 followers
May 20, 2016
Frightening as to the realism portrayed. Savage as to the intensity of the story. Gripping, well written thriller. I found it to be superbly entertaining and enjoyable. Loved the characters. Authenticity abounded due to the background of the author. Another voice to pay attention to in the "thriller" genre.
Profile Image for Ric Ulloa.
198 reviews3 followers
May 4, 2017
Awesome, once again

Another great story and another great Jake Mehagan adventure. Thank you for the fun ride. The story was really well written and it flowed perfectly. Hopefully the misadventure is at least on the outline stage, please. Excited follower s are anxiously awaiting.
Profile Image for Daniel.
182 reviews
September 29, 2017
Fast paced thriller once you get passed about the 125 mark. Similar to Lee Child's Jack Reacher with a few twists with more words and a little less clarity. For the most part well worth it. Will hunt do more books in the series. There were a few sections in the plot that were a little cloudy and could have used more resolution but what the heck......I'm easy.
Profile Image for Tina.
1,113 reviews2 followers
May 15, 2016
Wow! This was definitely an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Very realistic circumstances, characters were well written, and the pace of the story never seemed to flag. Definitely recommend this book (and series!) to fans of Don Mann's SEAL Team Six series and Matthew Reilly's Scarecrow series.
Profile Image for Jack Bowen.
51 reviews6 followers
July 7, 2017
CM BG TATA

Well done again. Will continue to support General Tata's writing career. Inventive scenarios, strong characters on both sides and a hero to support. Quite a success. Thanx again. SAO!
Profile Image for Frank Williams.
Author 2 books16 followers
May 29, 2016
Had a hard time putting Three Minutes to Midnight down. I finished reading it well AFTER midnight when I knew I had to get up early the next morning. A.J. Tata's newest release is a gripping page-turner.
Profile Image for Judy NH Gardener.
122 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2016
This is the first book written by A. J. Tata that I have ever read. I enjoyed it immensely. I've now picked up the first and am looking for the third. If you like a good mystery with a very strong leading man, this guy writes a really good book.
Profile Image for Helen.
553 reviews
April 11, 2017
A huge rush. I never understood how gas was fracked out of the earth but this book certainly put it clearly on line for me. And a great story of greed, power and terrorist activity and how it could create havoc on a nation ill prepared for its next blow.
Profile Image for Bill Donhiser.
1,236 reviews8 followers
February 3, 2019
This is my favorite Jake Mahegan book to date. A very timely topical action novel. Jake takes on greedy American Businessmen, Chinese and Russian Terrorists, and teams up with some interesting characters. A well done thriller from a master fiction writer. Well done General Tata!
13 reviews1 follower
August 31, 2022
Really enjoy AJ Tata's style and especially enjoy the character of Jake Mahegan. Three Minutes to Midnight was a taut thriller with lots of twists and turns. I enjoy the character building and detail.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,514 reviews8 followers
October 13, 2016
Super. Loved setting of North Carolina!
Profile Image for Randy.
191 reviews4 followers
December 30, 2017
Great story and excellent writing. Lots of action and kept my interest throughout.
Profile Image for Barry.
36 reviews
January 5, 2018
every chapter a new twist
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cathy.
1,192 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2018
his books can get a bit to complicated but somehow i enjoy them anyway.
177 reviews
August 9, 2018
Great action and fast paced thriller. A number of plot twists and double crosses, some which you see coming, others you don't. A great villain to boot.
Profile Image for Donna Brown.
Author 3 books72 followers
September 4, 2018
Sent this one home with my sister. A great book to pass along if you are into shoot-um-up, action books. This is definitely that.
Profile Image for Barry Medlin.
368 reviews33 followers
May 6, 2019
Great military thriller!! This was my first A.J. Tata read and I’m hooked. He knows his stuff because he’s been in the fight. Looking forward to Jake Mahegan’s next mission.
32 reviews
June 16, 2019
If you like reading Jack Reacher stories, this is in the same vein which you will enjoy.
159 reviews1 follower
September 8, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed his books . . . can't wait to see where Jake goes from here
304 reviews3 followers
September 15, 2020
A good read that held my interest until the end. There are several instances where events seem a little too contrived to help ruin the terrorist's plans but it only detracts in a minor way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews

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