Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
Review of this novel will be posted soon.

With this book, A. J. Tata has crafted an exciting book about good vs. evil - more exactly a special forces general fighting a rogue Iranian terrorist backed by power-hungry U.S. politicians and high-ranking military personnel.
Although, Tata does many things right (allowing good guys to die, making the reader doubt who is in fact good or bad, adding realistic twists and turns to the plot etc.), he unfortunately also falls into a couple of traps (painting the line between good and bad a little too clear at times, and wrapping the story up a little too fast in the end).
Overall, however, I was very well entertained, although I struggled somewhat along the way. 3½ stars rounded up to 4.

Since my favorite reading genre is thrillers, how did I ever miss this author? I was on the edge of my seat and didn’t want to quit reading. Lieutenant General Garrett Sinclair, still grieving his wife, Melissa’s death from cancer, is called to lead a mission to thwart a bio-chem terrorist attack that intelligence reports indicate is scheduled to occur in Washington, D. C. Developed by Iran, this weapon of mass destruction contains mind altering drugs and chemicals that destroy the nervous system. The leader of this attack is a member of Iran’s special Quds Force and someone General Sinclair has experience with. This wonderful novel takes you across the globe as Sinclair ‘s Special Forces fight this newest threat on America.

Army Lieutenant General Garrett Sinclair and his team are all that stand between the Unites States and Iranian terrorist Parizad. Parizad has developed a weapon called Demon Rain. A biochemical weapon with mind control properties that can be directed through cell phone imagery. Parizad plans to deploy this weapon during the inauguration of the first female president.

Sinclair is still reeling over his wife's death and as the investigation proceeds, he discovers that Melissa's death is connected to the terrorist plot. After a mission goes sideways in Japan, Sinclair must pull his group back together and bring down Parizad.

Chasing the Lion is terrifyingly possible today. I'll be looking for more books by A. J. Tata.

“Chasing The Lion” is a non-stop thrill ride, so allocate your reading time appropriately... Colonel Garrett Sinclair talks to himself, talks to readers, and second guesses his actions. (If I had known ahead of time any of what was about to transpire…) His tone is official, professional, and direct. He goes back and forth in time, filling in details on everything and telling background that the “public” does not know. (The events that have unfolded since are well known today; the ghastly story behind them, not so much.)
“Chasing The Lion” has the quintessential thriller premise -- can the plan be stopped before time runs out. I will not give away the critical elements, but I will give a few hints. The operation is the most sensitive, most important in a lifetime. Traces of a new mind control drug Demon Rain were found in a cave high in the Iranian mountains. Kim Campbell, a former schoolteacher, is set to be the first female president of the United States. “A product” is already in America.
“Chasing The Lion” has layer upon layer of intrigue. The characters are complex and multi-faceted. At times it pushes the limits of credibility and reads like an onscreen action thriller, but that can be a good thing. My main complaint is that there are constant references to COVID; we do this because of COVID, we have that left over from COVID; it was just overkill. I received a review copy of “Chasing The Lion” from A.J. TATA, and St. Martin’s Press. It was a real “nail-bitter.”

"The United States has just uncovered a biochemical weapon developed by Parizad’s group. A viral agent, it attacks a person’s nervous system and renders them susceptible to mind control. Parizad plans to unleash the weapon in Washington D. C. on Inauguration Day during the swearing in of the country’s first female president, turning civilians into weapons."

Wow! When I read the write up on this book I wanted to read it. Biochemical viral agent that sounds like a virus that will spread easily, quickly and so deadly! Full of suspense, action, double agents, hero's and a book I had a terrible time putting down because it moved along so fast I didn't want to miss anything.. This book was advertised on the television and my husband said, that sounds like quite a story! And.. I said, Hey! I read that one!
If you like military, suspense and a exciting read... get this one, you will like it!
I was gifted a copy by the publisher through NetGalley. No review was required, My opinion and review is voluntary.

If you love detailed action packed military/political thrillers, this is definitely your book.

I kind of struggled with this book. I hopped into this series with this book and it felt like I really should have started with book one. The author did a great job trying to fill in the blanks, but it just felt like too much additional information to process and took away from this book.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to like this book. It seemed like my type of action-packed thriller. However, I basically had to force myself into read the book and bring it to completion. I wanted to give up around the 25% mark, but persevered since I had to review it for NetGalley.

The sole positive I could find was the final few chapters. There was finally some payoff and real action. However, by that point I just didn’t care anymore and was skimming it very heavily.

Onwards to the negatives. As many other reviewers have stated, the plot is convoluted and poorly described. I still don’t understand what the “virus” did, or how it worked. It’s also strange that a general would find themselves in so many active engagements.

The writing itself leaves a lot to be desired. If I have to read “As I was doing this, the bad guy was doing that” one more time, it will be too soon. It was quite literally used every time in the opening sentence when there was a chapter from the villain’s POV. Additionally, it took way too long to get to any sort of point and there was a ton of back story that was randomly woven in throughout the first third of the book.

Basically, I hated this book. I even downgraded it from 2 stars to 1 star as I was writing this. I simply did not care about the characters or feel invested in anything. It usually takes me about 3 days to get through an action thriller and this took me almost two weeks of torture. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

As always, this is my opinion and your mileage may vary. ARC given through NetGalley and my thoughts are clearly my own.

An action packed non stop thrill ride. A great start to a new series with well developed and likeable characters and some truly evil villains. A bit of suspended disbelief made the complex story a wild and entertaining read.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

This pits Army Lieutenant General Garrett Sinclair and his Joint Special Operations Command team against Sinclair's nemesis, Dariush Parizad, Lion of Tabas, a hero of the Iranian revolution.

Parizad plans a horrific attack against the U.S. on the Inauguration Day to swear in a first female U.S. President. The attack will unleash a biochemical weapon and psychoactive viral agent, Demon Rain on unsuspecting civilians.

There are surprises and betrayals, captures and escapes, and constant over the top action.

An amazing read, with never ending action. An intense page turner that will keep your interest through out the book. If you enjoy an adrenaline rush than this book is for you. An enjoyable read by an accomplished author.

This is an action packed military thriller. An Iranian terrorist is planning an attack on the US with the intent to cripple the US economy. General Garrett Sinclair and his team are the only thing standing in his way. Without knowing who is friend or foe within the US government, they are in a race against time to stop the impending catastrophe. Buckle up and get ready for an exciting ride as you get sucked into this ripped from the headlines thriller.

If you like military thrillers you will really enjoy this book. This is my first one by this author and it will not be my last. This has a lot of action throughout the whole story. I enjoyed the characters. There were many times where I was not sure who could be trusted. I liked that. I received a copy of this book from St. Martin Press for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

The pacing of this book is beyond phenomenal. I could not put it down once I began reading and not a single chapter felt superfluous. A testament to both the author's writing skill and an expertly planned plot. Edge-of-your-seat reading at its finest.
It also helps that both sides of the conflict get explored and humanized, so it's not the all-powerful American against a flat caricature of a foreign offender. Parizad's path may be the wrong one, but you can't help but empathize with what he's been through. He's a fully realized person whose choices in life were shaped by tragedy and circumstance. And it's not just him and Lieutenant General Garrett Sinclair that get the full treatment, side characters play a pivotal role in many of the events of the book and they read as (unfortunately in some cases) people that could really be out there doing the kinds of things that happen in the plot.
Lots of action, terrorist plots that make sense, betrayal, and so much more made this a book that I could not put down once I began and one that I'll be happy to recommend to anyone looking for an intense read.

Many extremely happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the great read!

Intensive, detailed and action packed. AJ Tata keeps rolling with the punches. I was quite impressed with the amount of detail in this book, he truly puts you into the story as a fly on the wall. I would certainly recommend this to all readers who want to feel like you're on the front lines. Well done!

The best part of this book was the authentic military detail and vocabulary -- which is no surprise, since author A.J. Tata retired from a distinguished career in the armed forces. There was a lot of edge-of-the-seat suspense, but the overall pace was uneven.

I was a bit disappointed in the flat portrayals of the female characters, particularly the idealized, dead wife Melissa; but also Sally McCool, a helicopter pilot and a valued part of the main character's team. They seemed like cardboard-cutout projections of Gen. Garrett Sinclair, our hero.

I'm always put off by anything that smacks of propaganda in fiction, and the repeated pairing of Covid 19 with conspiracy set my teeth on edge -- for literary rather than political reasons

Having some exposure to military life, I was also surprised that an officer of Sinclair's rank showed up front and center in every operation, on ground and in the air. But there were other elements that were equally implausible, so I tried to roll with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for an advance readers copy.

Chasing the Lion by A.J. Tata is an action-packed military thriller that left me breathless. Written in a first-person POV, the story's tone is very much in keeping with its military setting. The narration explains most military jargon throughput, which is a massive help for a non-military person like me. Colonel Garrett Sinclair, the main character, is recently widowed with two adult children, Brad and Reagan. The loss of his wife is tragic, but the current threat against the US is so complex and so evil that the military must catch the Lion of Tabas to stop the attack, and Garrett is uniquely equipped to do just that. The covid references throughout gave the story just the right touch of realism in an excitingly far-fetched tale (or at least I hope it is). There are so many twists and turns in what also turns out to be an unexpected murder mystery. I often sat with my mouth agape as I took it all in. The well-developed characters, even the villain with the detailed look at what made him the person he is now, helped to complete my buy-in and allowed me to immerse myself even deeper. If you are looking for an exciting thriller that is part murder mystery, part military thriller, and part terrorism thriller, this story will have you picking up your jaw off the floor and realizing you had no idea when it got there.

General Garrett Sinclair’s is a wily combination of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Superman. He is a true believer that anyone who had missed the trenches of combat were nothing but unfortunate. Blessed with an extraordinary team, they are going to search and unveil the baddies trying to unleash the most horrific destruction and pandemonium imaginable. Add a personal tragedy that lingers without absolute resolution. Got your attention?

“Feints and ruses” trickery, deception, skilled planning, close in fighting, military gadgets and move, run, fly, dangle from a rope, find it, get it done. Who to believe? Who to trust? Who is the target? Who offers true support? The action never flagged, the mind games were cunningly effective, the political posturing so very believable - really enjoyed this book.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy.

Chasing the Lion
Author, AJ Tata

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub date: June 1, 2021

What an action packed political thriller! Chasing the Lion is the first in Tata's book series that will keep readers anxiously awaiting future installments. Tata himself is a Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, which allows for this plot to come together so realistically that only one who has lived through these experiences can accurately narrate these pages.

General Garrett Sinclair, the commander of U.S. military special forces, along with his team are assigned to stop a deadly terrorism plot that involves the recently discovered biochemical weapon, Demon Rain. With current events including the coronavirus pandemic and the inauguration of the U.S.'s first woman president, this complex book was filled with military and political history that was weaved perfectly into the author's realistic characters and narrative. While reading, I felt that this book would be a made into a perfect an action packed military thriller movie!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and AJ Tata for providing me the opportunity to read and review the Uncorrected Proof of Chasing the Lion.

When I was offered the opportunity to read this book by the publisher through NetGalley, I hesitated because it is a subject dealing with the United States military and an Islamic terrorist organization. This military/thriller genre is totally outside my comfort zone. I decided to take a chance on this action-filled thriller dealing with the discovery of a biochemical weapon named Demon Rain. Just that name is scary stuff.

The lead character is Army Lieutenant General Garrett Sinclair, and he and his team are tasked with stopping the spread of the weapon. Still reeling from the death of his wife the year before, Sinclair must stay on his toes to catch the Lion of Tabas, the head of the Iranian terrorist cell involved.

Soon, old political ties may be involved, and Sinclair is unsure who he can trust. He and his team are suddenly on a wild ride to find the truth.

A lot is going on in this story, and at times I had to slow down to take it all in. Many military references and acronyms made little sense to me, and truthfully, I mostly skimmed past those. However, Tata’s writing flows so well that I found myself caught up in the story and had trouble putting it down. I think the human-interest factor of his family life added a great deal to it, not to mention all the exciting, action-packed scenes. As I was reading, I kept seeing a big-screen action movie playing in my head.

As I said, not my usual type of book, but I enjoyed it very much. I think the regular audience for this genre will love it. I thank NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read it for an honest opinion. I gave it three and a half stars rounded up to four.