This thriller had a slow start for me, especially as there was so much back story in early chapters and I found myself skimming it a bit. But then it felt like a light switch got flipped on and the pace and intensity completely picked up. Garrett Sinclair is a decorated military man who has served his country around the world, even as he deals with the death of his wife. As he is sent on a couple missions with his team, Garrett finds he is chasing the Lion and trying to stop the Lion from unleashing a nasty attack against the US. Who can he trust and will he be able to stop the attack in time? Garrett Sinclair reminds me of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher, a fun combo to follow.


Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the arc.

An intense and gripping thriller. Garrett has been serving his country all his adult life. Losing his wife begins a series of events that makes him question the value of what he is doing. His nemesis is an Iranian who blames the US for killing his father. The story is an adrenaline filled odyssey. The author does an excellent job of making sure readers who are not familiar with military jargon are able to follow along. It was also exciting to open your mind and explore the possibilities present the author in the story. It is a great piece of literature.

Author Anthony Tata writes a fast and furious political thriller that is based on present time and very current information. It doesn’t make it any more realistic, but it certainly ramps up the thriller aspect. This is one scary end-of-the-USA plot with unknown conspirators and a truly creepy device. CHASING THE LION is only somewhat about our adversaries and more about the ties that don’t bind us anymore. Perfect for lovers of military/political thrillers who read books without stopping. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is the first time reading a book by this author, so I didn't really know what to expect. I must say I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and easy to read. It kept my interest throughout. I highly recommend this book and will be looking for other books by this author.

3.5 stars rounded up. This military/political thriller is a bit outside my usual comfort zone for book choices but I took a chance and actually enjoyed it.

Following fast on the heels of the coronavirus pandemic, General Garrett Sinclair, the commander of U.S. military special forces, and his trusted team are now on the trail of an Iranian terrorist plot that involves a manufactured virus called Demon Rain. The terrorist cell's leader is Dariush Parizad, named the Lion of Tabas by the ayatollah, who has a great hatred for America and especially for Sinclair who was involved in a mission that destroyed Parizad's family and village. It's a personal vendetta for Parizad and gets personal for Sinclair when his family is threatened.

The story is full of action, violence and some gore. Very timely subject matter as well. It is a bit repetitive and stereotypical in plot which brought my rating down a half star. (You know, the usual timer counting down to zero plot line?) This is definitely action-movie script material with the brave hero on a desperate mission to save America. Quite the page turner if you enjoy this type of military thriller. I know my husband will love it and it definitely won me over. I recommend for a bit of Holy! Moley! escapism.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks!

From a cave in Iran to Heidelberg and Japan, General Garrett Sinclair is on the hunt for Dariush Parizad, the Lion of Tabas. As a child, Parizad watched his father die during an American attack. Vowing revenge, he rose in the ranks of the military and has now reached a position that would allow his plan to destroy America to proceed. The cave in Iran gave Sinclair the first look at the effects of Demon Rain, an hallucinogenic that allows its victims to be manipulated remotely through images on their cell phones. With important connections in the US, Parizad has arranged a small attack during the new president’s inauguration. What his partners do not know is that he is also planning a sarin gas attack and simultaneous attacks on the US oil industry.

While Sinclair begins to piece Parizad’s plans together, he is also dealing with the recent death of his wife Melissa. He is supported by a team that is more of a second family. When their operation in Japan goes wrong, his team is torn apart. Sinclair finds proof that Melissa’s death may have been tied to the impending attack. Even as she was dying, her final letter to him reveals a clue to the American conspirators. It is a race against time to get his team back and find Parizad before the inauguration takes place. It is a task made more difficult as he questions who he can actually trust. As he pushes on, thoughts of Melissa reminding him that good wins keeps him going. This is highly recommended for fans of Brad Thor and Brad Taylor. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing this book for my review.

Chasing the Lion ( A. J. Tata ) is about American Garrett Sinclair and Iranian Parizaa, the Lion of Tabas. Months after his wife died Sinclair is still missing her and perhaps his head isn't as much in the "game" and details as it should be. Mr Tata quickly pulls the reader into the action with lots of edge of your seat moments. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

An outstanding start to this new series! Rich well developed characters and a fast-moving story line leaves you breathless and at the edge of your seat in this high-octane action thriller. I couldn’t put it down. This thriller grabs you from the first page and doesn’t give you a moments rest until the last page. I can’t wait to see how this series unfolds.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Chasing the Lion
May 2, 2021
Book Review

Chasing the Lion
A.J. Tata
reviewed by Lou Jacobs



readersremains.com | Goodreads


Jump feet first into this relentless hi-octane action thriller, featuring General Garrett Sinclair – somewhat of a hybrid between Lee Child’s “Jack Reacher,” Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry,” and Daniel Silva’s “Gabriel Allon.”

Ever since COVID-19 outbreak, part of Sinclair’s responsibilities has been commanding the counterterrorism task force, and neutralizing threats like Iranian General Dariush Parizad, who has followed in the footsteps of his predecessors bin-Laden, al-Baghdadi and Soleimani. Dariush is now the heir apparent to Qasem Soleimani and is deemed the number-one terrorist in the world and has assumed the mantle of commander of the Quds Force. His hatred of America is personal. As a youth, he witnessed the annihilation of his father by a drone strike during the ill fated Operation Eagle Claw in 1980.

In this unsuccessful attempt to rescue the hostages from Iran, an errant drone hit near his home in Tabas and obliterated his father. The site of devastation was visited by Ayatollah Khomeini who proclaimed that Dariush would be known as The Lion of Tabas. Since then he has progressively risen in the ranks of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard to leadership, with the goal of raining hell onto the “Great Satan” nation of the United States.

A long-term plan was initiated by Soleimani, with the strategic infiltration of the US by “sleeper cells”. They have been in place long enough to establish citizenship, which allowed them to purchase and accumulate an armory of assault weapons, pistols, and ammunition.

Gathered intel through multiple agencies, has linked Parizad with the experimentation and development of agent known as Demon Rain. It has the hallucinogenic properties of LSD with the added effect of potential mind manipulation, which is triggered through images broadcast on the victim’s personal cell phone. It can also be mixed with sarin gas for greater lethality. Although most effective by direct injection, it apparently had been successfully aerosolized for greater impact. It’s potential usage and effect is staggering.

Parizad considers the US ripe for attack. The country has never been so divided and divisive politically and is still reeling on the heels of the coronavirus pandemic. What better time to wreak havoc with the US about to change command – on the precipice of the inauguration of the first woman president.

General A.J. Tata (retired) proves to be a masterful storyteller, and weaves a convoluted, action packed narrative, brimming with authentic action sequences (as only told through the eyes of someone who actually has experienced the raw devastation of war). Tata expertly layers multidimensional characterizations onto both Sinclair and Parizad. The result is a riveting and deadly “cat and mouse” encounter that is truly cinematic and escalates into an exhilarating denouement. In my mind’s eye …. a young Clint Eastwood plays Sinclair while Omar Sharif plays Parizad. Hopefully further exploits of Garrett Sinclair will follow.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
This Review was published on Mystery and Suspense Magazine

Fast paced doesn't even begin to describe Chasing the Lion! The action kept me turning pages far into the night. It is relevant and timely, mentioning Covid-19. As I read I wondered if it was really all that far fetched a premise, or if the technology for this type of brain controlling agent is true. This is a book I will flag and give to friends at Christmas.

A.J. Tata has been on the scene for quite some time with his Jake Mahegan series and cowriting the Vick Harwood series with Nicholas Irving. Both of those series have been a blast to read and now we get a new character from General (Ret.) Tata in 2021.
Recovering from the death of his wife, Colonel Garrett Sinclair has led a long storied behind the scenes career. From the onset of Chasing the Lion, it is evident that there is evil at play as the team discovers an atrocity of what seems like biblical proportions.
Tata’s ability to visually craft and create the scenes with his writing really enable the reader to picture what he is building in his own mind. No doubt he’s probably seen some of the things in this book in real life, combat, locations, camaraderie amongst team members, it all adds up to a fun ride.
Following on the heels of the coronavirus making the world slightly apprehensive to the thought of viruses, bacteria, and just not knowing how to deal with the unknown. Shadow figures, political figureheads, Israeli Mossad, and more help create and define this as almost a techno/political thriller. Extremely interesting plotline, along with great character development makes this a tremendous start for the Colonel Sinclair series!

Chasing the Lion by A.J. Tata is a suspenseful military thriller about Dariush Parizad, a crazed leader of one of the most lethal terrorist organizations in the world and Lieutenant Colonel Garrett Sinclair who is an American hero determined to stop him in his tracks.
Just as America is recovering from the Covid pandemic, Parizad is determined to bring down the United States with a biological chemical combination named Demon Rain. As Sinclair unravels a conspiracy to destroy the United States, be prepared to take a roller coaster ride like none other. Buckle up and enjoy. This truly is a winner!!!

Some people read romance novels on the beach, and I read fast-paced spy thrillers.
The beginning of the book was a little chaotic, but after a couple of chapters it seemed to settle down and find its groove. This was a perfect beach read for me- action-packed and a really interesting plot besides. Very reminiscent of Jason Bourne and Will Robie novels.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

Chasing the Lion is about a terrorist attack upon the United States with a biochemical agent and the race to stop it. There are intriguing plot twists that make you wonder who can be trusted.
As the tangled web of conspiracy grows and clouded by hallucinigenetics the main character faces many challenges that stretch his body and mind to the breaking point. The plot moves quickly.and draws you in If you like political intrigue that builds upon events that could believable be in our future this is a book you will want to read. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to read and review. #netgalley #Chasingthelion #goodreads

WOW! WOW! WOW! This book was so good that I thinking of buying it at publishing to own. It has so many current issues that are taking place like the hopes of a female president, chemical weapons, nuclear holocaust, terrorist groups, Covid-19, etc. At times I felt like I was reading a non-fiction book. This is my first AJ Tata and it will certainly not be last if his next books will be as good as this one. This had so much suspense and action even if some of the plot was a little over the top and not believable in some parts. The main aspects are certainly current and accurate to what is happening in the world today.

Definitely recommended!! Thanks to Netgalley, AJ Tata and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/1/21

"Chasing the Lion" was an enjoyable book. The author does a great job of weaving military and political history, especially regarding the U.S. and Iran, with current events. The basic premise is that Dariush Parizad, the successor to Qassem Soleimani as leader of the Quds Force, is possibly planning a bioterrorism attack on the US to coincide with the inauguration of the new president in January 2021. It is up to General Garrett Sinclair and his Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) team to figure out and disrupt the plot. The information they find raises more questions than answers, especially as Sinclair and his team seem to be dealing with more than the usual obfuscation from officials from the alphabet agencies (CIA, NSA, FBI, DOD, etc.). The situation becomes especially confusing when one of their missions results in capture of electronic devices that contain a video that appears to show Sinclair's dead wife being interrogated.

Parizad's backstory is that his father was killed in Operation Eagle Claw, a true failed mission to rescue the hostages in Iran during the Carter Administration, and he became a symbol of the revolution, being named the Lion of Tabas by the Ayatollah Khomeini. He became a special operations soldier, rose through the ranks, and was quite effective and ruthless in carrying out his missions. Parizad harbored a powerful grudge against the U.S., which would become focused on Sinclair, with whom he had crossed paths multiple times over the years, as a symbol of those responsible for the mission that killed his father.

Central to the plot is the revival of past CIA and military investigations into mind control drugs, utilizing the actual historical efforts by the CIA to develop chemical and biological weapons and mind control drugs at a secret facility at Fort Detrick (MK-Ultra). The book introduces a fictional mind control drug called Demon Rain that can either be mixed with sarin to kill its victims or that can be triggered by specific images on social media to make the infected/exposed individuals behave in a manner that is harmful to themselves and others.

The author utilizes the chaos of a change in administration as a way to help mask the activities of corrupt US officials at the highest levels and the activities of Parizad and his Iranian sleeper agents in the US. Added to the normal chaos that surrounds a change in administration, there is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the US and the heightened division between people and political parties in the US in late 2020/early 2021. The author uses these actual stressors, as well as growing reliance on and addiction to social media, to great effect. One thing I particularly liked is that while the author utilizes a number of actual events and realistic geopolitical tensions, and he references past presidents including Bush Jr. and Obama, he creates a fictional current president, who is not often mentioned, and a fictional president-elect, who is a woman and West Point graduate (and therefore bears no resemblance to current prominent politicians in either party). The full extent of Parizad's plot is quite impressive. The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing. It is evident from fairly early in the story that some high-ranking US officials are corrupt, including possibly the president-elect, but the author does a good job of keeping the identities and extent and nature of involvement obscured, keeping both Sinclair and the reader off-balance. The personal connections between Sinclair and several of the major players in the plots, as well as the apparent involvement of Melissa, his wife, as an early victim of the plots, heightens the tension. The story has plenty of action, much of which seems fairly realistic/plausible. While the ultimate outcome is inevitable, I would have liked some things to have happened differently before the final showdown. "Chasing the Lion" is well worth reading.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

A.J. Tata writes a taut thriller, full of intrigue at many levels. He has a plot that is plausible, complex enough to get the reader thinking, and outlandish enough to keep one awake at night and at the same time provide enough of a roller-coaster ride to let the reader have a little fun with the craziness. His protagonist is an Army Lieutenant General, who is not afraid to take matters into his own hand, and get them dirty. Garret Sinclair has all the elements of a great thriller protagonist, he is likeable, capable, and very human. The reader cares about him and wants to see more. The villain is well-drawn, and a terrific contrast to Sinclair. Parizad is capable, evil, and believable. The author knows his way around the military, and is able to tell a great story with a lot of adrenalin-filled action scenes.

The plot is complex, and a little difficult to follow at times. The functioning of Parizad's techno-weapon was a little unclear to me, and challenging for a reader to buy into. I did have some difficulty with the unfolding of the plot at the conclusion of the novel. None of these criticisms got in the way of my enjoyment of this book, and I will seek out other novels by this excellent storyteller and knowledgeable military man.

One touchy issue facing thriller writers is how to handle the COVID pandemic. "Chasing the Lion" is set in a post-pandemic world. COVID is mentioned numerous times, but does not have an integral bearing on the plot. Other possibilities would be ignoring COVID altogether, or making it an important plot point. Only time will tell which is the best.

Thanks a lot! This book kept me up late two nights in a row, I just couldn't put it down. The hero seems to have at nine lives as he continuously finds his way out of seemingly improssible scenarios, yet the action is entirely believable. Trying to operate within an extremely tangled web of conspiracy and clouded by hallucinigenetics the plot moves quickly. Surely a title to add to your reading list.

Chasing the Lion was sent to me as an advanced reader copy. It feels very current, including Covid-19 and the first female president. General Sinclair heads up an elite team of soldiers who are tracking down a terrorist, Parizad, who plans to deploy chemical weapons during the president's inauguration. It's fast paced but Tata doesn't go so fast the reader gets lost. It's a fast read, fascinating and also frightening. If you are a fan of Tom Clancy or Daniel Silva give Chasing the Lion a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for my copy, all opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #AJTata #StMartinsPress

I received an ARC in exchange for my review. So a terrorist is trying to attack the U.S. using a virus which enables mind control on inauguration day of the first female President of the United States. Decent story line and action. Query whether a virus would really enable mind control or if that has already happened to a certain extent. If you reflect on he last few candidates for the presidency maybe there is something to it. And people being controlled by their cell phone ... preposterous or should I have texted my review? Too many people send far to much time fixating in their cellphones. Anyway it was a good action adventure f you accept the fictional nature of the novel. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the ARC.