Once again I find myself entering a series on book 5! The Captain Jake Mahegan series from Brigadier General A.J. Tata is one I shall be recommending to readers that like action techno thrillers. Dark Winter stands alone well, I only struggled in the first chapter because of reading the series out of order. The hero is powerfully complex and oddly likable. The villain seems to be a composite of many corporate types in the news today. I found the author struck a nice balance between action and story. There was some easily deciphered jargon, but not so much I was bored by it. The pacing is fast and even. The premise was intriguing and the author kept the promise throughout the novel. Now, off to seek the rest of the books. 3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

This is the first book I have read in the Jake Mahegan series (this is #5) and I must say I am a fan! I'm anxious now to go back and read the first four.

A.J. Tata has the insight and background of a retired Brigadier General, and that helps to set apart his books. The plot is seemingly ripped from the headlines. An anonymous hacker causes a US military computer-system failure, potentially leading the US into a nuclear battle scenario. Jake Mahegan, a former Delta Force operator, and his elite team are called into action to unravel the mystery and stop the impending threats and chaos that are unraveling around the globe. Russia is assembling a massive military presence in Europe. North Korea's leader has been killed and they respond by launching a nuke at japan. Iran begins an invasion of Iraq. In their efforts to stop the global chaos Mahgean and team discover that they must locate the headquarters of this mysterious hacker group and manually override the system, using any means necessary.

In addition to impressive action scenes and detailed military weapons and realistic strategies, Tata impresses with his story lines and well developed characters. The story is fast-paced, and tough to put down, and easily holds it's own within the genre. If you are like me, and haven't read Tata before, pick up one of his books (each can stand alone) and give him a try. You won't be disappointed!

8.5 of 10 stars

This book was phenomenal. For Jake Mahegan and his group of highly trained operatives, the stakes couldn't be higher. A maniacal, narcissistic genius'; with global influence, creates an unbelievable plot to destroy the world as we know it and recreate it with himself. He has the perfect leverage to manipulate the worlds superpowers and create chaos. The writing was brilliant from beginning to end. Great villains with quirky motivations, personalities that seemed all to real.

"Dark Winter" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Anthony J. Tata (https://www.ajtata.com). Mr. Tata has published nine novels. This is the fifth in his "Jake Mahegan Thriller" series. 

I categorize this novel as mostly ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the contemporary US, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. 

Foreign-based hackers penetrate the US military and cause havoc with the various weapons systems. Nothing works as it should leaving the US defenseless. The US power grid is disrupted plunging many into darkness. Russians invade Europe. Iran invades Iraq. North Korea attacks the south and Japan. A new form of warfare, ComWar, is underway.

The only way to stop the ComWar is to destroy the control centers. But that won't be easy with them located in Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Mahegan's trained team must split up and take on all the control centers at the same time. If the control of ComWar cannot be disrupted, the world is headed for World War III.

I thought the 8+ hours spent reading this 464-page thriller was interesting. Interesting take on technology. While I have read the previous two novels in this series and liked them, I did not think this one was as good. This novel reads well on its own even with the prior novels in the series. I give this novel a 3.4 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Omg this was a awesome book that kept me riveted to edge of my seat. The characters were great for a thriller..I recommend it for those who like action movies.

Seems slightly different than those written under his initials (AJ) but still a good solid read and worth checking out. If you've read his books before, you should enjoy this one as well.

Very up to date scenario that is probably unrealistic but exciting. This has a hero that can do everything and hackers that can see and change anything. The girlfriend, the first female graduate of Ranger school, is treated like a 'girl' instead of a combat tested expert. Worth a read but don't think of the details too hard.

I do hate all the series books, it is just a thing with me. Here is a great book on "the next war". More great heroics from the Captain and his team of war fighters that you will enjoy.

Mehegan, the main character is dragged into a digital war that the US is unprepared for. Tata does a great job, drawing one into his book. Characters are well developed. It's a global thriller.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

What a fascinating and exciting read!

First, thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brigadier General A.J. Tata has written an amazing book. Coming off of the thrilling novel Direct Fire, the fourth installment in the series, Tata has returned with Jake Mahegan for a riveting look at the current state of our country.

After a vacation with his girlfriend is cut short, Mahegan immediately dives right back into action. This time, Tata has created a plot that has one of the most realistic plots I have read in quite some time. With Mahegan trying to stop an electromagnetic event, meaning the internet stops and the lights go out, he stops at nothing to protect America.

As a someone who works in tech, I was especially excited to read this book once I heard that it had a tech-bend to it. Tata definitely did his research with this novel. He combines the enigma of the dark web with real-life, potential scenarios to derive an intense, interesting, and amazingly timely story. I thought the way Tata described what could come from an electromagnetic event was spot on, and he was able to intertwine technical jargon in a way that makes sense to the reader.

This book was not only extremely interesting, but as I said, it is amazingly timely. It is the most real-world scenario that I have read, which made the book all the more frightening and thrilling.

I highly recommend this book and this series. Don't miss out!

Mr. Tata has hit another home run! I loved this book, with drama taken right out of today's scorching headlines, and focusing on the current global villains in the nuclear arms race we hear about on the news nearly every single day. Our covert operatives are called in to literally save the day, and the plot races at breakneck speed. For those looking for a thoughtful voyage through this minefield topic, this is the book to pick. Highly recommended.

Gen. A. J. Tata’s latest novel is a techno-thriller about a network of computer hackers that use the dark web to orchestrate WWIII. The technology in futuristic and some of the combat action is less than realistic, but the tale moves along well and holds your interest. The novel has all the ingredients for success: the bad guys: the NORKS, the Iranians, and the Russians, and the good guys, a love interest and even a DOG! Thanks to Gen. A.J. Tata, Kensington books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this advance copy of “Dark Winter”