Customer Reviews

Hidden Threat

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Hidden Threat is, in my opinion, the most well-rounded of the "Threat" series so far. Women play a larger, though not always sympathetic, role in this novel, and each is a fully-realized character.

Like all of the "Threat" novels,this is an action-packed thriller/adventure. The reader is rocketed back and forth between Zach's heroic mission in Pakistan, Matt's own mission of revenge and truth-seeking, and the ability of Zach's daughter to distinguish between truth and manipulation and become her own kind of hero.

Once I get started, I cannot put these books down -- they are smart, funny, sincere, suspenseful and keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't ask for more except the next in the series as soon as possible!

On the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Special Forces Colonel Zach Garrett and his commando unit attack an enemy camp. In the combat, their helicopter is destroyed and all assumed dead. In Spartanburg, South Carolina the Casualty Assistance Officer and Chaplain visit the next of kin, Zach's teenage daughter Amanda, who loathes her father for never being there for her or her mother Melanie; she is indifferent to her dad's death until she learns of his $500,000 life insurance policy. While her mother and maternal grandma Nina celebrate, there is a stipulation before she can collect, she must visit psychiatrist Dr. Riley Dwyer.

In Loudoun County, Virginia, a Casualty Assistance Officer informs CIA operative Matt Garrett of his brother's death. Matt travels to Afghanistan to bring home Zachary's remains. However, he decides on one unsanctioned avenging raid on those who killed his sibling, but begins to find interesting information. Back in South Carolina Zach's ex wife and former mother-in-law begin the purge of his existence.

The third Garrett "threat" thriller (see Rogue Threat and Sudden Threat) is an exciting military operative tale that rotates between the theater and the home-front. The story line is fast-paced in theater while poignant at home. Beyond what they do to brainwash their daughter, the unbelievable additional activity by Nina and Melanie are over the top of Sassafras Mountain. Still fans will enjoy this solid entry as the field escapades are entertaining and the spotlight on a stay at home parent's destructive influence towards her offspring make for a powerful storyline as Melanie and Nina make Cruella DeVille look like Mother Teresa when it comes to brainwashing Amanda.

Harriet Klausner

It was a great book in the Tom Clancy genre of thrillers. I really like the characters of the two brothers Zach and Matt. They represent the best of America--the great men and women who are serving in our armed forces around the world keeping us safe. It was a good story that was hard to put down. I can't wait for Dark Threat to come out.

Brigadier General Tata has fought over the ground he writes about, and it shows, not only in the factual descriptions, but the perspective and emotion he brings to his narrative. His characters from the first two books are struggling not only in far-off lands but at home, and there are enemies worse than Al Qaeda. By including the "home front," he gives the story great depth and dimension.

Larry Bond, Author of the Red Dragon Rising series with Jim deFelice and Cold Choices

Action, psychological suspense, man this had it all. General if you read this I realize how valuable your time is, but you're writing is incredible and you have the potential to be one of the greatest thriller writers of all time - please don't give it up!

Plus the proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Foundation.

Get this book, read the series, you'll be hooked instantly!

It certainly didn't take long for the 'Threat' series to wind its way--quickly, I might add--into my list of all-time favs. It sure didn't hurt that the ring of authenticity was always there as I read each & every page. While not all military personnel have the natural ability of storytelling like this, knowing it was written by someone who really DOES have that insiders view of life on the front lines really creates a sense of absolute realism that so few techno-thrillers possess these days.

For me, a good story is 100% critical for success. I can forgive cardboard characters--as long as the story is what propels the novel forward. Now, that isn't to say that I don't care about character development, only that it takes a backseat to the storyline as a whole. With Mr. Tata, we get BOTH. A perfectly woven tale mixed with action, adventure, deceit, twists and turns, PLUS very-well drawn-out characters who do exactly what I want them to: make me want to know MORE about each and every one of them. All the Main characters are very well depicted here in 'Hidden Threat' and for that, I was profoundly grateful.

While it helps to have read the previous two books in the 'Threat' series, I don't think that this one would be entirely impossible to understand and appreciate if you began right here. Honestly, reading ANY of these three books is better than none at all. I personally believe that once you begin one, you WILL move on to the others, its kind of a forgone conclusion, right? Well, okay, maybe not--but it ought to be.

I personally appreciated how Mr. Tata portrayed American Patriots in the proper light. The reality of war is that it can bring out the worst in all involved--and yet it can also bring out the best. The Heros in our military are too often under-appreciated, and rarely receive the credit they so very much deserve...and truth be told, maybe many of them are perfectly fine with staying anonymous, but they ARE out there and help to continue to define just why America IS the Best country on earth.

Action. Military. Real characters and a killer plot loaded with genuine realism. What more could you ask for? Kudos to Mr. Tata once again...and sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I literally cannot WAIT to see what you've got coming next.

A. J. Tata takes readers directly into special forces invasions of Al Qaeda territories in the third novel of his Threat series. What a fantastic read! Tata just keeps getting better and better! Highly recommended!

Legendary brothers Zachary and Matt Garrett are once again involved in protecting Americans--this time taking us into Afghanistan and Pakistan after the Al Qaeda. Zach had been sent on Operation Searing Gorge, into the mountains in Afghanistan, where it was believed a known Al Qaeda hideout was located. They were landing and leaving by helicopter. Zach had serious misgivings about the mission. And perhaps a premonition...

When the helicopter was leaving a count of individuals was made as they came on to ensure everybody was back, but one of them was a suicide bomber! The 'copter exploded not too long after leaving they lifted and not much was found. Search and rescue was only able to find the tags for Zach Garrett. Still...could the mission have been successful? It had been planned to leave misinformation that hopefully would be found, but Garrett had held that information and his feedback was not available now...

Back home, we meet Amanda, the daughter of Colonel Zachary Garrett who routinely has led our special forces commandos into the most dangerous actions undertaken by our troops. However, Amanda could care less about her father, until it is too late. When representatives came to inform Amanda of her father's death, she seemed to be unaffected. Amanda had been raised by her mother and grandmother and had few memories of her father. Nevertheless, Amanda would inherit half a million dollars, with conditions.

Parental Alienation Syndrome, also called Malicious Mother Syndrome, came to the author's attention from his first-hand knowledge of seeing the impact of war on families and, in particular, on soldiers and their children. PAS develops when a "custodial parent is able to shape a child's world and scale her prism the way an optometrist measures eyesight and fits a pair of glasses." (p. 93) Tata introduces this important issue through a concurrent drama as Amanda begins to follow the conditions in her father's will. Amanda had buried most memories of her father based upon the actions of her mother and grandmother.

Zach had met and fallen in love with a woman who fortunately was a psychologist. His Will required that Amanda have counseling sessions with her and that she also visit her former home, Zach's house. On the very first visit, Amanda began to learn about what had been done to her. She was shown an accounting that all money had been routinely sent to her mother, for instance, although Amanda had been often told she was not receiving those payments. When she visited her former home, documentation of fraud was revealed! Those buried memories quickly began to surface...

But the home was burned immediately after Amanda had been called back home. And soon an attempt on the life of Riley, her psychologist and friend by that time, had been made! Slowly, Amanda begins to see that both her mother and grandmother has worked her entire life to discredit her father.

Matt Garrett is never willing to accept that his brother is dead. As Assistant Director of CIA, he immediately moved to take over an investigation and, if necessary, take revenge on those who have killed his brother. But Zach had not been on that helicopter, he had been taken to Pakistan by Mullah Rahman, ADA the Scientist. It was the Scientist who discovered and acted on the misinformation

Soon the U.S. realized their bait had been taken. They were ready to act immediately!

With the recent announcement of the action against and death of Osama Bin Laden, I must say that having just read Hidden Threat gave added impact to what it took for our forces to have accomplished this momentous action. Frustration and anger overcome fear when brave men act on behalf of our country. A. J. Tata's insight and experience delivered in his stories provides readers with the opportunity to enter into the details, fear and frustration of military actions like the one that just occurred. Right now...I call this a must-read!

Book provided
by Author


GABixlerReviews

There are two main battles that take place in this book and it is uncertain which is the most vicious. The first is the battle engaged in by the U. S. military against the forces of the Taliban and Al-Qaida that are operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan. There are many soldiers featured on the U. S. side, but the primary two are the brothers Zach and Matt Garret. Zach is a colonel of Special Forces and his brother is a high-ranking officer of the CIA.
The second battle is a four-way struggle between Zach, his ex-wife Melanie and her mother Gabrielle, called Nina throughout the book and Amanda, Zach's daughter with Melanie. After Zach and Melanie were divorced, Amanda lived with Melanie and Zach did all he could to maintain his relationship with Amanda. However, Melanie and Nina are two of the most hateful and spiteful women that could ever be characterized in a story. They are so nasty that you find it easier to relate to the Al-Qaida operatives than to the women, for at least the Al-Qaida are ruthless in the name of a cause, however counter to U. S. interests and misguided it may be. Melanie and Nina engage in the most unscrupulous of character assassinations of Zach and some of the most sociopathic and criminal of actions.
The story opens with Zach leading a mission deep into the enemy held territory of Afghanistan. It goes wrong, Zach is captured by Al-Qaida and Amanda is informed that her father is dead. She shows no grief, a reaction that pleases Melanie and Nina. They immediately scheme to obtain the insurance money, but Zach has been smart enough to surround it with several levels of protection.
Tata places many distracters in the text, so there are several times you think that there are additional levels of deception and you wonder exactly who the bad guys and girls really are. He does an excellent job of getting you mentally engaged in the story and rooting for the U. S. soldiers as well as for Amanda in her struggles to regain her positive image of Zach.
A bit of a spoiler coming!

This is the third book of a series featuring the Garret brothers and the second where there is the plot device of a false death in combat. I would encourage Tata not to use this again, for it would be extremely difficult to use it again and keep it fresh. It works this time because of the extreme distaste generated by the actions of the two witch women.

The intense action of "Hidden Threat" guarantees sleep deprivation as a number of diverse and equally engaging story lines are swiftly propelled forward. BG Tata's military expertise and unapologetic love of family and country anchor the plot, rounded out by bloody battles, conniving females, dastardly deeds, faith, hope and heart-breaking casualties. So hard to put down, this suspenseful thriller will exact an emotional toll. I am looking forward to the next book and buying lots of "Threat" four-packs as Christmas presents!

It is not often that an author can keep me pinned to his writing like AJ Tata. Granted his writing is in my favorite genre, but authors like Clancy, Thor, Flynn etc don't come along very often. I have read the entire Threat Series, and each seems to get better and I didn't think they could get better. The writing, plot line, and smoothness of weaving the intricacies of the varying sub-plots is sublime. AJ Tata is at the top of his game and now my favorite author, I can't wait for the next installment, I believe it is going to be entitled Dark Threat. As an added bonus (being an avid Kindle edition reader)all of his books have been available so far on my Kindle at a reasonable price. If you like this genre, AJ Tata rules the roost.