ZACK MATTESON

Full Name:	Zack Matteson
Nationality:	American
Organization:	CIA
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Scott Arnold
Time Span:	2019 - 2021

ABOUT THE SERIES

Zack Matteson is an agent with the CIA.

Right off the bat I want to make sure you know that the story that is the life of Zack Matteson is totally and completely enmeshed with that of Father Flenn, a former CIA agent who had been Matteson's partner for many, many years before Scott (Flenn's first name) had "given up being an agnostic to become a priest, of all things!" That had been about a decade before we first meet either of them so they had very much gone their separate ways.

While Flenn had become an Episcopalian priest, Matteson had tried marriage to Donna but that hardly lasted very long and since then, Matteson had kept the number of people he was close to down to a bare minimum. "He'd come to prefer a life of bourbon, one-night stands, and chasing after bad guys." He was pretty good at all three.

Matteson is 46 years old at our introduction but still in trim, muscular build which he proudly and steadfastly maintains, despite the affinity to alcohol. Still have jet-black hair even after all the crazy scrapes he had found his way into and out of, he enjoys ocean-blue eyes and apparently so do the ladies. He also adores jellybeans, except the licorice ones, and always seems to have a bag of them with him; those black ones he just tosses away.

BOOKS

Number of Books:	6
First Appearance:	2019
Last Appearance:	2021


1			Uncommon Prayer Written by Scott Arnold Copyright: 2019 Book 1 of the Father Flenn series. What does a murdered teenage hooker and a missing debutante from Birmingham have in common? It did not see like much but it would bring Father Flenn back into contact with his former CIA life and his old partner, Zack Matteson. Along with a detective, they will go up against a billionaire and the son of an evangelist in a cast that involves foreign attempts to affect the US presidential election.

2			Rites Of Revenge Written by Scott Arnold Copyright: 2019 Book 2 of the Father Flenn series. A drone strike that nearly kills Father Flenn in a small Honduran village is the first foray by a madman to get even with Flenn. As he and his former associate, Zack Matteson, will learn, the conspiracy to kill Flenn reached high in the Agency.

3			The Poisoned Chalice Written by Scott Arnold Copyright: 2019 Book 3 of the Father Flenn series. In Durham, England, on a sabbatical. Father Flenn is present when a poisoning in the city's cathedral shocks the public. The fact that it is not the only such attack in England makes the authorities talk terrorism but where is its origin? A resurfaced IRA is one suspect. Russia is another. Flenn decides to try and find out himself, along with his old friend Zack Matteson. Zack is in the area for a problem all of his own.

4			Shadow of the Saint Written by Scott Arnold Copyright: 2020 Book 4 of the Father Flenn series. The reason why Father Flenn left his career with the CIA is known only to him and his former partner, Zack Matteson. Now situations require that he return to Scotland and face that secret but an even bigger secret will cause considerable trouble.

5			Judas Owl Written by Scott Arnold Copyright: 2021 "An unholy weapon created by the Nazis has lain hidden since World War II in the most unlikely of places. Only recently discovering its existence, CIA operative Zack Matteson races across the horn of Africa before a clandestine Russian organization can find it first. Along the way, he is caught in the middle of a criminal gang war in the streets of Addis Ababa, shot at with arrows from purported cannibals, and faces a man whose identity is overshadowed by his reputation as the mysterious and feared Judas Owl."

6			Matteson: The Backfire Effect Written by Scott Arnold Copyright: 2021 "Zack Matteson is back and caught in the middle of potentially catastrophic world events unless he can stop the White House from abandoning America's pledge to its NATO allies. Key to Zack's plan are three estranged girlfriends: one, the head of Polish Intelligence; the second, an agent for the CIA and the third, a reigning porn queen. Zack is up against a clandestine Russian organization calling itself the Politburo as well as Animus–a newly formed Cable-News Network determined to sacrifice reason and truth to take command of the American airwaves."

MY COMMENTS

I had nothing but good to say about the series dealing with Matteson's former CIA partner, Flenn, and the same can be said for Matteson himself. Well, okay, his personal life could use some work (judgmental, aren't I?) but other than that, these adventures have the same fine wordsmithing that the Flenn tales do and that makes them all very enjoyable and well worth the time.

Once in a while I will come across a series which I feel belongs on the screen (big or small) and this is one of them. Who would play the exciting and interesting Matteson (or Flenn, for that matter)? Nope, not my department. But the plots would be a blast to watch.

GRADE

My Grade: A-

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