Jason Matthews (novelist) explained

Jason Matthews (September 17, 1951 – April 28, 2021^[1]) was an American author of espionage novels and former CIA officer, best known for the Red Sparrow spy novel trilogy.

Biography

Matthews was born September 17, 1951, in Hartford, Connecticut.^[1] He worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for three decades, where he met his wife, Suzanne, also a former CIA officer.^{[2] [1]} He died April 28, 2021 at the age of 69 from corticobasal degeneration.^[3]

Career

Prior to becoming a novelist, Matthews spent 33 years working for the CIA.^[4] While in the CIA he was officially a diplomat, in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, but his real job was recruiting and then managing foreign agents.^[5]

In 2014, his first novel, Red Sparrow (2013), won an Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American author.^[6] Writer and critic Art Taylor praised it in The Washington Post, writing that it "isn't just a fast-paced thriller—it's a first-rate novel as noteworthy for its superior style as for its gripping depiction of a secretive world."^[7] It was adapted into a movie of the same name starring Jennifer Lawrence.^[8]

In 2015 and 2018, he published Palace of Treason and The Kremlin’s Candidate, which are the sequels to Red Sparrow.

Works

Red Sparrow trilogy

• Book: Matthews . Jason . Red Sparrow . Red Sparrow (novel) . 2013 . . 978-1-4711-1261-4 . en.
• Book: Matthews . Jason . 3 . Palace of Treason . Palace of Treason (novel) . 2015 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-4767-9375-7 . en.
• Book: Matthews . Jason . 3 . The Kremlin's Candidate . The Kremlin's Candidate (novel) . 2018 . . 978-1-4059-2085-8 . en.

Awards

• 2014 ITW Thriller Award for Best First Novel, for Red Sparrow^[9]
• 2014 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, for Red Sparrow^[10]

Notes and References

1. News: Jason Matthews, CIA officer who after a career in the field wrote realistic spy novels including Red Sparrow – obituary . May 24, 2024 . The Telegraph . 3 May 2021.
2. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cia-spy-what-i-wore_l_5de9409fe4b0d50f32b066c8 My Mom Was A Spy For The CIA, And This Is What She Wore To Work
3. News: Author of 'Red Sparrow' thrillers, Jason Matthews, dies at 69 . April 29, 2021 . USA Today . Associated Press . April 29, 2021.
4. News: McGrath . Charles . Shadowing Jason Matthews, an Ex-Spy Whose Cover Identity Is Author . August 5, 2018 . The New York Times . May 27, 2015.
5. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/books/shadowing-jason-matthews-the-ex-spy-whose-cover-identity-is-author.html Shadowing Jason Matthews
6. Web site: Category List – Best First Novel Edgars Database . The Edgars . August 5, 2018.
7. News: 'Red Sparrow,' a fantastic new spy thriller by former CIA operative Jason Matthews . Art Taylor . October 15, 2013 . The Washington Post.
8. News: Kelly . Mary Lousie . 'Red Sparrow' Author And Ex-CIA Agent Says New Movie Gets Spy Life Right . 5 August 2018 . NPR . March 5, 2018.
9. Web site: International Thriller Writers – Past Nominees and Winners. thrillerwriters.org. en-US. February 27, 2017.
10. Web site: Category List – Best First Novel Edgars Database. theedgars.com. en-US. February 27, 2017.