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Matt #1

Matt I

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"Matt Vol I" is the beginning of a short novella series.

"They murdered my wife two years ago...
Tonight, you die.
I am Matt, your nightmare!"


On a quiet night like any other, Matt, a successful entrepreneur, returns home to his gorgeous villa, only to find his wife brutally murdered. A soft verdict against the culprits, a gang of violent teenagers, spins Matt's relatively calm and collected demeanor into something far more sinister. In a manic rage, he seeks vengeance for what has been stolen from him, and he lashes out against the weak system. Sleepless, lonely, tormented nights torture him, filling his head and his heart with frustration, hate, and anger, unleashing an entirely different side of the man--a monster even he did not know existed within him. From Berlin to Rome to Paris, the great cities of the world suffer in the wake of his wrath, as brutal, barbaric killings seem to be the only temporary antidote for his fuming, blood-boiling rage. His victims, so easily deprived of life, seem to be the only cure, the only way to soothe his yearning for revenge, or are they?

60 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 23, 2015

38 people are currently reading
123 people want to read

About the author

Ahmad Ardalan

10 books417 followers
Ahmad Ardalan is an ongoing cancer fighter. He was born in Baghdad in 1979. At the age of two, he moved with his parents to Vienna, Austria, where he spent most of his childhood and underwent his primary studies. After his father's diplomatic mission finished at the end of 1989, he returned to Iraq, where he continued his studies and graduated from the University of Dentistry. As a result of the unstable political, military, social, and economic conditions in his home country, Ahmad decided to leave Iraq and move to the UAE. After facing difficulties to pursue his career in dentistry, he opted to pursue employment in the business world. Since then, Ardalan has held several senior roles within the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries, throughout much of the Middle East. His early childhood in a mixed cultural environment, as well as his world travels, increased his passion for learning about cultures of the world and inspired him to pen The Clout of Gen, his first novel. After eleven years of being away, Ahmad returned to Baghdad in January 2013 on a visit that was full of mixed emotions. Inspired by his trip to Iraq, he wrote his second novel, The Gardener of Baghdad. He did not stop there, as "Matt" his latest Short Story Thriller Series became available 2015. The Gardener of Baghdad, opened readers’ eyes to a different picture of the city they had heard of. With hope and love as his message, Ardalan released Baghdad: The Final Gathering, and followed it by The Boy of the Mosque. A recent trip to Paris, strolling around the beautiful galleries of Le Marais inspired him to write his latest novel The Art Collector of Le Marais

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5 stars
18 (32%)
4 stars
16 (29%)
3 stars
12 (21%)
2 stars
7 (12%)
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2 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Jan.
423 reviews290 followers
February 16, 2016
My thanks to the author, Ahmad Ardalan, for the invitation to read Matt Volume 1, the first in a short story trilogy.

The story revolves around Matt, a successful entrepreneur who has a taste for vengeance in a big way...

He had it all. Beautiful, loving wife, heavy social calendar and vacations others dream of. But when his wife is brutally murdered in his home, he discovers a rage within him. One that can't be squashed until he makes others suffer and feel the pain that he does.

With such a great premise, I admit it felt like I was reading more of a journal or 'daily diary of a killer' versus a suspense novella. Everything was told in such a matter of fact way: how he got started, how he did his research, what method he chose to kill and how he cleaned up after the crime. What was missing for me was the build up of suspense that gets the old adrenaline pumping.

There was a nice element of surprise in a twist I didn't see coming, but again, after the initial shock was over it was back to being a methodical journal.

There is a lot of promise here and I love the premise, so I will be looking into the next adventures of Matt Godfrey in the next 2 volumes and I recommend you check it out as well! Sometimes its nice to break things up with a short story (this was 50 pages) in between heavier, longer books.




Profile Image for Sue.
1,417 reviews5 followers
January 13, 2015
I received a free download of "Matt Vol 1" by Ahmad Ardalan, part 1 of a short novella series, in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book written by Ahmad Ardalan and the first in a thriller novella series. I really enjoyed reading this well written suspense thriller.

"There were many sick people in the world, and he wouldn't put anything past them. He knew that because he had become the sickest of all."

Matt, a successful entrepreneur, lived a double life after the brutal murder of his wife four years ago and lenient sentence. He was full of rage and needed to get even! As he was well off, this allowed him to carry out his murders of women, in different cities in Europe. He was a serial-killer, with no remorse. A new murder-a different city-a different method. He always cleaned up the crime scene. He even used sodium hydroxide to dissolve his victims.

He was on a murderous rampage, but he now changed his tactics. As a victim of childhood abuse, he now would get even. Could anyone stop him?

This story is full of twists and turns and a definite surprise ending. Don't miss out...Read this book. Now I am going to read Matt Vol II (Chaos in Dubai).



20 reviews
October 6, 2015
Very good!

Very good book. Matt is one of those characters I love to hate. Not a good guy to a good guy? I am looking forward to reading Volume II.
Profile Image for Tony Parsons.
4,156 reviews102 followers
November 8, 2017
Matt Godfrey (32, son, software entrepreneur) was now a widower. His wife Lisa had been brutally murdered by 3 teens who only got 10 yrs. in detention for it.
What would his future be like?

Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written psychological thriller (short story) book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great psychological thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Raven & Black Publishing; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Profile Image for Joshua Grant.
Author 22 books277 followers
January 10, 2019
Matt Vol 1 by Ahmad Ardalan is all about character, namely Matt, a sadistic murderer that is really good at what he does. Matt travels the world, never killing in the same way or same place twice. It’s an interesting concept right off, but what makes Ardalan’s work so compelling is the backstory that drove Matt to be what he is. All around a fascinating and tense read great for any Dexter fans out there!
Profile Image for Lynn Jarrett.
39 reviews24 followers
January 5, 2015
"Matt Vol I" is the third book written by Ahmad Ardalan and the first in a thriller novella series.

This short story thriller series introduces you to Matt, a 32 year old entrepreneur, who has just brutally murdered yet another young female. Join him as he leads you on an exciting killing spree across Europe in a quick, easy to read tale with several unexpected twists and turns that will surprise you. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a big twist of fate comes out of nowhere that will totally catch you by surprise -- it did me!!

There is never a dull moment in this short story. It is written in short paragraphs, the words flow well which make for easy reading, and it has a clear writing style.

I know I am waiting for Matt - Vol II -- bring it on!!

Profile Image for Tracey Digilormo.
61 reviews1 follower
January 9, 2015
What a page turner... I look for a book that will keep you on edge this does just that. The plot and twist were not predictable. First book I have read by Amhad Ardalan, will not be the last. If you are looking for a great suspense look no more. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Keyreads.
263 reviews21 followers
July 15, 2015
Wow, the suspense was real people, it was so real!! I did not expect that plot twist at the end. I definitely will be be picking up volume 2 & 3.
Profile Image for Diane.
365 reviews10 followers
January 23, 2015
A series. Bring it on. Loved Volume 1.
Profile Image for Rick Gillispie.
33 reviews
March 30, 2015
This was a great short story. Reading a story from a killers point of view was something new for me. Looking forward to see what trouble Matt gets into next.
Profile Image for Karen.
616 reviews25 followers
December 24, 2015
I enjoyed this and look forward to reading more in this series.
486 reviews2 followers
February 10, 2016
Contradiction

Matt decides to become a serial killer after his wife is murdered. What a weird and confusing thing to do. He's killed twelve women and then decides he's bored. So he starts killing men. If you like serial killer books, you'll like this one. Me, however, am not a fan. All the wasted lives-innocent lives. In this book at one point, he wonders how one of the men he intends to kill, can work in a flower shop and be an abuser. I wonder how he can be a widower and kill several women. What a contradiction!
Profile Image for Tinus Etsebeth.
Author 3 books5 followers
January 18, 2015
I do like the book cover,very fitting. I thought hard what ratting to give. During the first few pages you ask yourself page after page "why" so sinister? Good turns bad, then bad vs good,unusual. It could make readers lose interest. Matt has a strong presence but I felt the need of another strong secondary character even schizophrenia would have done the trick.
But Matt Vol II(Chaos in Dubai) seems promising I'm sure to have a look.
Profile Image for Tracy.
181 reviews
January 6, 2015
An excellent book of suspense! I was very surprised by the twist at the end and it was my favorite part. What a great plot and the characters were very well done. I look forward to reading (and reviewing?) Other Mat volumes, and other work you may have done. Please, keep writing!
Profile Image for Joe.
93 reviews1 follower
November 7, 2019
It all seemed pointless, it was a free book so nothing lost other than time, but I won't seek out any more of these.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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