THE BLACKWELL FILES

Full Name:	Alton and Mallory Blackwell
Series Name:	The Blackwell Files
Nationality:	American
Organization:	NSA
Occupation	Other - Cryptologist

Creator:	Stephen F. Freeman
Time Span:	2013 - 2023

ABOUT THE SERIES

Alton Blackwell is an expert in Cryptology. Mallory Wilson Blackwell is an expert in Forensic Accounting.

When we first meet the man, he is a captain in the U.S. Army, leading a small Intelligence collection detachment in Kandahar. While he had already served there for some time and had shown himself to be an effective leader of the group, his time there comes to an end when an explosive device is left by an Al Qaeda double agent and Blackwell is severely injured in the explosion which also killed several of his men. The injury to his leg would result in a permanent limp and end his forward-station work, putting him in Command and Control back at headquarters.

It is there that he meets Mallory Wilson, a lieutenant in the Army working in Forensic Accounting. The two become friends and there that they will both suffer more injuries in an adventure that will lead to both leaving the military and going their separate ways.

The friendship will remain and the two will stay in touch. Alton Blackwell will put his exceptional cryptology skills to work at Kruptos Inc, "a tech company specializing in the encryption and security of electronic communications", where he will rise to a management position. Mallory Wilson will a career move to the FBI, doing essentially the same sort of investigations but "the perpetrators are generally smarter".

Alton Blackwell is described as good looking, slightly above average height, with a "lean, compact fitness" thanks to "an ongoing love of rec soccer". Mallory Wilson is said to be very attractive in her Army uniform and drop-dead gorgeous in civilian attire. Over time the two will find their friendship growing into love will marriage following.

The two will also see their careers change again, somewhat, as both will become connected to the NSA and together they will find whole new lives dealing in mysteries and suspense, taking on evil corporations, mad scientists, terrorists, and would-be world-savers.

BOOKS

Number of Books:	16
First Appearance:	2013
Last Appearance:	2023


1			Nefarious Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2013 Something is very much not alright with a biotech company's project to find a vaccine as the number of people dying around the area is getting high and Alton Blackwell want to know why because one of them is a good friend.

2			Ruthless Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2014 A killer guns down a former mobster. A few days later he eliminates the deceased's live-in girl friend. The mobster's niece is a colleague of Alton Blackwell and she asks for his help to find who and why.

3			T Wave Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2014 FBI forensic accountant Mallory Wilson is handed a simple case of stolen narcotics from a local medical group. The case turns into much more sinister events when the suspicious deaths of the facility's patients get revealed.

4			Havoc Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2014 Taking a surprise trip for fun to Italy, Alton Blackwell and Mallory Wilson are on hand when a scientist tries to illegally sell his employer's technology and pays the ultimate price for his duplicity. Now the two are trying to find out who finished off the man - his betrayed employer or duplicitous buyers.

5			The Devil's Due Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2015 Alton and Mallory Blackwell are on their honeymoon when they receive an urge request. The Afgani teenager Mastana has been pushed into a plot by her Al-Qaeda uncle.

6			The Evolution Of Evil Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2015 A Senator's wife is a famed biologist working at an Alzheimer's research facility on the Galapagos Islands. She disappears leaving an encrypted message behind. When Alton Blackwell is brought in the decipher it, he learns there may be a breakthrough for the disease that is worth killing for.

7			The Tears Of God Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2016 A man identifying himself as an old friend and work mate of Mallory Blackwell's father shows up to say that her father, who passed away years before, had actually been murdered. Oddly, her mother has never heard of the man. Now Mallory and her husband Alton are leading an NSA team to track down a toxicological threat that is part of the supposed murder.

8			When The Killing Starts Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2016 South Korea has uncovered plans by the North to attack the upcoming Winter Olympics. Because the informant is now dead, a hastily established US/South Korean team must relearn what that person knew and find a way to stop the attack. Alton Blackwell is leading the US side of the team.

9			The Dig Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2017 Alton and Mallory Blackwell are asked to help look into the murder of two members of an archaeological dig at an Aztec ruins in Mexico as well as the disappearance of a third.

10			Thirty Seconds To Live Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2018 A jet-boat crash turns out to be a case of murder but besides the mystery of who was behind it comes the uncertainty of who among the 15 deaths was the intended target. Then some of the survivors start to meet with fatal accidents. Among the remaining with possibly targets on them are Alton and Mallory Blackwell.

11			The Network Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2020 When their best friend, David Dunlow, goes missing, Alton and Mallory Blackwell go on the search. This will find them going up against a conspiracy to remove key finance ministers from around the world by a money and power hungry organization.

12			They All Fall Down Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2021 The head of the Los Zetas cartel plans on greatly expanding his criminal empire by moving big time into the lucrative business of human trafficking. He knows that he needs to eliminate an FBI cartel expert first. That man had been a colleague of Mallory Blackwell and killing him brings her and husband Alton into the matter.

13			Rage Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2021 The vicious actions of a serial killer in the DC area, someone so angry as to carve an unusual marking on each victim, has a similarity to an old case so the authorities ask retired FBI profiler Decimus Farr to take the case. Assigned to assist him are NSA agents Alton and Mallory Blackwell.

14			Terror Strikes At Dawn Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2022 "At dawn, the fanatical Fist of God cult plans to unleash a plague that will render all non-believers sterile. A series of ancient clues scattered across the globe may hold the key to mankind’s survival…but only if pathologist Sebastian Cole—with help from NSA operatives Alton and Mallory Blackwell—can piece together the cryptic pieces of information in time."

15			The Methuselah Project Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2022 "The Consortium , a sophisticated crime ring, has intimidated top international biogenetic scientists into moving to a compound in Rome to research and develop cutting-edge longevity therapies—treatments available only to the uber-wealthy. To tie off loose ends, the Consortium tries to silence former contractor Rala Vaziri. Escaping the first assassination attempt, Vaziri enlists the help of NSA agents Alton and Mallory Blackwell in an effort to break up the operation before they can strike again."

16			Vanished Written by Stephen F. Freeman Copyright: 2023 "A ship washes ashore in the Philippines without a single crew member aboard. All residents of an alpine village disappear without a trace. Connecting the two events is the appearance of strange, metallic spheres and scorch marks in both locations. An NSA team led by agents Alton and Mallory Blackwell discover a link between the disappearances and a group of disputed islands in the Artic...and an even more puzzling connection to the ancient city of Sodom. As tensions to lay claim to the coveted islands push the world’s superpowers toward armed confrontation, the Blackwells and their team race to uncover the truth behind the inexplicable vanishings, a truth that threatens to bring a catastrophic end to the modern world."

MY COMMENTS

Two facts that are pretty certain about this series.

The first is that if I were either of the Blackwell's, I would be pretty tired of having something really dangerous thrown at me around it seems every corner I step. I swear, it seems like one of them could pop down to the local supermarket and end up in kidnapping or worse.

The second is that as a reader, I would not want it any other way!!

These are really well written, exciting adventures about two interesting and quite dependable people and while my lament on their lives might sound like a slam, it ain't meant to be.

Keep 'em comin', please!

GRADE

My Grade: A-

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