Robert Roy Britt

September 29, 2016 / 4 Comments

You Found Me

Robert Roy Britt Welcome. I’m a science writer, editor and author of the forthcoming thriller 5 DAYS TO LANDFALL, as well as the Eli Quinn mystery series:

FIRST KILL (Book 3, Coming Oct. 17)
DRONE (Book 2)
CLOSURE (Book 1)
MURDER MOUNTAIN (Short Prequel)

“Jam-packed with thrilling fight scenes, witty banter, and well-worn characters, FIRST KILL is an excellent addition to the private detective genre with a likeable hero and a lovable sidekick.” (5 Stars)
— IndieReader (on First Kill)

“Britt offers a sharp, hearty narrative… Another worthy outing for the quick-witted, ever evolving private eye.”
— Kirkus Reviews (on Drone)

Sign up for my newsletter or learn more about me here.

September 22, 2016 / 0 Comments

5 Days to Landfall (Coming Nov. 14)

Cover design by John Trent.

The book jacket blurb for my first thriller:

Amanda Cole, the nation’s top hurricane forecaster, understands nature’s biggest storms better than anyone. And this one terrifies her. New York City is completely unprepared.

The year is 1999. History has been largely forgotten. Residents dismiss the risks, and officials have no evacuation plan. Yet the storm long feared by scientists is barreling toward the city. Meanwhile, a mysterious plot is afoot to sabotage the forecast and any last-ditch efforts to evacuate.

With both her daughter and father in the hurricane’s path, Amanda must unravel the mystery while she races ahead of the fast-moving monster to save her family—and all of New York.

5 DAYS TO LANDFALL will be available in paperback and ebook on Nov. 14, 2016.

September 21, 2016 / 0 Comments

The Eli Quinn Mysteries

Eli Quinn mystery series covers

Eli Quinn is a bit of a wise-ass, a former reporter plenty tough enough for his new job as a private eye. He doesn’t pack a gun, but he knows how to handle bad guys when he needs to. It isn’t always pretty. For the bad guys, that is. Follow Quinn as he tries, always, to do the right thing, even when it’s not the easy or smart thing.

Note: If you’ve seen covers different from the above, it’s because they were redesigned in September, 2016. The books are otherwise unchanged.

September 21, 2016 / 0 Comments

First Kill: An Eli Quinn Mystery (Coming Oct. 17)

Book #3 in the Eli Quinn detective mystery series will publish Oct. 17, 2016. It is available for pre-order. Here’s what reviewers are saying:

“An exciting thriller full of intrigue, sex, and even some humor.”
—Bestsellersworld.com

“Britt offers a sharp, hearty narrative… Another worthy outing for the quick-witted, ever evolving private eye.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“A well-plotted story full of twists and turns with a cast of attention-grabbing characters and dialogue that throws sparks all over the place.”
— Silvia Villalobos, author of Stranger or Friend

The book jacket blurb for First Kill:

First one real estate agent disappears in the small town of Pleasant, Arizona. Then another. When a third goes missing, private investigator Eli Quinn finds himself in the middle of a scandal involving sex, money, and murder.

Quinn, a wise-ass former reporter with relentless investigative smarts and deadly martial arts skills, gets help from his trusty sidekick, Solo, the world’s greatest K-9 private eye, to sort out the sordid relationships of his suspects and hunt down the cold-blooded killer at the heart of the crime.

Can Quinn stop the homicidal maniac before he strikes again? To reach the terrifying conclusion of this deadly chase, he’ll need help from his budding love interest, reporter Samantha Marcos, and his best friend Jack Beachum, the sharpest lawman in town.

Pre-order First Kill now (ebook only). It will be available in paperback and ebook via Amazon Oct. 17.

See also Closure (book 1), Drone (book 2) and Murder Mountain (short prequel).

September 2, 2016 / 0 Comments

Cosmic Headlights: Nearby Alpha Centauri Stars

Alpha Centauri A (left) and Alpha Centauri B, imaged in optical and near-infrared wavelengths by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: ESA/NASA

You may have heard about the recent discovery of a roughly Earth-sized planet around the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, which is about 4.24 light-years away. The planet, called Proxima b, is in the habitable zone of the star, meaning it might have the conditions for liquid water at the surface, and therefore the potential for life.

Well, it’ll likely be years or decades before the extrasolar planet’s biological secrets, if any, are revealed. Meantime, earlier this week NASA released an image from Hubble Space Telescope that shows Proxima Centauri’s two stellar sisters, the much brighter Alpha Centauri A and B. (Technically, the very dim Proxima Centauri is known as Alpha Centauri C.)

September 1, 2016 / 0 Comments

Ice Volcano Towers on Tiny World

Eruptions of salty, muddy water built the Ahuna Mons cryovolcano on Ceres, scientists concluded. The streaks were caused by falling rock and debris. In the foreground is an impact crater. Credit: Dawn Science Team and NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC

Picture a volcano soaring 13,000 feet into the sky and made of ice. This cryovolcano is not of this earth. It’s on Ceres, a dwarf planet between Mars and Jupiter, and scientists confirmed today that it is indeed made of spewed water, not magma.

September 1, 2016 / 0 Comments

Your Brain is Bloodthirsty

Hominin skull casts used to measure supply of blood to the brain. Credit: Roger Seymour

You might debate the intelligence of your fellow humans, but whatever your view, human smarts have long been attributed to our big brains. New research suggests a huge increase in blood flow, eons ago, played a big role, too.

August 31, 2016 / 0 Comments

Drone: An Eli Quinn Mystery

Get Drone in paperback or ebook on Amazon.

“A brisk detective novel sequel that packs a punch.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“Fast-paced with a few thought-provoking twists, DRONE is reminiscent of a noir detective story with a 21st century flair.” (5 Stars)
— IndieReader

“Immediately absorbing and thoroughly entertaining.”
— Bestsellerworld.com

“Author Robert Roy Britt’s writing is engaging and captivating – written both with a mature slant and just a little camp. Britt takes on a well-trod genre and introduces a distinct yet fitting addition to its hall of fame. Both brilliant and humble, hard-nosed and gentle, Eli Quinn’s mettle is thoroughly tested in curious and entertaining ways. It’s hard to make an original detective, but Britt is more than up to the challenge. He does a wonderful job of telling this twisting tale with excellent pace.”
— Self-Publishing Review

“A delightful read, a page turner.”
“You will not be able to put it down.”
“Britt has a keen feel for dialogue.”
— Amazon readers

No. 2 in the series: Kicking bad guy butt comes with the job, as wise-ass detective Eli Quinn investigates a brazen assassination attempt on an Arizona politician.

Quinn takes the case when his friend, lawman Jack Beachum, suspects the sheriff isn’t investigating rigorously. Quinn gets help from reporter Samantha Marcos, a good friend who is quickly becoming more than that, and his dog Solo, the world’s greatest K-9 private eye.

Together, they uncover a threat far more sinister than the frightening and clever use of drone technology.

Get Drone in paperback or ebook on Amazon.

August 30, 2016 / 0 Comments

Closure: An Eli Quinn Mystery

Get Closure in paperback or ebook on Amazon.

“Short but pleasantly enthusiastic … Quinn’s narrative often sports the hardened cynicism of a seasoned veteran … Solo nearly steals the story; he can intimidate with a single bark and a follow-up growl.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Fascinating plot.”
“Great characters.”
“A great read.”
“I really enjoyed this book. Quinn is not the usual detective.”
— Amazon readers

No. 1 in the series:

A shocking murder in the normally quiet town of Pleasant, Arizona has the sheriff stumped. Investigative reporter Eli Quinn takes the case, his first as a fledgling private detective, as a way to work through the grief of his wife’s murder.

The senseless killing offers few clues beyond a pool of blood. Quinn leans on his friends, the brilliant reporter Samantha Marcos and sly lawman Jack Beachum, to crack the cold case.

Facing a ruthless thug and a crafty mastermind, Quinn breaks a few rules, and a few bones, to uncover a grisly truth that surprises them all. Solo, his 110-pound German shepherd, emerges as the world’s greatest K-9 private eye, keeping Quinn safe while scaring the bejesus out of the bad guys.

Get Closure in paperback or ebook on Amazon.

August 13, 2016 / 0 Comments

Murder Mountain: An Eli Quinn Mystery

Published Aug. 13, 2016: The long-awaited prequel to the Eli Quinn series!

Cover design by John Trent.

Murder Mountain: The story of Eli Quinn, private investigator, really starts here, before he becomes a detective. On the heels of the first two books in the series—Closure and Drone—it was time to circle back and, in this very short prequel, reveal the events that shaped the man.

The book jacket blurb:

A silent shooter kills Eli Quinn’s wife at a public rally, in a scene captured on video in broad daylight, then vanishes. The case goes cold until Quinn’s colleague, investigative reporter Samantha Marcos, suggests they team up to solve the seemingly random murder.

Quinn and Sam embark on a months-long investigation that leads to a harrowing chase through a fog-shrouded forest as Quinn and his K-9 companion, Solo, hunt down the elusive killer.

In this brief, fast-paced prequel to the Eli Quinn detective mystery series, Quinn tests the physical and mental skills that later define him as a private eye.

This fast-paced tale—shorter than the other Quinn books—is a lickety-split read.

Murder Mountain is available as an ebook only, via Amazon.

See also Closure (book 1) and Drone (book 2).

Book 4 in the series, First Kill, is due out this fall.

author • editor • science writer