Patsy Duggan might be the most interesting character I've ever created. So complex. Brilliant strategist. Chess master. Determined boxer. Fearless trial attorney. Self-destructive. Had to give him his own novel. Get ready. The Irish Brawler is coming.
With the publication of Her Cold Justice, I'm being asked for more Keera Duggan. How about the story of Patsy Duggan, the Irish Brawler? Get ready… He's coming soon to a bookstore near you.
When I set out to write A Killing on the Hill, I wanted to capture a version of Seattle many have forgotten—a city still shaped by grit, corruption, ambition, and survival. Long before modern skylines and booming industry, Seattle was a place where justice could be elusive and power often came with a dangerous price.
Set in 1933, this story allowed me to explore the city’s rougher edges, where one young reporter must navigate a world that sometimes feels more like the Wild West than the Pacific Northwest. Seattle’s history is filled with fascinating contradictions, and bringing that era to life was one of the most compelling parts of writing this novel.
For readers who love historical thrillers, courtroom drama, and stories rooted in real places with dark pasts, this book is for you.
#AKillingOnTheHill #RobertDugoni #SeattleHistory #HistoricalThriller #LegalThriller Bookstagram SeattleBooks CrimeFiction AuthorLife PacificNorthwest
Recently, I spoke to a large group about A Killing On The Hill. They were shocked it was based on a true story in 1933—even more shocked at what ‘The Trial of the Century’ revealed about The Great Depression and Prohibition.
• You don’t have to follow the path everyone expects of you.
• Just because others doubt your dream doesn’t mean they’re right.
• Rejection isn’t failure—it’s part of the journey.
• The right person believing in you can change your life.
• Success rarely happens overnight. Keep going.
• Providing for your family can also mean showing them what courage looks like.
• Sometimes the dream worth chasing is the one that scares you most.
• Your biggest breakthrough may come after your hardest setbacks.
• It’s okay to leave behind a “safe” career for the life you were meant to build.
• Don’t follow the money and abandon your dreams—follow your dreams, and the money can come.
I never write a story with a theme in mind - like racism, or social injustice, or anything else. Readers come from an array of backgrounds, places, and upbringings. Some will see a theme where others don’t. I leave “what a book means” up to the individual reader.
I enjoy writing historical novels. In A Killing on the Hill, Hold Strong and The World Played Chess, the setting isn’t just a backdrop. It’s a living, breathing entity that disrupts and alters the course of the character’s lives – like the great depression, WWII and the Vietnam War.
