ROBERT ADKINS
My novels are historical fiction, and I am a writer whose work explores flawed individuals caught in the tides of conflict, often blending real-world events with richly imagined narratives. After a successful 30-year career in international business, living and working across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, I draw on global experience and generational military history to inform my storytelling.
I’m Robert Adkins, a historical fiction writer drawn to the quiet struggles of flawed individuals living through some of the loudest moments in history.
Before I became a novelist, I spent over 30 years in international business, during which I lived and worked throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. That experience exposed me to extraordinary cultures, people, and perspectives, and has profoundly shaped the way I see the world and write.
History isn’t just a backdrop for me, it’s a living force. I grew up on Army bases, the son of a career infantry soldier who fought in World War II and the Korean War. My grandfather served in both the British and American armies during World War I. These personal ties to global conflict taught me early on that behind every battle, there’s a profoundly human story.
That’s what I try to explore in my writing: not just what happened, but who it happened to, and what it cost them. My novels often span decades and timelines, interweaving characters whose emotional journeys reflect the larger historical forces at play. I’m fascinated by how people carry trauma, make impossible choices, and try, often imperfectly, to do what’s right.
When not writing, I continue to consult in both technology and financial services, and live in Raleigh, North Carolina, with my wife and son. My passions outside of storytelling include family, history, and fly-fishing, where I do some of my best thinking.
Thanks for visiting. If you’re interested in my books, would like to hear more about what I’m working on, or would like to connect, feel free to use the link below. But please review my new works first; they will be available soon.
I’m glad you’re here.
History and Family as Inspiration
The original concept for my first three books was to develop a storyline spanning several decades of history by tying together a rich cast of characters and an underlying antagonist. I used historical backdrops and a complex, sophisticated storyline, allowing the reader to explore emotions and vulnerabilities across multiple plotlines.
New Additions Coming Soon to Your Library!
We know power rewrites the past, and resistance preserves the truth. Spanning four decades of Iran’s turbulent 20th-century transformation, The Mirror Empires is a sweeping literary epic of ambition, betrayal, and endurance. From the rise of Reza Shah in 1921 to the CIA-backed coup of 1953 and the gathering storm of revolution in 1963, this novel explores the human cost of empire and the struggle to control a nation’s memory.
As kings fall and empires shift, three lives intersect: Mina Darvishi, a poet turned journalist, risks everything to tell the truth. Reza Daryaei, a former revolutionary, becomes entangled in espionage and moral compromise: Mohammad Reza Shah, a monarch haunted by his father’s legacy and his silence.
With lyrical prose and haunting historical insight, The Mirror Empires captures the tension between progress and repression, the seduction of power, and the quiet defiance of those history tried to erase.
In Grains of Diplomacy, Lieutenant Cooper McGrath’s world revolved around his team until they were lost on their last mission. Returning home, a fleeting memory changed his course. He encountered a captivating flight attendant in Hawaii, setting the stage for a life-altering journey. This memory led him back through the jungles of Vietnam into the heart of the Kremlin, profoundly shifting the course of his career. A catastrophic explosion over New York rekindled an old flame, and together, they sought refuge in the mountains. From Hawaii to Arlington Cemetery, the Kremlin to Southeast Asia, McGrath followed a trail laid years ago that would forever alter his destiny.
Counter Dead is based on Don McDowell, a brilliant theoretical mathematician completing his PhD at Yale, whose life is reshaped by the death of his fiancée. Escaping to Washington, DC, McDowell finds a home at the Treasury and is then recruited by the CIA. A beautiful, intriguing surgeon from Lebanon rekindles his feelings, but a transfer to Mexico City, still reeling from the Kennedy assassination, promises McDowell time alone and real danger. Currency manipulation and a traitor bring death, deception, and a bullet deflected by passports, as events push him to confront feelings, life, and a new talent.