About Me

Dr. J. Robert Kinney is an award-winning mystery/suspense author. Since his publishing debut in 2016 (Precipice), Kinney has published four novels, including an award-winning trilogy, The Volya Series. One of the trilogy, Ring of Conspiracy, was awarded the Best Suspense Novel of 2020, winning the Silver Falchion Award from the Killer Nashville International Writers Conference and he has received multiple Finalist awards for the others.

Born and raised in the great state of North Carolina with his parents and younger sister, Kinney has a PhD in political science, with specialties in international relations & terrorism studies, as well as degrees in psychology (Duke, B.S.) and forensic science (GWU, M.S.). Kinney has worked in radicalization and insider threat research for a government contractor,  taught workshops on global nuclear security around the world,  toiled in federal public policy in Washington DC, taught university courses on global politics, and lectured on crime scene investigation. Currently residing in Tennessee, he loves reading, playing basketball and tennis, traveling the world for work and for pleasure, trivia nights with friends, and teaching on international politics & foreign policy. In the past, he also enjoyed podcasting on international political topics & current events, having hosted a show (Nutshell Politics) for a while, which can still be found on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and more.