Robert Dunn Books In Order

Publication Order of Katrina Williams Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Robert Dunn is American author of mystery, horror and thriller novels. Born in Alabama and raised in Nixa, Missouri, Dunn graduated from Durry College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film/Communications. And earn a second major in Philosophy with a minor in Religion. As an award-winning producer and writer, Dunn has written various scripts and directed every type of production from local 30-seconds TV commercial, documentaries to travelogues. Robert Dunn became a published author in 2013 when The Dead Ground was published and began Katrina Williams’s series in 2016 with A Living Grave.

A Living Grave

A Living Grave is the debut novel in Katrina Williams’s series by Robert E. Dunn featuring sheriff detective Katrina Williams as she conducts investigations into murder, moonshine and the ghosts of her very own past.

It is in this novel we get to learn that Katrina left the military a decade ago after a harrowing experience, and still has flashbacks of that time. Also known as Hurricane, she suffers from drinking problem and anger management issues, she often sees a shrink but only because the sheriff has ordered her to do so if she needs to keep her job.

Based in a small town in Missouri Ozark, there is not too much gang activities going on only, but just a little moonshine here and there, Friday and Saturday brawls in the bar- however that’s about to change forever as a teenager is reported missing and later found murdered. Katrina is going to have to dig a bit deep in order to solve this crime. She will have to investigate moonshiners, teenagers, motorcycle bikers and men from back East.

Above all, an army investigator shows up with intentions of re-opening a case that ended Katrina’s career in the military, the very thing that she wants to be hidden from her friends and family. Before long, Katrina crosses path with another injured soul, an artist whose days are as well numbered, and both have scars inside out.
The first book in the series is a wonderful read- Robert Dunn has created a strong lead character, a Missouri based detective investigating the death of a young girl. She carries the heavy burden on her shoulders. She served in the military for ten years before being sent away after being brutally raped and beaten, and no charges were ever pressed against the perpetrators- and so she carries the scars both physical and mental to this day.

The first half of the novels sees a lot of character development and smooth plot development. The investigations take place slowly, and the appearance of Katrina’s former colleague in the military adds to her problems. The investigation into the young girl’s murder takes a back seat as the author diverges the reader’s attention to the issues that Katrina is dealing with- but they end up merging up together at the end. Narrated in first person point of view the readers get a deeper understanding of who Katrina Williams really is, and through this there a deeper bonding occurs between the readers and the lead character- through her fears of close relationships and uncontrollable anger problems. The plot also ranges widely, and the murder of the young girl somehow becomes a subplot and shifts to Katrina’s efforts to figure out what the mob and the bikers want and then thwart them.

What also makes A Living Grave unique is the fact that all the secondary characters that surround Katrina are all male. There are no women in Katrina’s life to offer her support and guidance or even help her navigate through her ambivalent and confusing emotions. The male characters that surround Katrina include her career father and uncle, the deputy she calls a friend, the sheriff, and a crime victim who becomes something much more to her than she can admit. Robert’s Dunn lyrical description of Katrina’ Williams inner demons and struggles read almost like poetry as he crafts an intricate and fast-paced plot of deadly Mob, gangs, child abuse, cancer survival, into a novel rife with life situations, complicated feelings, and brilliant characters.

A Particular Darkness

While still recovering from the devastating effects of her service in the military, Katrina copes with the only way she knows- getting busy with lots of work.
In A Particular Darkness, a dead body is pulled from a lake, but what at first seems to be a murder case over fish poaching soon becomes murkier than the depths of the lake. Not long, a second body is found- the body of a Peruvian refugee lady with a connection to a charming tent revival preacher. However as Katrina tries to investigate the baffling evangelist, she is blocked by antagonistic Army CID personnel and FBI agents. When more young refugees vanish, Katrina must partner with deputy Blevins (who causes mixed feelings in her) to find the connection between the lake murder and the missing refugees.

A Particular Darkness is a brilliant read, intelligent, vividly plotted with intertwining relationships, a strong sense of place, and a protagonist with troubled past. Much of Katrina’s trouble lies in the trauma of being sexually abused and left for dead by her superiors while on a mission in Iraq. Even though some might find this somehow unbelievable, there are plenty documented cases of the same. This again brings to the limelight the question of to what extent can one be loyal to serve his/her country.

The twisted relationships in the story add some frisson to the narrative as the work hand in hand to expose the conflicts that exist between family and beliefs, and as each character role unfolds, it is interesting to see how this contrast works. Additionally, the characterization is brilliant, and each character plays a vital role in the whole story development. Even though Katrina doesn’t like her nickname Hurricane, it fits her perfectly, and in many ways she is somewhat violent, angry, stereotyped, grieving for her dead husband and undergoing a mandatory therapy. A Particular Darkness is a more of a character study as it is murder investigation thus making it a compelling read.