Mystery at the marina

An NYU surgeon is blinded in a horrific automobile accident and descends into depression. He then receives a call saying his grandmother has been found dead at a marina on Lake Martin, and he, along with his wife, travel to the lake where mystery unfolds.

Enter the plot of Hoover resident and suspense writer Robert Brown’s latest novel, Blind Luck, which was released on Aug. 1 for Kindle. He is also the author of The Neighborhood and Sonnets, which won an Honorable Mention at the 2008 London Book Festival.

Brown is a Mobile native, where he graduated from the University of South Alabama prior to earning a Masters of Science degree at UAB. He and his wife, Mary Lynn, divide their time between Hoover and Lake Martin, where he writes his novels. His connection to the lake dates back more than 20 years ago when he was living in New Jersey.

“My wife’s brother had a place on Lake Martin, and we always made a point to come and visit,” he said. “We actually bought a place right beside his.”

He describes his transition into writing books as something he was always doing as a hobby on the side.

“I don’t know a musical instrument, so I thought it would be fun and challenging to do,” Brown said with a smile.  “It’s just something I’ve always dabbled in.”

His mystery novels center around a character overcoming odds. He uses familiar places but sometimes changes the name to give himself more freedom.

“My novels tell the journey of the human spirit against a backdrop of suspense,” he said. “They always have a moral theme.”

Brown uses his medical knowledge and background in cancer research to fuel his plot but has also done extensive exploration on serial killers and other elements found in his novels. 

“I always know how it’s going to start and how it’s going to end,” Brown said. “I don’t usually have a concept for what’s in between. I just let the characters take me where they want to go.”

Letting the characters guide him means waking up every day and thinking about what they are doing. He carried the last sentence of Blind Luck around with him inside his head for three years before finally witnessing the satisfaction of placing it on the page.

The grueling editing and publishing process that comes with being a successful writer is something Brown knows well.

“My advice for writers consists of two things,” he said. “If you don’t get a publisher at first, don’t give up. Also, if you don’t have the ability to get a professional editor, get as many friends as you can to read and give you feedback.”

Brown found living inspiration in his 96-year-old mother-in-law, who recently underwent her last round of chemotherapy and has lost nearly all her sight, and his 16-year-old great nephew, who is blind and recently earned Eagle Scout rank by designing a boat dock.

“I dedicated Blind Luck to both of them because they taught me the difference between sight and vision,” he said.

Blind Luck is narrated entirely in the first person by a blind surgeon named Jonathan Worthy. Brown said it was a welcome challenge to describe what his character was experiencing without using the sense of sight.

“I could see what was happening, but he couldn’t,” he said. “I had to rely on what he was feeling and hearing.”

For more, visit rkbbooks.com or email Brown at rkbrown51@att.net.