Guide to the Kea Wright Mystery Series

by Murder Mystery

Each book in the Kea Wright series has a distinct tone. Mammoth Drop, for example, is a camp romp celebrating a science and drag. In contrast, the final story, Murder on Masaya, presents the hazards that scientists undertake to gather data.

Each book also has its own underlying theme. Cold Flood examines how being put under intense pressure can release something inside ourselves that we never knew existed. The Meerkat Murders examines the concept of altruism, Mammoth Drop explores extinction, and Masaya examines family and sacrifice.

My favorite television show growing up was Doctor Who – you never knew where the next story would take you. The next tale could be set in the distant past or the far future, or be a comedy or a tragedy. I loved that element of surprise and tried to incorporate it in this series.

I wrote these books to share expeditions so that can be enjoyed from your favorite comfy chair. If you are interested in joining a scientific expedition on a volcano, a glacier, or even tracking dolphins, find a volunteer site online and sign up today! There are many ways that you can help scientists and spend a vacation that you’ll remember for a lifetime!

Find your favorite one on Amazon!

Reader’s Favorite Review of The Meerkat Murders!

by Citizen scientistsMeerkat MurdersMeerkats and MurderMurder Mystery

New review of the Meerkat Murders posted by Steven Robson for Readers’ Favorite.

 

The Meerkat Murders by R. J. Corgan is a murder mystery that delves into the darker side of human nature under the volatile skies of the Kalahari when Dr. Kea Wright is invited to join a research expedition by her good friend Tamaya Rose. This expedition, comprised of students and teachers from Burlingame University of San Diego, is studying several meerkat clans in Botswana. Kea’s initial surprise at being invited is pushed aside by a sequence of events that eventually leads to two deaths; one seemingly through sheer bad luck and one more sinister in nature. How Kea slowly unravels the mystery behind these tragic losses, whilst dealing with the majesty and brutality of the environment in which she is placed, will hold you captive until the very last word.

R. J. Corgan’s The Meerkat Murders is a slick and sublimely constructed voyage into the world of the African wilderness, juxtaposing the widely varied nature of human beings with the equally varied extremes of the ecosystem. Parts of this book will make you cringe at the depths of depravity people can plumb in pursuit of their own agendas, whilst other parts showcase the good that we are all capable of doing. 

Read the full review here.

 

Long and the Short Reviews: The Meerkat Murders

by Meerkat MurdersMurder Mystery

Another 4-Star Review!

“… A really interesting story, filled with realism and excellent descriptions that proved to me the author had not only done his research, but also experienced much of the African landscape and settings detailed within the story. I was impressed how this story was woven together, with descriptions and details that really made me feel present – but not so heavily over-the-top to slow the plot or action down. It’s a delicate balance that isn’t easy to achieve and I feel the author managed this really well…”

You can read the full review by clicking here 

Murder on Masaya – Fieldwork Nibbles

by Citizen scientists

My next novel, Murder on Masaya is set on the slopes of Volcan Masaya, Nicaragua and continues the adventures of Kea Wright.  I’ve included on this blog some photos of tools and techniques the scientists were using in the field that might not make it into the book.

Fieldwork nibbles

One of the many research projects conducted on the slopes of the volcano involved the collection of gravity measurements. These required a great deal of patience due to the sensitivity of the instruments. Below you can see two researchers patiently taking gravity readings on the side of the road on the slopes of Masaya.

The gravity meter in our field work was similar to the one you seen below (image from University of Newbrunswick). Their unit is a 1964 machine that’s been refurbished. 

A gravity meter similar to the one we used on Masaya.

As old as it is, believe it or not, it still is worth as much as two new cars…

For us newbies, the device can take either five minutes to take a reading to forty. Or, if you’re almost done after forty minutes and someone accidentally knocks the base plate with their foot, it can take one hour fifteen…

Interactive Earthwatch Iceland Story Map!

by Citizen scientistsicelandMurder MysteryVolcanoes

ESRI Story maps are a free way to create inspiring, immersive stories by combining text, interactive maps, and other multimedia content. Publish and share your story with your organization or everyone around the world. I’ve used their tool to explain the research we conducted in Iceland (as described in the novel Cold Flood) with interactive maps.  

Enjoy and remember you can create your own story maps just by going to https://storymaps.arcgis.com/

Guest Post on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile: The Character in the Flaw

by Murder MysteryWriting

I was invited to be a guest poster on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile’s site, talking on the topic of building characters in fiction: how to make them interesting, without resorting to giving them, say, an eye patch.*

Excerpt: “Asked to read a first draft, a beta reader informed me: ‘It’s okay, but your main character doesn’t have enough flaws.’ A second reader said of the same draft replied, ‘She has too many flaws!’ This led me to ask the question: When is your lead character sufficiently flawed enough to be interesting, but not too much that it alienates the reader? In the case of Sherlock Holmes, the character does heroin for a little while, either for undercover work or for fun/addiction, but only enough to make him dark and edgy. Watson, the reader’s guide, dries him out. You can make you character an alcoholic, but at some point the character has to remain vertical long enough to solve a crime…”

You can read the rest of the post on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile’s site here!

(*Disclaimer – I love eye patches!)

Another solution might be to give your character an adorable companion… like say a puppy… or forty-four meerkats.

Shameless Plug: Meerkat Murders by R. J. Corgan is coming in Summer 2019!!