House of Mystery Radio Sessions: Mystery Authors #3 –  Robert T. Kelley

Robert T. Kelley spent 30 years in the technology industry, building multiple companies before turning to writing and working with startups. Formerly the publisher of the quarterly literary journal, The Maine Review, Rob now regularly blogs for Maine Crime Writers. He received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and his PhD in English from Indiana University.

November 17, 2025

Q: Robert, your novel Raven is set at the end of the Cold War and the dawn of the Internet. Why choose that moment in history?

A: It’s January 1990 at MIT—a fascinating turning point. The Cold War is winding down, though no one is entirely sure what that means yet. At the same time, the Internet exists, but it’s not public. It’s largely universities and the Department of Defense. There’s a sense of possibility and optimism, but also lingering global tension. Technology feels innocent. People truly believed it would make the world better. That combination of hope and threat made it the perfect backdrop.

Q: How did you merge Cold War espionage with early hacker culture?

A: I come from a technology background, so I was already familiar with early internet culture—Usenet, bulletin boards, engineering labs. In 1990, the word “hacker” wasn’t entirely pejorative. It came from the MIT Model Railroad Club. Many hackers were explorers, not criminals.

At the same time, the Internet itself grew out of ARPA, a Department of Defense project designed to survive a nuclear attack. So espionage and emerging tech were already intertwined. It felt natural to place a hacker inside a spy narrative and see what would happen.

Q: Your main character, Mev Hayes, isn’t a trained spy. Why make her a hacker instead?

A: I wanted someone with specialized skills but no espionage training. Mev begins with very little power in her mentor relationship and must gradually claim it. Earlier drafts made her too passive—an agent once told me she wasn’t empowered enough. That feedback changed everything.

The revision process became about giving her agency. By the end, she’s not just surviving events—she’s shaping them.

Q: How did you develop her voice and make her feel authentic?

A: I went back to my own early experiences online and dialed up the innocence. But I also paid attention to diction. She’s 20, turning 21—her vocabulary, her sentence structure, her tone needed to reflect that.

Working with my editors at High Frequency Press was transformative. They emphasized word-level revision. Over 50 drafts later, I learned that pacing—those “just one more chapter” moments—often come down to a single line at the end of a chapter.

Q: Why the title Raven?

A: It works on several levels. Hackers in that era would “collect” information—like shiny objects. Ravens collect shiny objects. There’s also a hacker handle in the story named Raven, which becomes central to the plot.

Additionally, in espionage terminology, a “raven” is the male counterpart to a “sparrow”—someone who creates a honey trap. The word carried multiple resonances that fit the story perfectly.

Q: Boston feels almost like a character in the novel. Was that intentional?

A: Absolutely. One reviewer called it a love sonnet to Boston. The book opens with someone stepping off the number 66 bus. I include places like the old Tasty Burger joint and MIT’s Building 20.

If you know Boston, you’ll recognize the details. If you don’t, you’ll still experience the city as it was in that moment. Setting is deeply important to me, and my next novel is also set in Boston.

Q: The book touches on power and misuse of power. Was that a deliberate theme?

A: I didn’t start with the theme. I started with a story. But a theme emerged. Mev finds herself caught between a toxic professor, federal authorities, espionage charges, and even the Irish mob. She has very little institutional power.

The question becomes: how does someone without power reclaim it? That’s a thread that seems to run through my work.

Q: Has publishing Raven changed how you approach writing your next book?

A: Completely. My next novel, Critical State, comes out in fall 2026. I’m far more conscious of voice and pacing from the beginning. I think more about diction, character distinction, and line-level tension even in early drafts.

The revision discipline I learned with Raven fundamentally changed my craft.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel?

A: First and foremost, I hope they enjoy it. I’m a lifelong thriller reader. I want it to be gripping and hard to put down. If readers also learn something about early internet culture or that moment in global history, that’s a bonus.

Q: Where can readers find you and the book?

A: My website is roberttkelley.com. I’m on Instagram, BlueSky, and Facebook.

Raven is available in paperback and ebook through major retailers, and the audiobook is releasing shortly.

Full interview Found Here:

House of Mystery is an electrifying weekly radio program hosted by Canadian author and broadcaster Alan R. Warren, airing on the NBC News Talk Radio network and syndicated across the US and Canada. Through insightful interviews with acclaimed authors, experts, and cultural figures. With a rich mix of fiction and non-fiction topics

Alan R. Warren is an award-winning Canadian true crime author and broadcaster whose work has captivated readers and listeners across North America. With more than three dozen books published. He is also the longtime host of the popular House of Mystery radio show on the NBC News Talk Radio network.

Joe Goldberg is the award-winning thriller author. He was a government and corporate intelligence officer. Joe is a college instructor in digital communications. He resides near Chicago, most likely cooking and listening to Jimmy Buffett music.