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Martin Roy Hill

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.martinroyhill.com

Twitter

martinroyhill

Genre

Mystery & Thrillers, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Crime

Member Since

September 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/martinroyhill

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Martin Roy Hill has led an eclectic life. Soldier, sailor, journalist . . . well, not a spy, but he has written about them.

Martin joined the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve when he was 19, the same year he sold his first published piece to Reader's Digest. He spent a total of 13 years as a Coastguardsman, in two tours, involved in small boat search and rescue, emergency medical response, port security, and maritime law enforcement.

In between those tours, he served in a counter-insurgency unit in the U.S. Navy Reserve. After a final stint of Coast Guard active duty following the 9/11 attacks, Martin was offered a commission as a medical service corps officer in a component of the California National Guard, where he trained combat medics for Iraq an Martin Roy Hill has led an eclectic life. Soldier, sailor, journalist . . . well, not a spy, but he has written about them.

Martin joined the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve when he was 19, the same year he sold his first published piece to Reader's Digest. He spent a total of 13 years as a Coastguardsman, in two tours, involved in small boat search and rescue, emergency medical response, port security, and maritime law enforcement.

In between those tours, he served in a counter-insurgency unit in the U.S. Navy Reserve. After a final stint of Coast Guard active duty following the 9/11 attacks, Martin was offered a commission as a medical service corps officer in a component of the California National Guard, where he trained combat medics for Iraq and Afghanistan. Later, Martin converted to the military police, retiring in 2016 as a major and executive officer of an MP unit.

Martin also served as a wilderness medic and operations sergeant with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Wilderness Search and Rescue Detail, where he was cross trained as a tactical (SWAT) medic. Martin also spent several years as a medic and security specialist with a federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

Martin received a bachelor's degree in journalism from CSU Dominguez Hills, and spent more than 20 years as a writer and editor for newspapers and magazines. His investigative reporting earned him numerous journalism honors, including two William Allen White Awards. His stories were included in three of the Investigative Reporters and Editors' annual compilations of the best investigative reporting. He also worked as a freelance correspondent for LIFE and Newsweek.

After serving on active duty following the 9/11 attacks, Martin switched careers, becoming a U.S. Navy analyst in combat casualty care. He left that position after 16 years and became a full-time writer and freelance editor.

Between his military, public safety, and journalism careers, Martin experienced many adventures. In the Coast Guard, he participated in dozens of rescues, chased Russian spy ships and smugglers, protected dignitaries, and once was nearly lost at sea in a storm. In the Navy, he was assigned to liaison with a USCG patrol boat during war games, and ended up participating in what at the time was the largest drug bust in U.S. history.

He's been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, and once followed a migrant trail from the U.S. into Mexico (at that country's request) to locate the remains of a woman who died along the trail so the smuggler leading her group could be prosecuted for her death. As a journalist, he covered disasters, air crashes, wild fires, as well as national and international leaders.

Martin's freelance credits include Reader's Digest, LIFE, Newsweek, Omni, American History, Writer’s Digest, Coast Guard Magazine, Retired Officer Magazine, The Compass, Aviation History, Mother Jones, the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times Sunday Opinion, and Travel sections, and many more. He was a lead contributor to the 1995 WWII anthology, "From Pearl Harbor to Nagasaki: America at War," published by the Retired Officer Association, and a contributor to the 2013 American Civil War anthology "Gettysburg: Three Days that Saved the United States," published by I-5 Publishing.

Martin's background plays a significant role in his writing, which many reviewers have noted has a sense of realism not often found in fiction. His first book, DUTY, a collection of short stories centered around national service, was named the 2012 Best Short Story Anthology/Collection by the San Diego Book Awards Association. His Linus Schag, NCIS, thriller, The Butcher's Bill, received the 2017 Best Mystery/Suspense Award from the Best Independent Book Awards, the 2017 Clue Award for Best Suspense Thriller, the 2018 Silver Medal for Thrillers from the Readers Favorite Book Awards, and the 2018 Adult Fiction Award from the California Author Project.

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Martin Roy Hill’s books

Average rating: 4.15 · 403 ratings · 194 reviews · 31 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Killing Depths 4.16 avg rating — 61 ratings — published 2012 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Empty Places really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 46 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eden 4.09 avg rating — 44 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Last Refuge 4.11 avg rating — 37 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Butcher's Bill (Linus Schag, NCIS, #2) 4.37 avg rating — 30 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Upriver 4.33 avg rating — 24 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Polar Melt 4.29 avg rating — 24 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Codename Parsifal: A WWII Thriller 4.30 avg rating — 23 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fourth Rising 3.92 avg rating — 24 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Chimera Island 4.05 avg rating — 22 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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127 posts
Martin Roy Hill's Blog

The Genius Soldier and the Stupid Spy

As I said in my last blog, I have done a great deal of research into WWII espionage activities both in the U.S. and abroad for my wartime thriller Codename: Parsifal, and my new spy thriller, The Last Saboteur, due out next year.

One of the facts no one talks much about these days is that prior to the U.S. entering the war, there was a substantial pro-Nazi movement in this country. In the aftermath Read more of this blog post »

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Published on December 07, 2025 10:02 • Tags: espionage, manhattan-project, spy, wwii

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Martin Roy Hill wrote a new blog post The Genius Soldier and the Stupid Spy As I said in my last blog, I have done a great deal of research into WWII espionage activities both in the U.S. and abroad for my wartime thriller Cod Read more of this blog post »
Dec 07, 2025 10:02AM · like
Martin Hill made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Security Mail Threat topic " I received the exact same email threat this morning. I copied the email address and reported the user to their email provider. "
Jan 16, 2025 10:30AM
Martin Hill made a comment in the group Advanced Copies for Review & Book Giveaways — Advance Reading Copies of New Mystery topic " No Hill to Die On, the fourth entry in my national award-winning Peter Brandt mystery series, will be released on May 1, 2025. I am offering free elec ...more "
Jan 13, 2025 01:41PM
Martin Hill made a comment in the group Authors & Reviewers — Advance Reading Copies of New Mystery topic " No Hill to Die On, the fourth entry in my national award-winning Peter Brandt mystery series, will be released on May 1, 2025. I am offering free elec ...more "
Jan 13, 2025 01:39PM
Martin Hill made a comment in the group Goodreads Reviewers' Group — Advance Reading Copies of New Mystery topic " No Hill to Die On, the fourth entry in my national award-winning Peter Brandt mystery series, will be released on May 1, 2025. I am offering free elec ...more "
Jan 13, 2025 01:35PM
Martin Hill made a comment in the group The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group — Authors looking for reviewers topic " No Hill to Die On, the fourth entry in my national award-winning Peter Brandt mystery series, will be released on May 1, 2025. I am offering free elec ...more "
Jan 13, 2025 01:32PM
Martin Hill rated a book it was amazing Chariot Canyon: A Rent Beacham Mystery by Larry Edwards (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Investigative journalist Rent Beacham is on the trail of a massive form of fraud—the theft of funds from the EBT cards the government uses to provide financial aid to Americans in need of assistance. As he digs deeper, he uncovers the murder of a for ...more
Dec 30, 2024 10:48AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Chariot Canyon by Larry Edwards. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Chariot Canyon by Larry Edwards <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Martin Hill rated a book it was amazing 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 20, 2024 02:57PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of 109 East Palace by Jennet Conant. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — 109 East Palace by Jennet Conant <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Martin Hill rated a book it was amazing Tucker vs. the Apocalypse by Jay Allan Storey (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
When an unknown virus strikes down the entire human race, loving canines and other domestic animals are forced to abandon their pampered lives and learn how to survive as their ancestors did. Tucker, a golden lab, loses his human companion early in t ...more
Apr 10, 2024 09:06AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tucker vs. the Apocalypse by Jay Allan Storey. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tucker vs. the Apocalypse by Jay Allan Storey <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Authors...: Wanted: Author Interviews and Book Snippets!	16	214	Nov 08, 2012 01:48PM
How to Promote YO...: Great Promotion!	31	100	Dec 30, 2012 03:44AM
Making Connections: 673. DUTY: SUSPENSE AND MYSTERY STORIES FROM THE COLD WAR AND BEYOND by Martin Hill	5	67	Mar 06, 2013 05:06AM
Making Connections: 746. THE KILLING DEPTHS by Martin Roy Hill	18	114	Apr 20, 2013 01:26AM
Virtual Writers: Martin Roy Hill - Mystery and Suspense	1	4	Jul 06, 2013 01:12PM
San Diego Bibliop...: ONLY 12 Members!?	5	17	Jul 11, 2013 08:21AM
San Diego Bibliop...: Welcome all!	3	20	Jul 11, 2013 08:24AM
San Diego: Hello	1	9	Jul 11, 2013 08:36AM
The Mystery, Crim...: New Mystery Short Story Now Online	1	8	Jul 27, 2013 11:03AM
San Diego Bibliop...: Homegrown Mystery Story on Plan B E-magazine	1	5	Jul 27, 2013 11:26AM

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Martin’s Quotes

“Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow
Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead
Walk beside me… just be my friend”
― Albert Camus

tags: attributed-no-source, friends, friendship, misattributed-albert-camus

93513 likes

“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”
― Narcotics Anonymous

tags: humor, insanity, life, misattributed-ben-franklin, misattributed-mark-twain, misattributed-to-einstein

64639 likes

“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

tags: charles-bayard-mitchell

101566 likes

“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.”
― Allen Saunders

tags: fate, life, misattributed-john-lennon, planning, plans

43675 likes

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It

tags: wisdom

45294 likes

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Martin’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-4) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 4: by Promod

Feb 26, 2015 10:55PM

Thanks for connecting. I feel, to start with let us have short exchanges related to our views/ personal philosophies/ work etc.
In case this is of interest to you, permit me to inform you that after “Mahatma A Scientist of the Intuitively Obvious” my next book, as detailed below has been released recently.

Title: IN SEARCH OF OUR WONDERFUL WORDS
Author: PROMOD KUMAR SHARMA
ISBN: 9789384878467
Publisher: Notion Press
Released: Feb.11, 2015
Category: Philosophy, Social philosophy, Humanitarian Spirituality, Social Positivism

Are you interested in knowing more about it?
My Facebook A/C https://www.facebook.com/promod.sharm...

reply | flag

message 3: by Jola

Mar 30, 2014 11:30AM

Thanks for the friend invite!

reply | flag

message 2: by Nicola

Aug 07, 2013 03:44AM

Hi Martin,
Hope you are well.
Just thought you might like to know that my book 'Echoes from the Lost ones' is free to download from any kindle store until Sunday, if you want to read it.

Kind regards,
Nikki

reply | flag

message 1: by Eric

Jan 16, 2013 11:45PM

Thanks for becoming my Goodreads friend.
Eric

reply | flag

Martin’s Year In Books

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The Genius Soldier and the Stupid Spy

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