Rob Leininger

Rob Leininger graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California, with a grade point average of about 1.9. Then, suddenly, he grew up. Joined the U.S. Navy right out of high school and went to ETA school (Electronics Technician "A" school) on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Graduated at the head of his class, surprising everyone, but mostly himself. Assigned to the heavy cruiser USS Saint Paul, CA-73, where he sailed off the coast of Vietnam while the ship bombarded the coastal region with her 8-inch guns. Hot, sweaty place. Five minutes after a shower you feel like you need another shower. The ship's newspaper advertised for volunteers for Operation Deep Freeze, the navy's Antarctic operation. Well, sure. Can't be hot and sweaty there. So he volunteered in spite of the military axiom, "never volunteer for anything." He spent a year at the base at McMurdo, stood on the geographical South Pole (1967), put up an antenna on a roof when it was 77 below zero outside, then came home with three more years to go in the navy. Assigned to the cruiser USS Oklahoma City, CLG-5, homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. More off-shore bombardment of Vietnam, went from lowly pollywog to lofty Shellback near Singapore, then "crossed over" (the Equator) two more times. Left the navy in 1971. Got a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Reno, Nevada, with a grade point average of 3.99 (what a difference it makes to "tune in" and do the work), with extra math classes. Member of Pi Mu Epsilon (national mathematics society), and Tau Beta Pi (engineering honor society). Worked on Trident missile design in Salt Lake City, then "black" projects for Northrop in California. He quit engineering to write novels. "Black Sun" was published by Avon Books in 1991. "Killing Suki Flood" was published that same year. "Suki" was optioned by Warner Bros. for a movie. Sold a screenplay to New Line Cinema a few years later which made him a member of the Writers Guild of America (East). Finances (a mortgage) forced him to seek "real" employment, so he became a high school math teacher, much loved by his students, especially when he talked about googols and googolplexes, gave chapter tests, and made them memorize the quadratic formula. After 12 years of that, he retired in order to write full time. GUMSHOE, published by Oceanview Publishing, was nominated for a Shamus Award for "Best Private Eye novel of 2015" by the Private Eye Writers of America, and made the USA Today bestseller list. A sequel, GUMSHOE FOR TWO, will be published by Oceanview Publishing on April 5, 2017. A third novel in the series, GUMSHOE ON THE LOOSE, is nearing completion. Rob currently lives in northern Montana with his wife, two golden retrievers, two lab mix mutts, and a psychotic cat. The skunk that got stuck in the dryer vent hose was a bonus, untaxed by the state (so far).