My Interview with Rob Hart

Author of the Assassin's Anonymous series

Rob Hart is the USA Today best-selling author of Assassin’s Anonymous, a novel about a support group for reformed contract killers. The book was nominated for a Lefty Award for best mystery in 2024. The sequel, titled The Medusa Protocol (now available in paperback), was published last year. The third novel in Rob’s AA universe, titled Three Hitmen and a Baby, will be available June 16^th. Rob was gracious enough to find time for me to interview him as he prepares for his upcoming book launch.

Me: Without giving away spoilers, what can we expect from Mark, AKA the “Pale Horse,” and his group of reformed killers in Three Hitmen and a Baby?

Rob: The first two books have some heavy themes so I wanted to write a romp; just something really fun to reward readers who have stuck with me thus far. Then halfway through it got pretty heavy, so, best laid plans and all that. But this book is set fully in New York City--where I was born and raised, and I love writing about my hometown. You get to see some different sides of some of these characters. And it pays off some stuff I’ve been laying down since the first book. It’s also a little funny to me, how three of the deadliest, most capable people in the world can fail so badly at parenting...

Me: I love the concept of a support group for retired assassins. Can you tell me how you came up with the idea?

Rob: For the longest time I had this idea about a bunch of assassins from different parts of the world stuck together in a group therapy setting. I thought it would be funny to see all these terrifying, deadly characters sitting around and sharing their feelings. But it didn’t come together until one day it hit me: 12-step programs include an amends process, and I wonder what that would look like? As soon as I thought of it in those terms, I had the book.

Me: When it comes to genres, I hear a lot about “stay in your lane.” You’ve written novels in different genres (mystery and sci-fi). As a writer myself, I’ve crossed genres, and I love doing so. Do you think that’s okay for a new writer, or is it best to pick a genre and stick with it?

Rob: There are pros and cons. I like to write what I think is going to be fun for me, whether that’s a straight thriller or a time travel murder mystery. If I’m not having fun there’s no point. It can be a little challenging when it comes to the marketing side, or convincing readers to pick you up. With The Paradox Hotel, sometimes I wonder if it wasn’t mystery enough for the mystery folks and not sci-fi enough for the sci-fi folks. But honestly, that’s not a huge concern. The only thing that matters is you follow your bliss into whatever story feels right in the moment.

Me: You co-authored a sci-fi novel published last year titled Detour with Jeff Rake, the creator and showrunner for the TV show Manifest. Can you describe how the co-authoring process between you and Jeff worked, and when Detour’s sequel will come out?

Rob: Jeff had a brilliant pitch, and we spent a few months kicking it back and forth, outlining, brainstorming, all that fun stuff. When it came to the writing it was pretty straightforward. We set up a Google Doc, and I would write a whole bunch, then Jeff would hop in, and tweak and edit and add and subtract, before lobbing the ball back to me. By the time we made it to the second book Jeff felt a little more confident with his prose and took on a little more of the writing duties. Overall though, he’s a brilliant storyteller who just intrinsically understands story and character. I learned a ton working with him. The sequel is called Roundabout and it’s coming out in January.

Me: You’ve worked as a journalist and now a fiction author. If you couldn’t make a living using your skills as a writer, what profession would you want to do?

Rob: I can’t imagine doing anything other than this, and one of the reasons I have so many tattoos is I want to make myself unhireable in polite society. I never want an adult job again, and there is no Plan B here.

Me: You wrote a great article for the January/February 2026 issue of Writer’s Digest on “Advice for your writing success.” After reading that article, I walked away with: Not all writing advice is the best advice, find what works best for you, and all that matters is that “the work gets done.” Besides those three great tips, can you think of anything else a new writer should know?

Rob: Two things: The biggest mistake I see writers make is wanting to publish more than wanting to write well. If you’re really set on the concept of self-publishing, you should do that, but too many people treat it like a last resort, putting out work that’s not ready for prime time, and they feel let down by the process. Patience is key. So is stubbornness. The biggest downside of social media is that, like with most authors, I post about the wins; you don’t see the ten losses it took me to get there. The common denominator among successful authors is your ability to push past your failures. Just keep going.

Thanks so much to Rob for this interview. You can buy Assassin’s Anonymous, The Medusa Protocol, and Detour on Amazon or anywhere books are sold, and don’t forget to pick up Three Hitmen and a Baby on June 16th.