Sometimes, when one creative door is jammed shut, another one opens just down the hall. That’s what it was like for the Las Vegas-based actor Eduardo Robinson. When the actors’ strike hit Hollywood in 2023 he needed a new way to channel his creativity and started to write.

An Agent’s Betrayal is the first fruit of Eduardo’s new creative direction, but it won’t be the last. Released on 30 September 2026, the book introduces DEA Special Agent Vivian Rosas, who works the dangerous US-Mexico border. She’s the daughter of an agent, and has grown up tough, but is hit sideways when her father is killed during a bank robbery – caught in the crossfire, apparently. Rosas isn’t buying it and soon finds herself digging into a case that could point towards corruption in the force… and plenty more besides.

This is a new addition to the narco subgenre of crime fiction. It could be me, but it feels like we’re seeing quite a few new novels in this area at the moment, from ambitious authors who have their own take on the War on Drugs, cartels and the ever-present possibility that greed will lead to betrayal.

Having acted in thrillers, romance and family dramas, Eduardo has used his insight on portraying characters for the camera to bring them to life on the page. He began his book with his lead character, started to build her story and found he couldn’t walk away. In fact, An Agent’s Betrayal is the beginning of a planned trilogy, with books two and three pretty much written.

So let’s imagine ourselves heading down to old El Paso, where the novel begins, and find out more about what Eduardo has got planned for us.

What are crime fiction lovers going to love about An Agent’s Betrayal?

I think they’re going to love that it moves. There’s danger, conspiracy, cartel violence, shifting loyalties, and that constant feeling that Rosas may be one step from the truth – or one step into a trap.

But the story isn’t driven by action alone. At its heart, it’s personal. Rosas isn’t chasing a faceless criminal simply because it’s her job. She’s dealing with betrayal, grief, and the realisation that the people who are supposed to protect you can sometimes be the greatest threat. Readers who enjoy morally complicated characters and stories where nobody can be trusted should have a very good time with this one.

Rosas is key here. Can you tell us more about who she is and how you created her?

Vivian Rosas is a DEA agent who is intelligent, relentless and more vulnerable than she would ever want anyone to know. She’s tough, but I didn’t want her to feel invincible. Her strength comes from being hurt, becoming angry, questioning herself – and continuing forward anyway.

Two very different influences helped shape her. One was Mariska Hargitay’s portrayal of Olivia Benson in Law & Order: SVU. Benson has authority and resilience, but she also carries tremendous compassion and emotional weight.

The other – and equally important – inspiration was real-life DEA agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena. His story, particularly as portrayed in Narcos: Mexico, really resonated with me. His courage, sense of duty and determination to keep pursuing the truth despite the danger stayed with me. I wanted Vivian to possess that same conviction – the kind that won’t allow her to turn away once she knows something is wrong, regardless of the personal cost.

Vivian ultimately became her own person, but those influences helped me find her foundation: Benson’s humanity and Camarena’s unwavering commitment. Because I wrote all three books as one continuing journey, readers will see what betrayal does to Vivian, what revenge asks of her, and how far she is willing to go in pursuit of justice.

What is she up against in An Agent’s Betrayal?

Without giving too much away, Rosas is up against far more than a cartel. Cartels are dangerous, but at least you know what they are. The greater danger comes from corruption hiding behind authority – people with badges, access, influence and the ability to manipulate an investigation from the inside.

As Rosas begins pulling at the threads, she realises this isn’t one isolated crime or one bad decision. It’s something deeper, and the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it becomes to know who is standing beside her and who is quietly leading her toward a bullet.

You’ve acted in thrillers, so has that background informed how you created the feeling in your first novel?

Absolutely. Acting taught me to think in moments – what someone notices when they enter a room, what isn’t being said, and when silence becomes more threatening than dialogue. I wanted the book to feel cinematic without reading like a screenplay.

The atmosphere is tense, shadowy and slightly claustrophobic. Even in open spaces, I wanted Rosas to feel watched. There’s a noir quality to the story, but it’s grounded in a modern world of federal investigations, cartel operations, political pressure and compromised loyalties. I want readers to see the scene, hear the room, and feel when something isn’t right before Rosas can prove it.

What made you want to write a narco novel?

The story of DEA agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena, who I mentioned earlier, was a major influence. His real-life courage and sacrifice – and the portrayal of his story in Narcos: Mexico – stayed with me long after I watched it. It wasn’t simply the danger of the cartel world that affected me. It was the idea of one person continuing to pursue the truth while facing an organisation with enormous power and reach.

That world creates immediate suspense, but what interested me most was everything surrounding it: money, fear, loyalty, political influence and institutional corruption. Cartels don’t operate in isolation. Their power depends on people and systems being manipulated or compromised.

I wanted to explore that world from a character-first perspective. An Agent’s Betrayal isn’t simply about an agent hunting traffickers. It asks what happens when the line between law enforcement and criminality begins to disappear – and when pursuing justice means confronting corruption on both sides of that line.

Who are some of the other interesting characters we’ll meet?

Martin ‘Manny’ Mannheim is one of the most important. He’s 23, the newest member of the team, and the kind of person who becomes the life of the party without trying. His death becomes much more than another case for Rosas – it’s the wound at the centre of the story and the event that forces her to question everything around her.

Readers will also meet agents, investigators, law-enforcement officials and cartel figures whose motives aren’t always obvious. Some characters will earn the reader’s trust and some will make them suspicious, but I wanted everyone to feel human rather than simply good or bad. Even the people doing terrible things believe they have reasons.

What are some of the bigger themes you wanted to explore, or did you want to focus more on the action?

The action matters – I love suspense, momentum, and a good just-one-more-chapter ending – but the larger themes are what give the action meaning.

The trilogy explores betrayal, loyalty, grief, corruption, revenge and the price of pursuing justice when the system itself may be compromised. I’m also interested in identity. Who are you when the institution you’ve devoted your life to no longer represents what you believed it did? How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice for the truth? And at what point does justice begin to look like vengeance?

Those questions follow Rosas through all three books.

What are some of the books and/or crime authors that have influenced you, and why?

Mario Puzo is my favorite author, and his storytelling style definitely influenced me. What I admire about Puzo is that he didn’t treat crime as spectacle alone. He wrote about family, loyalty, power, legacy and the personal codes people use to justify their choices.

His characters could be dangerous and deeply human at the same time. You might not approve of what they did, but you understood what drove them. That complexity is something I wanted in my own work. I don’t want readers simply sorting everyone into heroes and villains. I want them wondering what they might have done under the same circumstances.

What’s it been like for you as a debut author seeing your first book make it to print? What were the most challenging things about the journey?

Holding the finished book was surreal. As an actor, you’re one part of a much larger production. With a novel, the world, the voices and every choice begin with you. Seeing An Agent’s Betrayal become a physical book made the whole journey feel real in a completely different way.

The most challenging part was learning that writing the book and publishing the book are two separate adventures. Finishing the manuscript is only the beginning. Then comes editing, formatting, cover decisions, distribution, pricing, marketing and about a thousand details nobody warns you about.

There were frustrating moments, but there was also something satisfying about taking responsibility for the entire process. Every challenge taught me something I’ll carry into the next release.

What’s next for Agent Rosas, and what’s next for Eduardo Robinson?

Rosas’s story is far from finished. In the second book, she goes after the police officer who double-crossed her. In the third, she sets her sights on the person running the cartel. Each book raises the stakes, but the journey also becomes more personal as she gets closer to the source of everything she has endured.

The good news is that the entire trilogy is already written. I’m keeping the titles under wraps for now – I have to preserve a little mystery – but readers won’t be waiting for me to figure out how the story ends. The road ahead is already there. Now it’s about preparing each book properly and giving every installment its moment.

As for me, I plan to continue both acting and writing. They exercise different creative muscles, and I’ve discovered that I don’t want to choose between them.

An Agent’s Betrayal is available from 30 September 2026 and you can order a copy using the links below.