Ryan published his first novel, Underdogs, in 1999 and collaborated with jazz trumpeter Guy Barker on an extended version of a piece called Underdogs, based on the novel. As of 2010, he published eleven more novels and was working on a novel due for release in 2011.[1] His most successful and acclaimed novels as of 2010 are Death on the Ice, which was praised and recommended by the Antarctic Heritage Trust, and Empire of Sand, inspired by David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, to end the book where the film begins. He is also known for his "Morning, Noon and Night" series of books, Early One Morning (2002), The Blue Noon (2003), Night Crossing (2004), and After Midnight (2005),[2] and for the "Vince Piper" series he wrote under the pseudonym Tom Neale: Steel Rain (2005) and Copper Kiss (2006).[3] His Watson at War thrillers feature Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories, getting caught up in various conflicts during the First World War.
Using the pseudonym R. J. Bailey, Robert Ryan and his wife Deborah Ryan collaboratively write the Sam Wylde series of mysteries.[4][5]
