His first novel, “When You Kill,” he wrote after a close friend and fellow CHP Officer committed suicide. James M. Roddy wanted to expose the epidemic of officer suicides across the country, and the forces behind those self-murders. At that time the California Highway Patrol had the highest suicide rate in America. That trend has since been reversed by an intensive awareness training effort. In 1980, James M. Roddy was recognized by the California State Assembly for being named CHP Officer of the Year by the American Legion and awarded the Albert Pederson Award for his professionalism and devotion to duty. He brings those qualities to his writing.  James M. Roddy is the author of Intrigue, Kill List, Stealth Jury, Never Forgive, Kill the Judges, Brink’s Puzzle Murders, Deadly Scheme, Last Eyewitness and Road Kill.

According to the book description of Intrigue, “A retired state murder detective stumbles upon a plot by Al Qaeda involving an ultra-secret nuclear project in California, and the grand opening of the new San Francisco Bay Bridge. No one believes him. Alone he tries to stop the attack which would kill thousands.”

According to the book description of Kill List, “A dozen high school bullies finally get paid back for their brutish behavior when their victim decides to take revenge. He spent ten years planning just how the first kill would take place, followed closely by all the others who'd trampled on his psyche.”

According to the book description of Stealth Jury, “Investigating the murder of America's richest billionaire CBI Agent Brink suspects the man's wife, world-class model, Electra is the brutal killer. Convincing a jury will not be easy. Brink is in for the fight of his life.”

According to the book description of Never Forgive, “Ty Dawson, a flawed ex-deputy shriff, must stop murderous land predators intent on stealing his 3,000 acre cattle ranch near San Francisco. Ty's life is suddenly littered with; crooked lawyers, politicians on the take, a disgraced former FBI Agent, two alcoholic detectives bent on convicting him of , murder, and two beautiful women who want him dead.”

According to the book description of Kill the Judges, “When someone starts hanging modern-day California Superior Court Judges, CBI Special Agent Jack Gentry is given one week to arrest the assassins. A coded note pinned to the victims indicate these lynchings are somehow tied to Gentry. He too becomes a target of the murderous thugs.”

According to the book description of Brink’s Puzzle Murders, “Special Agent Gentry, after being wounded so many times is relegated to Chief of CBI Homicide Division. He teams a swaggering rookie agent with a grumpy thirty-five year veteran detective to solve the Puzzle Murders. The killer dismembers his victims and places their corpses in a ritualistic circle intermixing the body parts.”

According to the book description of Deadly Scheme, “A small band of highly motivated ex-military declare a personal war on Mexico for the hordes of illegals streaming across the boarder. Their weapon: Sarin nerve gas. Special Agent Gentry and three female agents must stop this genocide.”

According to the book description of Last Eyewitness, “Zane Chase starts the final American Civil War. The son of a meth-addicted street whore, he was first arrested at age nine for grand theft. At thirteen, an orphan, he again faced felony charges. His grandfather, with loving kindness, intervened and Zane became as warrior, cattleman, cop, and though unworthy; The Last Eyewitness.

According to the book description of Road Kill, “Two ordinary guys, Connor Flynt, a machinist and Harly Hawkins, a wounded warrior and ex-Army sniper, personally injured by a presidential action, plot revenge. Complications arise when Special Agent Tom Bolt, Chief of the San Francisco office of the US Secret Service, unwittingly befriends the two would-be assassins.”