Christal Roberts is an Emmy award-winning multimedia journalist and author of the suspense thriller, A KILLING IN BLACK NEWPORT. Awarded the runner-up prize for the 2024 Mystery Writers of America New York Chapter Leon Burstein Award, the judges called the novel “original,” and “fast-paced.”

Christal’s fascination with Rhode Island’s Black history during the Gilded Age inspired A KILLING IN BLACK NEWPORT, and a master class with bestselling crime writer Elizabeth George gave her the confidence to write it. 

A Brooklyn native, Christal was hooked on mysteries early on—from Nancy Drew, to Sid Halley, to Inspector Thomas Lynley—devouring every novel she could get her hands on. As a child of the TV generation and armed with her trusty cassette tape recorder, she’d record and edit theme songs from her favorite mystery TV shows like Columbo, Remington Steele, and Cagney and Lacey.

Given her knack for writing and visual storytelling, it was only natural for Christal to pursue a career in TV news. During the glory days of blogging, Christal established an entertainment blog that quickly gained popularity. After submitting her work to BlogHer.com, she became one of their first contributing editors. 

Six years and a master’s degree later, Christal taught journalism at Hofstra University and video editing at Nassau Community College. In 2008, Christal won an Emmy award for an investigative report about the 9/11 insurance fund, and she’s also the winner of two Front Page awards from the Newswomen’s Club of New York.

Besides working on her second novel, Christal produces and edits the YouTube video series, “10 Questions for Crime Writers of Color.”

An avid tennis fan, Christal loves to travel, and her obsession with The Great British Baking Show gave rise to her appetite for baking.