Promises Town Reviews
H TEXAS MAGAZINE "Promises Town" by L.B. Cobb is a Texas-size mystery. It takes place in the Bayou City and can make anyone appreciate his or her strong connection to Houston... a perfect read for any mystery buff. (Meghana Kulkarni, HTexas Magazine, pick of Hot Summer Books, Volume 11 Number 5 May 2005 print edition.)
MYSTERY SCENE MAGAZINE Promises Town by L.B. Cobb features Assistant DA Virginia Rodriguez and defense lawyer Leo Zachmann in a case involving the murder of a well-known federal prosecutor. Evidence points to the wife as the killer, but Virginia and Leo doubt she's guilty. Virginia battles renegade FBI agents and the Texas establishment while searching for the truth. Cobb proved her worth as a writer with her first book, Splendor Bay. Promises Town confirms that she's only getting better. A wonderful mix of characters highlights this memorable mystery. (Mystery Scene Magazine, Fall 2003 Issue, Issue No. 81 Small Press News and Reviews.)
REVIEW OF TEXAS BOOKS Don't start an L.B. Cobb mystery if there are any demands on the next few hours of your time. From the opening page, you are hooked and delighted to hang onto the hook. L.B. Cobb has done it again. As in her previous novel, Splendor Bay, she positions her readers with the same strong sense of place. Somehow she gives Houston, Texas, area readers a sensation of home, sweet home, even though renaming it Bayou City. A police procedural novel written by a lawyer, Promises Town lets the reader in on authentic techniques -- blood spatter analysis, weapon ballistics, crime lab technicalities, even a blow-by-blow of an autopsy. Virginia Rodriguez, a single mother, dealing with her son, Nick, leaving home for college, recognizes she is the queen of broken promises. One day she dreads facing the empty nest, another day, she looks forward to freedom. Even though on vacation, her boss, DA Wen Boucher convinces her to take the case of prosecuting the murderer of Federal prosecutor, Stuart Fullerton. With Leo Zachmann, her favorite defense attorney as opposition, Virginia anticipates victory and achieving a promotion. When the fast action slows, a surprise shocks the reader. Clues, threads, lots of questions with few answers begin to pile up. The plot thickens when Leo begins investigating the investigators. When someone in a black SUV tries to run Virginia down, Virginia's complicated life becomes more complex. Realistic portrayals of Virginia, her teenage son, Nick, her boss, Smithy the cop, who is out to marry Virginia, place the reader directly into their lives. An old lover from the past causes difficulties, except now Virginia can read him like a book. Convoluted suspects and different point of views keep the reader intrigued. Just when we think the crimes are solved, more threads begin to unravel. Promises Town is L.B.'s second mystery, following Splendor Bay. She is an attorney from Tennessee who now lives in Houston. Port of Miracles, featuring Leo Zachmann, is scheduled for a late 2003 Release. (JoAn W. Martin, Author of Yankee Girl, Review of Texas Books, Summer 2003 Issue.)
MURDER EXPRESS PROMISES TOWN Is the first book I've read by Ms. Cobb, but it won't be the last. PROMISES TOWN hooked me on the first page and I was sad to reach the last page. Virginia Rodriguez is an Assistant District Attorney in Bayou City, Texas and is long overdue a vacation. A politician's murder changes Virginia's plans for that vacation, and the subsequent events change her whole life. Leo Zachmann is the defense attorney for the dead politician's wife. We also meet Leo's wife, Miranda, and some of Leo's employees. I especially enjoyed Smitty, the cop and his interactions with Virginia. There is also Nick, Virginia's son, and her neighbor, Mr. Nguyn. Even the most minor characters are written in such a way that I felt as if I knew them. The murder mystery is great, and even thought I began to suspect who was really behind the murder before it was revealed, I didn't feel cheated by the story at all. I loved all the political intrigue and feel this book could make a good movie or television series. As I said previously, I was sad to reach the end of the book, but noted that there will be another book that will revisit some of these characters in 2003. (Kay Martinez, MurderExpress.net.)
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW Talk about women who have it all until it almost kills them, and you'll find Virginia Rodriguez. As a prosecutor for the DA's office, Virginia works nonstop while she manages to bring up her son, Nick, and try to remember to let the dog, Denver, in and fill its food dish. In the meantime, there has been a murder committed of a powerful federal prosecutor, and his wife is found in the hotel room with a gun in her hand. Is she guilty? Virginia thinks at first this will be an open-and-shut case. Enter Leo Zachmann, a defense lawyer of some repute and intelligence, who can see from the start that the case doesn't add up. He's been hired by a gruff voice calling almost immediately after the murder was committed: "'Why, Virginia, I see blinking cop cars and rowdy reporters and I just have to see if there's paying work I can hustle up,' Leo dead panned. 'You know how testy the state bar gets when you send runners in to sign up clients, so I like to do the signing up myself.' 'Right. I was told Mrs. Fullerton hasn't said a word, but it looks like she managed to sneak a call to a lawyer.' Leo and his wife, Miranda, also a lawyer, manage to dig up enough dirt to indicate that "some other dude did it." Indeed, the absence of evidence is in itself fishy and causes Leo to latch on to another line of inquiry...of the feds. In the meantime, Virginia's case dissolves as Leo's case widens. Virginia has yet another issue begging for attention, a budding relationship. Promises Town is a splendid follow-up to Cobb's debut novel. Her characters are chiseled out of the Texas landscape; politics; and Virginia's sometimes bitchy, but mostly likable, character. (Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review Bookwatch, Vol 2, No 3, March 2003)
MYSHELF Virginia Rodriguez is a tough young Hispanic woman with an even tougher job. She is scratching out a living as the Assistant District Attorney in Bayou City, Texas. As a single mother, she is about to take a well-deserved vacation and watch her only son graduate from high school. The last thing she needs is to be assigned to the case of Federal Prosecutor Stuart Fullerton. Fullerton has stepped on some mighty big toes in Washington, DC and has now turned up dead in a hotel room. His wife was found standing over him with the murder weapon and appears to be the scorned woman. Easy as pie. Open and shut case. Except that some people in high places want this case solved a little too quickly and Virginia realizes that Ms. Fullerton may indeed be innocent. If she digs too deeply into this one, Virginia's career may be on the line. If she doesn't, another young woman's life may be on the line. The story moves along quickly with many supporting characters that are equally engrossing. Just when the reader thinks they have the mystery solved, another monkey wrench is thrown into the mix. It was also very satisfying having a main character that was not only female but a minority, a strong woman with a lot of the same problems many single mothers face each day. (Reviewed by Susan Johnson, MyShelf.com.)
ROGER PAULDING REVIEWS PROMISES TOWN introduces saucy Assistant District Attorney Virginia Rodriquez in the case of a murdered federal prosecutor. When Virginia arrives at the murder scene in a posh Bayou City, Texas hotel room, the federal prosecutor's wife has been found with the gun, he and a lover have been found dead in bed together, the motive is obvious, and the wife has been arrested. It looks like a slam-dunk case to Virginia. Enter Leo Zachmann, a shrewd high-profile defense attorney who challenges Virginia to look deeper into the facts -- facts that don't seem to add up to the wife being the murderer. As Virginia and police detective named Smitty delve into the inconsistencies, they come to realize that maybe the wife has been set up, but by then a dismissal of the charges isn't that simple. Powerful people, including a man from Virginia's past, want a quick prosecution and conviction. At the same time, Zachmann and his staff are conducting their own investigation which indicates there's a political conspiracy behind the murders. The story is masterfully told from a point-counterpoint perspective, interweaving the prosecution and defense point of view as Cobb takes the readers through a criminal investigation, into the courtroom, and then on to the unexpected ending. As in L.B. Cobb's debut novel, SPLENDOR BAY, twists, turns, and action keep the pages of PROMISES TOWN turning. It's also filled with deliciously complex relationships, suspense, humor, and some very memorable characters. I'm eager to read more about Virginia and Leo. (Roger Paulding Reviews on Amazon.com.)
TEXAS AUTHORS I just finished reading Houston author L.B. Cobb's new release, PROMISES TOWN. It was wonderful. I don't know that I have ever read anything that handled interracial relationships as openly, sensitively, and with such a sense of acceptance. A marvelous job. I loved the sense of justice and guarded cooperation that Virginia Rodriguez, Bayou City Assistant DA, and defense attorney Leo Zachmann had at the end. I like happy endings and a feeling of fairness with the bad guys getting their just rewards and the good guys living happily ever after, and PROMISES TOWN delivers both. The characters were so human and the plot scary in the possibility of it really happening. I became involved with the story and the characters and temporarily became a part of their world. I really enjoyed watching Virginia cope with all the obligations in her life. Cobb's debut novel, SPLENDOR BAY, featuring lawyer Bill Glasscock, really did, as the backcover promised, "sweep me along on waves of emotion to its surprising conclusion." And now she's done it again with PROMISES TOWN. Both are 5-Star books. I love her style of writing and can hardly wait for the next one. (Charlene Keller, Prairie Hill Books, Brenham, TX at TexasAuthors.com.)
THE ROMANCE READERS CONNECTION A single mom, Assistant D.A. Virginia Rodriquez tries to make time for both her teenage son and her job, however, sometimes that balance does not come easy. While on vacation, she receives notice that Stuart Fullerton, a federal prosecutor for whom she has little respect, has been murdered. Found in a extraordinarily compromising position, Stuart is dead and his wife is found on the scene with the murder weapon in hand. Virginia begins to question Janette Fullerton’s guilt; the case is progressing too perfectly. When she discovers she has made the hit list of a cunning killer, all focus turns to keeping one step ahead of this murderer. With the help of her on again – off again boyfriend, Detective Andrew Jackson “Smitty” Smith, Virginia discovers the stunning truth behind Stuart’s murder. PROMISES TOWN is another witty, perplexing mystery from L.B. Cobb. Multi-faceted characters, biting humor and emotional discoveries pack the pages from beginning to end. I am thrilled that the next book will build on Leo Zachmann, Janette’s defense attorney, who deserves his own story! Look for Leo in PORT OF MIRACLES next year. Meanwhile, ask your local bookseller for your copy of PROMISES TOWN or head to the online bookstores who are certain to have it available! (Tracy Farnsworth, Mysterious Corner, TheRomanceReadersConnection.com.)
SCRIBES WORLD REVIEWS Virginia Rodriguez is hoping for a vacation from her job as ADA. Instead she gets a high profile murder case, defended by none other than Leo Zachmann, the biggest and flashiest name in town. Also on the case is Smitty-the-cop; Virginia had a one-night stand with him, abruptly dismissing the memory when she caught sight of a photo of his wife and child. But she soon learns that the wife and child are dead and Smitty is an eligible widower, providing the romantic tension for the story. All of this takes place in sweltering Texas, so if you happen to like all things Texan, you'll probably feel at home here. And if you like spunky, fiercely independent single mothers, you'll like Virginia. She's so independent that she told her now eighteen-year old son his father died before he was born, just so he'd stay out of their lives. So she's not falling easily, not for Smitty-the-cop or for the defense's theories that Janette Fullerton, the socialite accused of murder, is the wrong "guy." Jannette called in the deaths, that of her husband, a well-known politician-type, and his lover from a hotel room where the bodies were found. Her fingerprints are on the gun--albeit the wrong part of a gun to have shot it--but still, she is the prime suspect. And who knows? Without giving it all away, she may well have done the crime, although there are plenty of reasons, including another dead body a few doors down occurring after she has been taken into custody, to believe that it is a frame. It's an entertaining story with colorful characters... All in all, I think most readers would enjoy PROMISES TOWN for the setting and characters as well as the plot. (Conny Bryceland, Scribes World Reviews.)
CHRIS ROGERS Humorous, believable characters, and more bite than a Texas rattlesnake! (Chris Rogers, Author of Bitch Factor, Rage Factor, and Chill Factor).
MARY V. WELK A gem of a story! Master story-teller L.B. Cobb weaves a no-holds-barred legal thriller that pits battle-weary ADA Virginia Rodriguez and savvy defense attorney Leo Zachmann against renegade FBI agents and the establishment in a search for justice. (Mary V. Welk, author of the Caroline Rhodes Mysteries and winner of the 2002 Readers Choice Award for Best Mystery Series.)
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"Chiseled out of the Texas landscape; politics; and Virginia's sometimes bitchy, but mostly likable, character." -- Midwest Book Review
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