SPLENDOR BAY REVIEWSHome Promises Splendor Q&A Author Events Contact Buy Books Blogs of Note Mystery Author Links Reader's Guide Writing Mysteries Translate Splendor Bay Chapter 1 Splendor Bay Chapter 2 Splendor Bay Chapter 3 Splendor Bay Reviews
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY L.B. Cobb's debut book, Splendor Bay, lands ex-lawyer Bill Glasscock in the worst day of his life, and the stars of the show are his girlfriend (gone missing), his ex-wife (also missing) and her lover, Governor Wallace Moreno (found dead on the beach in front of Sally's mansion). Bill, the prime suspect, embarks on a whirlwind search for the women in his life, the murderer and proof of his own innocence. (Mystery Notes, November 26, 2001, copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information). MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW Eat your heart out, New York. Or, more specifically, all you New York publishers. You've let another rising star slip through your fingers.... [L. B. Cobb] is one savvy lady who not only knows how to plot an intriguing mystery but also knows how to people that mystery with remarkably complicated yet true-to-life characters. The fact that she does this so skillfully belies Cobb's standing as a first-time author and makes this book a pleasure to read. Splendor Bay's story line might be considered trite if handled less deftly: jilted husband finds body of wife's lover outside his home, becomes prime suspect in the murder, then escapes arrest by deducing the identity of the killer. An age-old theme of mystery novels, but in Splendor Bay, the commonplace becomes extraordinary due to the identities and emotional intensity of the characters. Bill Glasscock is not your everyday high-priced lawyer. Instead, he's a man who walks away from his job in the middle of a trial -- thus earning himself a suspension from the bar -- after discovering his wife in bed with the governor of the state. But it's not only his job that Bill abandons. He shakes off an entire way of life, reverting to a beach-bum existence that includes shacking up with his wife's cousin, the beautiful state's attorney general, Sally Solana. Likewise, Eleana Glasscock is no ordinary housewife bent on a fling with a political celebrity. She's a woman whose position as head of the state archives provides her with ample opportunity to mingle with the local power brokers. Her involvement with Gov. Wallace Moreno is due more to loneliness than love, her husband being too busy getting rich to pay her much attention. Toss in Bill and Eleana's teenage son, Davy, an insulin-dependent diabetic who's torn between both parents, and you have the makings of a family in turmoil where forgiveness and healing seem almost impossible. But murder has a strange way of drawing people together. In Splendor Bay, the need to protect Eleana and Davy drives Bill to reexamine his relationships with both family members and friends. Most difficult of all, he's forced to take a long, hard look at himself. His quest for self-discovery becomes as arduous as his hunt for the governor's killer. It's rare for a writer to be able to imagine, much less clearly convey, the emotions of both sexes. Earning the simultaneous sympathy of the reader for differing characters is even more difficult. Cobb, though, accomplishes both of these things in Splendor Bay, and she does so in a way that is neither maudlin nor contrived. Instead, she uses crisp dialogue and cleanly written prose to portray the torment of love gone astray and the soul-searching task of personal recovery. What makes Cobb's feat even more remarkable is that it's accomplished in the context of a murder mystery. Make no mistake, Splendor Bay is a fast paced suspense story sure to appeal to lovers of the genre. But it's a mystery of the heart as well, and as that, it succeeds where many other novels fail. Cobb is one helluva writer. Thank goodness she chose to shine her light in the field of mystery! (Reviewed by Mary V. Welk for Midwest Book Review (January 2002). Also appears in Dorothy L and Under the Covers Book Reviews.) REVIEW OF TEXAS BOOKS
The plot thickens and complicates with a missing mistress and a missing ex-wife, Bill's sixteen-year old son in danger, the involvement of his substitute parents. All provide alternate suspects. With the FBI, the state police and the county cops stepping on each others toes, Bill has to dance through his investigation without getting detained by any law enforcement people. Throughout the story, Bill is attempting to cope with his losses of his mother to cancer, his father to suicide, his wife and son to divorce. Cobb's protagonist comes off the page as a real person, very likable, not a flat, cardboard lawyer turned PI. When childhood friends make Bill the repository for secrets, he recognizes the gray areas in real life. I am impressed with the quality of the writing. Cobb's use of clever dialogue, creative comebacks, and innuendos to contemporary events offer enough details to keep me turning the pages. Splendor Bay can give any of the big name mystery writers a competitive run. (Reviewed by JoAn Martin for Review of Texas Books, Winter 2002; Review of Texas Books is a print publication of Lamar University Department of English and Modern Languages for Texas Libraries.) THE REBECCA REVIEW L.B. Cobb's writing style takes full advantage of verisimilitude in a similar way many of W. Somerset Maugham's stories evoke a sense of confidence in the reader. She also uses those little twists and turns that keep you questioning and her chapter endings plunge you into the next page with a sense of undeniable curiosity....you will really start to love Bill for his thoughts, be they the thoughts of a man in love or the conflicting thoughts he faces in trying to solve the mystery of his life or the humorous, laugh-out-loud contemplation of one witty guy who is trying not to take life too seriously, while learning life can be one serious game when those you love are in peril. An expertly crafted mystery with a touch of sensual intrigue. Splendor Bay will leave you amazed by the poetic justice of it all. The best mystery I've read, bar none...Summer reading at its best! (Reviewed by The Rebecca Review, an Amazon.com Top Ten Reviewer.) MURDER AND MAYHEM BOOKCLUB
The dialogue in this book is very witty and I think it reminds me of the Robert B Parker Spenser series because of the sarcasm. I found it to be a very good, easy and fast book to read. Very likeable characters that you begin to really care about. A bit of a love story about how even though you have an ex wife, is she ever forgotten? Do you just stop loving her because you have found her in bed with the Governor? Do you stop loving the girlfriend because the ex wife that has just lost her boyfriend and tells you she still loves you? There is also your son of sixteen years to consider. Bill has been a bit of a bum for a while and what effect is that having on him. Should Bill get his act together and try and spend some time with Davy, or should he just let his wife worry about that. There are lots of different twists and turns in this book and I found them delightful. I liked the interactions between Bill, his friends and extended family. I liked the fact of him being an ex-attorney on suspension and the dilemma about what he was going to do with the rest of his life. I would like to see this become a series, but my understanding is that she is in the in the process of having another novel published with new people. I for one will have to have a look at it. (Reviewed by Connie Rutter, Murder and Mayhem Bookclub.) THE ROMANCE READER CONNECTION What started out as a serene, beautiful day is turning into a nightmare for Bill Glasscock, a former attorney who was suspended following claims of malpractice. Bill has been working as a private investigator and is living with Sally Solana, the state's Attorney General. Bill and his wife, Elena, may be separated, but he still has deep feelings for her and their sixteen-year-old son, Davy. Bill wakes up to find his girlfriend gone, so he opts to take a jog on the beach. Before long, the body of Governor Wallace Moreno is found on the beach just below Sally's abode. While Bill is trying to hide his glee at the death of Eleana's recent lover, he soon finds himself trying to find his missing girlfriend, Sally, prove his wife, Eleana, innocence, and save those he loves from a ruthless killer who is intent on wiping out not only Eleana, but also Davy, Bill's son. Packed with action, realistic characters who not only face incredible hurdles, but also react with genuine emotions, and tongue in cheek humor, SPLENDOR BAY is a book to be savored. The pace does not rush you to the end; rather it slowly builds to the unexpected ending. (Reviewed by Tracy Farnsworth, TheRomanceReadersConnection.com.) ROGER PAULDING REVIEWS
SCRIBES WORLD REVIEW This novel starts out grabbing you immediately! It opens with a body washed up on the beach where our main character Bill Glasscock, a suspended-for-malpractice attorney now working as a P.I., just wakes and tries to shake off another one of his famous hangovers, steps out onto the patio deck overlooking the ocean for some fresh air. What unfolds from there is something Glasscock can't ignore and finds he has to protect his family and loved ones while trying to uncover the mystery of the murder and what it has to do with him. Now if only Glasscock could find his soon to be ex-wife. It also seems his girlfriend Sally is missing, who happens to be the state's Attorney General! Soon Glasscock discovers the body is none other than Governor Wallace Moreno, Bill's soon to be ex-wife's lover! Somehow, Bill is not surprised to find out who is the prime suspect, and now he must find the murderer before the killer comes after him! What Glasscock unravels, will change his life and everyone he knows from his past, present and future, which is something Bill doesn't want to ever repeat. A great mystery which is entwined with funny and witty characters. Loved the way the book continues on with dates and times as you get a real good feel of what Glasscock was experiencing. Just when you thought you knew who was behind all the murders, you turn the page and find a new clue which throws you right off. I find that is what makes a great thriller and a can't put down book! You will be surprised with the conclusion of this novel. (Reviewed by Vicki Duby, February 2002, Scribes World Reviews, www.scribesworld.com.) MYSHELF
Not thrilled with his life at the moment, Bill tries to get in touch with his lover, who is the state's attorney general, but it appears she is missing. As people start disappearing for good around bill, he decides he must take action before his life disappears behind bars. Splendor Bay is what I would call a psychological suspense. Bill Glasscock must face up to his morals and find out where and how far they will take him. He has failed before in life at things that mattered but now that is not an option and he must see if he has what it takes to live up to the challenge of saving his and the people's lives he cares about. I enjoyed losing myself in this story. It was a quick read with satisfying twists and a great ending. At first, I felt that Bill was not a character that I could like but the farther I read in to the story, I had to change my opinion. He is a definitely a character that grows on you. I look forward to reading more works by LB Cobb. Buy a copy. (Reviewed by Robyn Glazer, MyShelf.com.) RENDEVOUS MAGAZINE Bill Glasscock ("Fragile Dick" to his friends) is a suspended attorney who is working as a PI right now. The Governor is found dead on a beach. Eleana, Bills almost ex-wife, has been going out with the governor for some time, and Eleana and the woman Bill has been living with, Sally, has vanished. So all of them -- Bill, Eleana, and Sally (the girlfriend) -- are suspects. His whole life seems to be going to the dogs. Attempts are made on his wife's, his son's, and his life--things are getting dangerous. There's plenty of humor, suspense, and complications in this excellently crafted mystery. Put this one on your "must read" list. (Reviewed by JP, November 2001, Vol.18.No.6.) BVS REVIEWS
As the book opens, Bill is on the balcony of a house that he is staying at. He sees some people gathering at the beach down below him. There is a dead body down there. Bill finds out that it is the Governor. Immediately Bill becomes a suspect. Because in this bedroom seaside community of Splendor Bay, there are no secrets. Or are there? Wallie Moreno was Governor of the state and Bills nemesis. While Bill was busy being a hot shot attorney, his wife found solace in the arms of Moreno. When Bill finds out, his life crumbles. He leaves Center City and comes back home to Splendor Bay. We get all of this information in bits and pieces throughout the story. We find out that the house that Bill's staying at is his girlfriends. It seems Sally is the states Attorney General, and Bill's wife Eleana's cousin. And one of the cops that is investigating the death of the Governor. Tiny, has been Bill's best friend since childhood. Another character thrown into the mix is Davy, Bill's diabetic teenage son. As things start to get rolling in the investigation, Morenos driver ends up being dead. And both Sally and Eleana are missing. Eleana ends up being found but Sally is still gone. Her twin sister, Lisbeth, is covering for her somehow. And some of the other people of Splendor Bay that are a part of Bills life, including Lisbeth's husband Chester, all seem to have their own agendas in the murder investigation. More bodies start piling up and Bill begrudging helps out a local FBI agent to get to the bottom of these murders. Is it a major conspiracy or just somebody trying to cover their tracks? Can Bill really trust this guy? And can he put his marriage back together? The way that the leaders from local levels on up to the Presidency act provide a pretty solid foundation for a novel such as this. With Presidents having to admit to having sex with White House staffers and members of Congress going to prison for being corrupt, a crooked Governor like Wallie Moreno is not too far fetched. Splendor Bay is a mystery novel that could actually happen. People in power do like to take advantage and some people would just roll over and bow out of a marriage rather than try to fix it. Then when life takes a tragic turn, the seemingly weak parties step up and take command. And can we really trust the people we call our friends? (Reviewed by Bruce Von Stiers, BVS Reviews). AMAZON READER L. B. Cobb writes with just the right mix of mystery, humor, and romance. With a protagonist named Bill Glasscock..., you know you're in for an interesting ride from the very beginning...The setting could be your small town and the people, your high school buddies. The camaraderie and affection are evident in the good-natured bantering between old friends. Along with the unexpected twists and turns, Splendor Bay is a very entertaining summer read. (Reviewed by Hannah L. Powell from Knoxville, TN, Amazon.com reader review.) AMAZON READER I didn't want to put this book down after I began reading it...I was taken in by the main character, his sense of humor and approach to solving the crime, and all the ways he showed he cared about his family and friends. The end was good, because even though I tried to guess along the way what really happened, I wasn't even close (Reviewed by Aprile from Arvada, CO, Amazon.com reader review.) ON THE COVER "Smart, sassy, and sexy, with enough twists and turns to make you dizzy, SPLENDOR BAY is a splendid read" -- Lorna Michaels, author of THE TRUTH ABOUT ELYSSA "A fabulous writer!" -- Tony Fennelly, Edgar-nominated author of DON'T BLAME THE SNAKE and 1-900-DEAD "L.B. Cobb comes through with a page-turning story filled with cracking wit and suspense" -- Julie Wray Herman, Agatha and Macavity award nominated author of THREE DIRTY WOMEN AND THE BITTER BREW
Home Promises Splendor Author Events Contact Reader's Guide Writing Mysteries Translate Copyright LB Cobb. All Rights Reserved.
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"The best mystery I've read, bar none... Summer reading at its best! -- The Rebecca Review "It's rare for a writer to be able to imagine, much less clearly convey, the emotions of both sexes. Earning the simultaneous sympathy of the reader for differing characters is even more difficult..." - Midwest Book Review
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